Just a few years ago , theconcept carsthe major car maker created to showcase their design and applied science teams were all abouthorsepower , speed and luxury ; however , massive increment infuel pricesare stimulate an manufacture - all-encompassing change . The unveiling of the Cadillac Provoq concept at the Consumer Electronics Show inLas Vegas– not one of the bombastic auto shows , where such excogitation are unremarkably debuted – is just one sign of the clip . The Provoq ’s listed top amphetamine of 100 mph is another . The construct car of 2008 is n’t an ultrapowerful sports car or high - torsion off - roader – alternatively , it run around alternative fuel , environmentally friendly materials and high fuel efficiency .
Of naturally , railcar that achieve amazing statute mile - per - gallon numbers usingfuel jail cell , rechargeable barrage and lightweight stuff are nothing new , especially when it comes to concept car . The real challenge face by Cadillac ’s interior designer was to make efficiency sexy . More importantly , could they make an alternate fuel " crossover " small Sport Utility Vehicle ( SUV ) that still had cargo room once thebatterypacks and fuel cell stacks were in place ?
From its louvered grill to the fin - alike rear lamp , the Cadillac Provoq seem as stylish as it is eco - friendly . concerned in what ’s under the punk of the Provoq ? Want to know how much power the Provoq can deliver ? study the next page to observe out .
Hydrogen Power
The Cadillac Provoq is power by ahydrogen fuelcell that posture under the hood , right where you ’d find the engine in a typical elevator car . Inside the fuel cell is thestack– a sandwich of anode , cathodes and other high - tech materials – that enables a chemical reaction to give the Provoq its power . At the back conclusion of the vehicle , below the load floor , two storage tanks hold 13.2 pound ( 5.99 Kg ) of atomic number 1 gas at 10,000 psi . The H is fed to thefuel celland mix with oxygen , which is drawn from the aviation , pressurized and humidify . The fuel cell can constantly crank up out 88 kW of major power , which is adequate to about
118 HP .
Running along the center of the chassis , beneath the trading floor of the fomite , is a series oflithium - ion shelling . These batteries can be charged by plugging the Provoq into an electrical outlet through either of the front buffer embrasure . The battery force can be used to extend the Provoq ’s range of mountains , or it can give the motor a little extra succus if they need to accelerate quickly . The batteries salt away a maximum of 9 kWh of energy and can get a peak of 60 kilowatt ( 80.5 horsepower ) for a major power boost .
The Provoq is anall - wheel - drivevehicle , give it stability and traction in a encompassing chain of mountains of stipulation ; however , it does n’t work like most other all - wheel drive vehicles . Instead of atransmissionthat post the engine ’s power to each wheel , the Provoq makes exercise of three disjoined drive motors . One motor provide drive for both front wheels at 70 kilowatt ( 93.9 HP ) . Each rearward wheel has its own hub motor , render 40 kilowatt ( 53.6 horsepower ) of driving force . With that power , the Provoq posts a 0 to 60 mph time of 8.5 seconds and has a top hurrying of 100 mph . At first , that may seem unimpressive compared to the heftiness - boundconcept carsof recent eld , but they ’re skillful numbers for a fuel cell vehicle . Also , galvanizing motors are able to deliver impregnable , instant torsion to the wheels , which makes for very antiphonal acceleration .
Just how environmentally responsible for is the Cadillac Provoq ? Does the eco - friendly part of this conception depart and stop with the fuel jail cell ? What other green features does the Provoq offer potential owners ? determine out on the next page .
A Green Cadillac
General Motors claim the Provoq can labor 300 miles before the hydrogen tanks must be refilled . The last 20 miles of the trip come in from the ambit - extending power of thebatteries , so aggressive driver might not get as far . While the logistics of making , transporting and hive away hydrogen mean value thatfuel cellsare not totally without anenvironmental footprint , a machine that does n’t release a single puff of air of carbon dioxide is certainly a breath of fresh air . presently , H is bring forth usingnatural gas(methane ) . There is low demand for hydrogen , and the terms is tied to the monetary value of lifelike gas . If fuel cell vehicles become vulgar , requirement , along with prices , will rise . There are means to make hydrogen without using methane , but they obviously require energy . The actual " greenness " of the Provoq and other fuel cadre vehicle will count on the big businessman sources used to make the atomic number 1 .
The Provoq ’s environmentally friendly credentials are n’t just about fair emissions and alternative fuels . GM has build several other fleeceable features into the conception . Part of the roof is taken up by asolar panelthat draws in the Sun ’s vim to ability accessories like the stereo , home lights and the integrated hard ride . Thetireswere custom made by Michelin and use that party ’s Green - X engineering . Although the tyre maintain carrying out and bobby pin , they also offer low-toned rolling opposition . That means the motors do n’t need to use as much free energy to wrick the wheel , improve the overall efficiency of the Provoq .
GM touted several other eco - friendly features in their printing press button for the Provoq :
you’re able to charge up the Provoq ’s batteries overnight by plug either of the front cowcatcher charging ports into an exit . No international charging machine is necessary . The charging ports are part of the Provoq ’s sleek design – instead of enshroud them away behind a panel , GM ’s purpose squad integrated them into the sweeping shape of the side board . An amber ignitor indicate that the battery are level , and a gullible light indicate a full flush .
You ’re probably reckon that the new engineering science and eco - friendly design compromises the quilt andluxurythat you ’ve come to gestate from Cadillac , right ? Do n’t be so certain . Continue read to find out how the Provoq is still very much a Cadillac .
A Stylish Crossover
The four - door Provoq is either a little SUV or a sporty wagon , a category of car currently known as a crossover . One of the original conception parameter of the Provoq was that the alternative fuel organization could n’t nose on the interior blank . With the depleted , inwardness mounted batteries – which also give the Provoq a abject center ofgravity– and the fuel cellular telephone stack mounted in the railway locomotive compartment , that mission is mostly execute . Even when compact , hydrogen is not as dense asgasoline , so the hydrogen tanks take up a certain amount of place . Even so , there ’s still elbow room for a becoming - sized rear load country and 60/40 split fold rear bum .
Being environmentally witting about your vehicle choice can sometimes think of that you ’re willing to give some of the national refinements that you would typically find in a lavishness cable car . Not so in the Cadillac Provoq . In fact , it offers superfluous touches like " hand - wrapped leather with French seams " on the ass ; ambient light on the door panels , footwells , sills and even beneath the seats ; and USB ports for all your electronic machine . you may also put yourcell phoneinto the cell phone holder , which isBluetooth - readyand capable of inductive charging . No indigence to fetch youriPodalong – thehard drivecan store thousands of songs and function for the navigation organisation . The legal document cluster has configurableLCDdisplays , while the eye stack has the control for the breeze conditioning and oestrus plus the
audio organisation .
To keep the ride well-heeled , the Provoq sits on a four - wheel independentsuspension , with Macpherson strut in the front and a four - link organization in the rear . Neither is an especially revolutionary suspension , but the Provoq is n’t meant for high - speed cornering at Laguna Seca . There are no hydraulic brake lines – the Provoq apply a brake - by - telegram scheme . This mean thebrakesare electronic . Each give up the vehicle make will extend the Provoq ’s range slightly , as the regenerative brake reload the bombardment .
It may take a while to get your hired hand on a new Cadillac Provoq . General Motors has no quick plans to make a production model , and no pricing estimates have been given .
To find out more about fuel cells , atomic number 1 and conception cars , follow the link on the next page . They ’ll provide you with a heap more data .
