FACED with growing environmental pressure, car manufacturers are investing heavily in alternative fuels for the short, medium and long term.

SAAB, for example, confirmed in Geneva that its entire model range is now capable of running on bio-fuels following the arrival of the 1.8t BioPower engine which emits up to 70 per cent less carbon dioxide than its petrol equivalent, yet produces 17 per cent more maximum power and ten per cent more torque.

It is available in all three 9-3 bodystyles of Sport Saloon, SportWagon and Convertible while newest member of Saab green fleet is the first production-based engine to be optimised for pure bioethanol (E100) fuel.

  • For the medium term Honda is displaying its continued commitment to hybrid car technology with the unveiling of the glass roofed Small Hybrid Sports Concept.

Sharing some design similarities with the original Insight, the front-wheel drive aerodynamically efficient compact uses Honda's IMA four cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and CVT transmission to demonstrate that it is possible to have a fun sports car and not burn huge amounts of petrol.

Looking further ahead to where most people see alternative energy eventually arriving, is Honda's Driveable FCX Concept which features a newly-developed fuel cell.

The FCX Concept has a range of 354miles (Honda calculations when driven in LA4 mode) and a top speed limited to 100mph. Limited marketing of a new fuel cell vehicle based on the FCX Concept model is to begin in Japan and the US in 2008 with the rest of the world having to wait another seven years.

  • Toyota is focusing on its vision for sustainable mobility the Hybrid X, a four-door four seta concept car powered by Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive By contrast, its FT-HS (Future Toyota - Hybrid Sports) envisions a sports car for the 21st century, with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration and nought to 62mph acceleration in the four-second range while still using a hybrid power source.
  • Also on display as a vision of clean motoring from Kia was the Rio Hybrid using a 1.4-litre 90bhp petrol engine mated to a compact 12 kW syn-chronised electric motor.