The Morrisons supermarket chain in the UK are now offering B30 biodiesel at 50 of the filling stations it operates. The blend of 30 percent biodiesel and 70 percent petro-diesel is one of the highest commercially available concentrations that is actually approved by an automaker. Peugeot and Citroen have certified all the diesel vehicles it has built for the past decade for use with B30. An estimated 1.5 million HDi models from Puegeot/Citroen are warrantied for use with the newly available fuel. The biofuel component of the fuel being offered by Morrisons is comprised of equal parts waste vegetable oil and rapeseed (canola) oil. Ford has not determined whether the diesel engines that it has jointly developed with Peugeot are capable of operating safely on B30.

[Source: AutoCar]

What Ford has done with its Econetic moniker and Volkswagen has done it with its BlueMotion name, Citroën will attempt to copy by releasing its Airdream collection of vehicles. From its smallest model, the diminutive C1, to the full-size Grand C4 Picasso, expect to see the Airdream badge on as many as fifty models. While we are all for notifying consumers of added technology or features which improve the environmentally friendliness of a vehicle, we wonder out loud if Citroën's Airdream label is spread a bit too thin on this many vehicles. After all, the criteria which is used to determine a model's suitability for the badge seems a bit arbitrary:

• CO₂ emissions of less than 120g/km or,
• Fitted with diesel particulate filter system (DPFS) with CO₂ below 158g/km or,
• Run on superethanol E85 or,
• Fitted with Stop & Start technology
  

And:

• Manufactured in an ISO 14001 certified factory.
• Designed to be 95% recoverable (recycling and energy recovery) at end of life.

So, by fitting stop/start on a vehicle which emits way more than 120g/km of carbon emissions, the vehicle will still qualify for the Airdream badge. Doesn't sound all that impressive. The Citroen press release is after the jump.

[Source: Citroën]

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The Citroën C4 will get a new look in 2010, but for now the French company is happy to update and upgrade the version it currently sells. The changes include small styling updates and some eco-aware changes in the new petrol engines and some low-rolling resistance tires from Michelin.

The current engines in the C4 include a 1.6i 16V and a 2.0i 16V, and both will be scrapped in favor of 1.6 liter units (co-developed with the BMW group) called the VTi 120 hp (Variable valve lift and Timing Injection) and THP 150 hp (Turbo High Pressure). Citroën isn't saying just how much cleaner these engines are, just that they "offer improved fuel economy and lower emissions."

Inside the new C4, Citroën has added a new navigation system with a 7-inch screen and a 10GB hard drive. The redesigned front end now shares a few touches with the C5. Not bad, but we'll keep an eye out for the reported diesel hybrids in the next generation.

[Source: Citroën]

While sales in other countries have mostly fallen in recent months, French car dealers are happy right now. With an overall first half of the year increase of 4.5 percent, small and mini cars have led the way with a 15 percent jump in France. Small cars now comprise nearly half of all new car sales and French brands Renault and Peugeot/Citroen have grabbed 60 percent of that segment. The new French tax schemes add extra fees to vehicles that emit more CO₂ while buyers of cleaner cars actually get money back. Buyers of cars that emit less than 130g/km of CO₂ are eligible for rebates ranging from 200 Euros to 5,000 Euros for low or zero emissions vehicles. Cars that emit from 160g/km to 250g/km of CO₂ face taxes of 200-2,600 Euros.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

PSA and Mitsubishi have officially laid the first foundation stone of their €470 million joint plant in Russia, located in Kaluga, 180km south-west of Moscow. The plant, which is being built on a 200 ha plot, is expected to produce 160,000 vehicles per year from 2011. Which models? Basically, Peugeot and Citroën C-Segment cars (current models are the the 308 and the C4) but also a compact SUV/crossover which will be sold under the Peugeot, Citroën and Mitsubishi brands (currently named 4007, C-Crosser and Outlander, respectively). The cars are intended for the Russian market and not scheduled for export. PSA builds some of the most advanced diesel powertrains available, named HDI, which are also installed in Minis and Fords. Russia is also one of the main energy suppliers to the EU. Mitsubishi's full press release after the jump.

