The new vehicle, a Chevrolet Astra Multipower 2.0 Sedan, will soon be mass-produced at the company's plant in southern Brazil. The corporation plans to offer the model to the public in the first half of 2007. GM expects to sell 80 percent of the new cars in Brazil.
From the steps of the presidential palace in the city of Sao Paulo, GM officials hailed the unveiling as a "historical moment" for motor transportation in the nation—a leap from "flex-power" to "multi-power." GM, Volkswagen AG and Fiat each launched FFV lines in Brazil in 2003, giving consumers flexibility when purchasing hydrous ethanol-gasoline blended fuel. According to Brazil's Auto Manufacturers Association, total FFV/ethanol car sales accounted for 22 percent of total auto sales in Brazil from January to July 2004, well up from the previous year. Now, with the help of engine technology companies like Bosch and Delphi, GM is adding natural gas to the mix.
Brazil is widely recognized for its ethanol production and use, but it also has had considerable success with natural gas-powered vehicles. After the 1970s oil crisis, Brazil launched its "pro-ethanol program" that supported sugarcane ethanol and ethanol car production in an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign oil while supporting its sugar markets. Cars running on 100 percent ethanol once accounted for 90 percent of new car sales in Brazil. That fell to less than 1 percent after a cane crop failure in the late 1980s but has rebounded strongly since.
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Concerned with performance issues of hydrous ethanol blends in cold weather, some consumers in Brazil have opted for natural gas. Vehicles running on natural gas have no performance problems in cold weather and the fuel is now widely available in major cities. Natural gas-powered cars are especially popular with taxi companies. Thanks to GM, Brazilian drivers will soon have more options than ever.
In the multi-fuel vehicle's unveiling August 13, Brazilian dignitaries looked on as Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva test drove the new Astra, shifting from its gasoline-ethanol fuel reservoir to natural gas with the press of a dashboard button, according to a GM press release.
Lula reportedly said the government was considering reducing taxes on the multi-fuel vehicles for the general public. The price of the car has not been set, but officials said it would probably cost slightly more than conventional models. Ray Young, president of GM-Brazil, said the corporation has calculated that it could produce 500 to 1,000 multi-fuel Astras per month, starting in September.
Pressing engine technology even further, a spokesperson for Fiat said recently that the corporation is investing heavily in research to produce a car capable of running on four types of fuel—ethanol, gasoline, natural gas and diesel.
~Staff Report
