White is the new green

White is the new green – that’s the message from the array of white-painted eco-friendly concept cars on almost every manufacturer’s stand.

Frankfurt 2007 will be remembered as the motor show where the auto industry really started to address environmental issues. We’re now entering a world where a car’s CO2 emissions figure is certainly as important as its fuel consumption figure – and more important than its horsepower or 0-60mph time.

Manufacturers are having to adapt to a new world – where a low CO2 figure will give you exemption from the London congestion charge. Ken Livingstone has set the bar at 120g of CO2 – so carmakers are striving to produce cars that can achieve this. Volvo’s 1.6-litre turbodiesel C30 Efficiency, for example, scores 119g, as well as returning 52mpg.

BMW claims its entire fleet of cars will have CO2 emissions levels 25% lower than the 1995 level by the end of next year through its EfficientDynamics initiative– its new diesel engine in the Mini produces a mere 104g of CO2.

But the manufacturer to seize the green initiative most comprehensively is Fiat – in a presentation that highlighted the colours of the Italian flag – red, white and green, Fiat Auto CEO Luca di Meo said red stood for passion; white for purity and green – well, you can guess.

“Today Fiat is the most ecological manufacturer in Europe,” he said. “We aim to be the manufacturer with the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe – and we want to do this the Fiat way, providing customers with everyday solutions to reduce the environmental impact of personal transportation. This is not rocket science, not science fiction.”

This includes downsizing engines – most notably with a radical twin-cylinder 900cc turbo engine can achieve a staggering 69g of CO2 emissions. The engine is “the big news at the show”, said di Meo. This little engine will be fitted to every small Fiat range from 2010 throughout the next decade. The two-cylinder engine has fuel and air injection that does away with camshaft and valve gear. Design is modular, and can be made into two, four, and six-cylinder configurations.