Like cabrios, the "sport coupé" car segment has traditionally never been associated with diesel cars. But diesels have evolved - a lot - and modern sparkplug-less powertrains almost match gasoline cars in terms of sound-proofing and comfort while keeping fuel consumption down. The only issue is that these models listed after the jump, and correct me if I'm wrong, are only available for Europeans, where taxes on fuels and purchase schemes based on engine displacement and CO₂ emission levels favor diesel.

Check after the jump for a list that shows a significant diesel sport coupé for many car models. The list also includes four-door coupes and sport hatchbacks, which are marketed as coupes in Europe. All these models will get you cruising on the Autobahn at a high speed on a classy - and diesel - ride.

The rumors seem to be confirmed: Citroën could be preparing a small minivan based on the new platform that will be used for the upcoming C3. This minivan has a lot of company; witness the Renault Modus (based on the Renault Clio), the Opel Meriva (based on the Corsa), the Fiat Idea (based on the Punto) and the Nissan Note. Citroën has already four other minivan models: the Xsara Picasso based on the old Xsara, the C4 Picasso, the Grand C4 Picasso and the C8. While minivans might not be the first vehicles you think of when it comes to greener driving, one good thing about these people movers (especially the European-sized versions) is that they offer lots of room to carry children without burning too much fuel. It's not impossible to find models that produce fewer than 120 g/km CO₂.

[Source: Autoexpress]

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If you like the look of Citroën's C2 and C3 superminis (I do), then the announcement of a style refresh might be most welcome. The fact that one of the marque's new lookers emits just 113 grams of CO₂ a kilometer is just an eco-bonus. As you can see in the company's chart pasted after the jump, emissions from the new supermini line-up range from 113 to 172, but there are seven trim and engine combinations that break the important (for now) 120 CO₂g/km level. The bulk of the low emission models use the 1.4HDi 70hp engine, and the C2 also comes in a 1.6 HDi 110bhp VTS flavor that emits 119 g/km of CO₂ and goes from 0-62 mph in under 10 seconds. Not bad for 53.4mpg, right? Add in Citroën's approval to use up to B30 in the C2 VTS and you've got a solid car, the kind Americans wish they could be buying right now. Citroën also recently introduced a natural gas-powered C3.

Citroën has decided to adapt the middle model of the C3 lineup to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The CNG version manages to reduce by 18 percent the amount of CO₂ produced by km compared to the 1.4l gasoline engined C3. Specifically, the C3 produces 159 g/km when running on unleaded and just 119 g/km when running on CNG. The C3 has 75 HP (68 running on CNG) and still manages to make 36 mpg (U.S.) on the EU mixed cycle when running on unleaded. A fully-equipped C3 costs about €16,000 in France, where only 50 CNG stations exist. The target market here is clearly Germany.

[Source: Citroën via Leblogauto]

Click on the image to watch the video

Who says that frugal and fun can't go together in the same sentence? It could be argued that using Minis -- both classic and current -- in the chase scenes of the movie(s) The Italian Job made them fairly eco-friendly already... well, at least as friendly as a filmed chase scene could be. At least they didn't use muscle cars, right? But at this year's Sexy Green Car Show, Citroën has apparently decided that the classic scene needed to be recreated using as little fuel as possible. To that end, a thirty second film spot was made which features Citroën's little C1, a car capable of delivering nearly seventy miles per gallon while emitting just 108g/km of carbon dioxide. Fittingly, the three C1s featured in the advertisement are red, white and blue - the same colors as the Minis that were initially used in The Italian Job movies. We'll be honest... the video pasted after the break isn't nearly as entertaining as the original, but it's fun in its own little way.

