SUVs are mostly referred to as gas-guzzlers; the Porsche Cayenne is no exception. Porsche AG, however aims to change things a bit with the introduction of the Cayenne hybrid, likely to be rolled out by the end of 2009.
Cayenne hybrid will cut the fuel consumption of the Cayenne by nearly a third. Porsche wants the hybrid to cover 100km in 8.9 litres of fuel, as compared to the 12.9 litres of the all-gas Cayenne. With such a high fuel usage, the Cayenne exhales 320 to 378 grams of carbon dioxide per km. There is no word on the CO2 output of the hybrid.
These high figures of carbon emission can land the Cayenne into trouble in the near future. Emission standards are tightening worldwide. The European Commission plans for new rules by mid-2008, that aim to reduce pollution from passenger cars to 130grams of CO2 per km by 2012. Upcoming CAFE standards in the USA are already causing car manufacturers to lose sleep.
Porsche is working with Volkswagen and Audi for development of hybrid powertrains that capture energy from braking and use it to drive an electric motor. The parallel-full hybrid lets the electric motor drive the vehicle at speeds upto 120kmph (now that’s something), with the gas engine first taking over at high speeds.
The age of gas-guzzlers is over. As the world gets more conscious of environment and people feel the pinch of high gas prices on their wallets, demand for cleaner and fuel economical vehicles is on the rise. Hybrids lead the way in this changing world.
[Image: Autobloggreen]
[Source: Reuters]
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