PNGV Concept Vehicles Presented to the Public in 2000

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was established in 1993. This cooperative research effort involves seven government agencies, the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. (USCAR was formed in 1992 by Chrysler, Ford and GM to leverage the companies' research efforts in non-competitive areas.) The U.S. Department of Energy is a major participant in PNGV.The most well-known goal of the partnership is to develop technology that can be used to create vehicles that can achieve up to triple the fuel efficiency of today's vehicles with very low emissions, but without sacrificing affordability, performance or safety. These technologies can reduce the impact of cars and light trucks on the environment and reduce U.S. dependency on petroleum. The auto manufacturers met a major partnership milestone by introducing their concept vehicles in early 2000, and convened in Washington on March 30 to jointly present them to the press and Vice President Gore.

Hard to believe the US could make these vehicles more than 13 years ago but here we are in 2013, struggling to get 30 mpg out of the new cars. Something rotten in Denmark, obviously.

	GM Precept	Ford Prodigy	DaimlerChrysler ESX3
MPG (gasoline)	80	72	72
Heat Engine	1.3 liter  3-cylinder diesel	1.2 liter 4-cylinder diesel	1.5 liter 3-cylinder diesel
Key Lightweight Material	Aluminum	Aluminum	Thermoplastics
Aerodynamic Coefficient of Drag	0.163	0.199	0.22
Weight (Pounds)	2,593	2,387	2,250
Battery	NiMH or  Lithium polymer	NiMH	Lithium ion
Acceleration Time (0-60 sec.)	11.5	12.0	11.0