Chrysler 2013 Annual Report Download - page 87

86 Report on Operations
For Magneti Marelli, eco-sustainable products(1) contributed €1.41 billion in revenues for 2013, representing an increase of 9.3% over the prior
year (€1.29 billion).
Alternative Fuels and Propulsion Systems
A key element in Fiat Group’s emissions reduction strategy is the use of alternative fuels.
The Group believes that natural gas is currently the most effective and affordable solution available for reducing CO2 emissions and
pollution levels, particularly in urban areas. The level of CO2 emissions from a car running on natural gas is 23% lower than for an
equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle.
In addition, natural gas in the form of biomethane, which is produced from biomass, has significant potential for development as a
widely-available renewable energy source.
With a total of 12 natural gas/gasoline models now available, Fiat Group is the first and only automaker to offer a complete range of bi-fuel
passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In 2013, the Group launched natural gas versions of the Fiat 500L and 500L Living with the new 80
hp Natural Power TwinAir Turbo engine, which was awarded “Best Green Engine of the Year 2013”, one of the 12 categories in the prestigious
“International Engine of the Year Awards”.
The Group also continued as the undisputed leader in this market sector in Europe with over 62,000 natural gas vehicles sold in 2013
(+15% versus 2012).
In 2013, Chrysler Group remained the only automaker in North America to offer a factory-built natural gas pickup, the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty
CNG.
The Group continued research and development of technologies that will use natural gas even more efficiently. Advances in engine technology
that leverage the properties of natural gas offer significant potential for achieving solutions to meet the CO2 emissions targets being phased in
across Europe through 2020.
Fiat maintained its long-standing leadership in biofuel vehicles in Brazil with 744,100 Flexfuel and TetraFuel vehicles sold in 2013, accounting
for approximately 97.5% of vehicles sold by the Group. Flexfuel technology enables use of varying blends of gasoline and bioethanol, while
the TetraFuel engine is the first in the world capable of running on four different fuels: bioethanol, Brazilian gasoline (refined crude oil and 22%
anhydrous ethanol), standard gasoline and natural gas.
Alternative Propulsion Systems
The Group is also developing alternative propulsion systems. In 2013, the Fiat 500e battery electric vehicle was launched for sale in the U.S.
market with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) label of 108 highway MPGe(2) and a class-leading 87 miles of combined city/highway
driving range. Customers will spend an estimated USD 500 a year to power the vehicle assuming a 15,000 mile annual distance, according to
the EPA. The Fiat 500e battery-electric drive system was included in Ward’s 10 Best Engines ranking for 2014 and is the lone representative
of electric vehicle technology on the list.
(1) Includes Xenon and LED headlights, LED tail lights, GDI injection systems, electronic control modules, automated manual transmissions and dual clutch transmissions.
(2) MPGe is the measure devised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for determining how many miles an electric vehicle can travel on a quantity of battery-generated
electricity having the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.
Sustainability