The industrial transformation has brought in tremendous changes and has overtaken the automobile of today. The recent Auto Expo in Mumbai organised by the Confederation of Indian industry (CII) offered a glimpse of the latest technology and displayed a range of new concept cars, personalised cars and the wide array of other vehicles which reflected the hi-tech edge the automotive industry has achieved.

Environment and fuel conservation being the most important concerns for the industry, it has a pressing challenge to produce economical and energy efficient vehicles. The auto expo covered this and other aspects of the automobile sector.

Highlights of Auto Expo:

Information on Fuel efficiency: In automobile designing, fuel efficiency is a critical aspect.  After the catalytic converter, the research thrust is on alternative solutions that enable the selection of less noxious technologies.  The European Union has announced compulsory fuel and vehicle emission specifications.  The "Auto-Oil"  programme package calls for reduction in the amount of sulphur and benzene motor fuels, a phase-out of leaded petrol by end-2000, and better vehicle engine technology. The programme also aims at a near 40 per cent cut in emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and particulates emitted from cars and vans. From 2005, only fuels containing under 50 ppm sulphur will be allowed in the European market. The European Commission reckons that improvements in fuel quality could require investments by the refinery industry of Euro 40-50 billions.

International Comparisons: Next year, Ford Motor Company's European unit will start selling a two-seat electric car, called the Think, in select countries.  BMW is set to introduce a car-like-motorcycle with a roof, known as the BMW CI Priced at $ 5,400. Experiments are on the anvil for a pollution-free internal combustion engine for California's LEV (Low-Emission Vehicle) standards.

Toyota's Prius will be the first new generation car to help cut air-pollution and boost fuel efficiency. Both an electric motor and a newly developed 1.5 litre gasoline engine will drive the Prius. Honda Motor Co., of Japan, is also due to introduce its hybrid car, equipped with a combined gasoline and electric engine, in major world markets.  A  prototype of Honda's hybrid car is equipped with a new `lean-burn' one-litre engine as the basic power unit and a battery-operated motor that assists the gasoline engine during acceleration.

In the context of clean-running electric vehicles, General Motors first launched the electric vehicle of EV1, a two-seated battery powered car, which did not click. GM plans to build a new version of the EV1 electric car with an advanced nickel-hybrid cars which were "developmental platforms" - stepping-stones to the fuel-cell cars.

Many battery-operated cars have been trotted out, only to be hampered by range limitations.  Hybrid cars, which run on both battery and power (at low speed) are on the market and selling well in Japan.  GM and other car-makers, such as Honda and Nissan, scrambled to roll out experimental battery-powered electric models.

Fuel Technology:  The industry is now setting its sights on the fuel cell.  According to blueprints, tomorrow's cars will run on liquid hydrogen chilled to minus 250 degree C.  However, vehicles using fuel cells hold a great promise for the new millennium.  These vehicles, cells, apart from being environmental friendly, are quieter and 50 times more efficient than cars powered by functional internal combustion engines. The cells require recharging and generates enough electricity to power the car's front-wheel-drive motor with a simple chemical reaction of hydrogen, stored in the car's fuel tank, and oxygen, taken from the air.  The chemical reaction generates water, which is used as a coolant.

Lighter Vehicles Trend:

The last few years have seen manufacturers moving towards a reduction in the overall weight of motor vehicles by around 25 per cent.  Any solution to reduce weight is assessed in terms of quality and cost. Industry-wide, there is greater use of lightweight materials, including higher-strength steels, aluminium alloys, magnesium alloys, internally reinforced polymakers and single material plastic composites.  There are other variations: To achieve a lighter engine, Ford's Puma is equipped with variable Cam Timing which achieves strong torque through out the operating range.  It has a special nickel-silicon plating within the cylinder bores of  the alluminium alloy engine block.

Multi-Material Solutions:

Car-makers can now choose between multi-material solutions:  The Audi A6 Boyonet is in aluminium, the whole A8 body is of the same metal, the hatchback of the Mercedes A-Class is in composites, the Saturn panels are in thermoplastics, the wings of the Renault Megane Scenic are synthetic.  There  are still technical economical and environmental, even social problems to solve. Consumers remain attached to steel.  A compromise could be struck through a hybrid solution.  Bayer proposes steel doors with plastic injection, for instance.