If you check any European car ad, you will see in tiny letters at the bottom the car's consumption and CO₂ production figures. This information is a mandatory requirement in Spain. But, according to Ecologistas en Acción and the Unión de Consumidores de España (UCE), an environmental organization and a consumer union from Spain respectively, these figures are not accurate and could be misleading.

Spain taxes the purchase of cars depending on CO₂ production figures, therefore it's a consumer's right to know previously what these figures are. UCE found out that 11 automakers didn't have accurate information or their ads were plainly misleading, like saying a car is under 119 g/km when it's just one model and the ad focus on the sport version that produces more than 200 g/km. Also, these figures tend to be hidden with small print. They also accuse automakers of trivializing these figures because all cars pollute even when polluting less.

Don't think it's just one automaker: Hyundai, Nissan, Seat, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Honda, Citroën, Opel, Dacia and Mercedes-Benz were accused of these practices.

[Source: Ecologistas en Acción via Econoticias]

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We're driving, driving, driving like it's nineteen-ninety-nine. Well, not exactly, but Citroën says that owners of its cars in the UK may actually be driving for less money per mile on average than they did eight years ago. Here in the states, gas was über-cheap in the year 2K, but in the UK, where both petrol and diesel has always been more expensive, the price was quite a bit steeper due to fuel protests in September of that year. In fact, Citroën claims that the increased efficiency of its models more than makes up for the increase in the price of gas that took place between the year 2000 and today, even when adjusted for inflation. It's not all good news, though, as the price of oil continues to rise. "Whilst improved fuel efficiency and advances in vehicle design have reduced the cost of filling up, in real terms, the economic benefits of improved efficiency could soon be canceled out altogether if prices continue to rise at their current rate, although our commitment to reducing CO₂ and harmful emissions will not be lessened," according to Marc Raven, spokesman for Citroën.

French magazine Autoplus has published pictures of what the new subcompact van from Citroën might look like. Currently, Citroën offers three people-movers: the large, eight-passenger C8, the Xsara Picasso and the recent C4 Picasso (in both short- and long-wheelbase versions).

Citroën is adding a new member to the minivan family which should measure in at under 4 meters. The new model, due in late 2009, is going to be built on the Citroën C3/Peugeot 207/Citroën Nemo platform. It will share components with the quite-unsuccessful Peugeot 1007 (pictured above) and will compete directly with the Renault Modus. Expect the whole array of PSA's HDI engines to power the model.

[Source: Autoplus]

PSA Peugeot Citroën, already Europe's leader in low CO₂ emissions, is planning on introducing a new line of small-bore three cylinder engines. It seems that the French automaker is keen on keeping their eco-friendly reputation, as this information comes shortly after we heard that PSA plans to make its Stop & Start system standard across its line. Their one liter three cylinders are expected to offer from seventy to one-hundred horsepower. PSA's "aim is to offer the market vehicles with CO₂ emissions below 100g/km with no additional technology." We would imagine that this line of engines, especially when equipped with stop/start technology, will be quite the fuel misers. Currently, there's no word on what vehicles these engines are slated to be installed in.

To make their ambitious goals a reality, PSA is setting up two manufacturing sites to build the engines. The first operational facility will open in 2011 and have a capacity of 600,000 engines per year.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req'd]

French motor magazine l'Auto Journal has published pictures of the prototype of the new C4 that is coming in 2010. Besides the new styling themes, which eliminate parallel lines, the new model is built on the same platform as the current C4 and with similar proportions. Interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro, Christian Streiff, PSA's CEO spoke about the new technical evolutions in the new C4. There is a mild hybrid system (called a micro-hybrid) with the Stop&Start system and Streiff mentioned a full-time hybrid diesel for the mid-range models.

PSA, which is one of the world leaders in diesel powertrains, is also investing in gasoline powertrains. A downsized 3-cylinder turbo engine will be unveiled during the upcoming Paris Auto Show, along with the French marque's version of double-clutch transmission, which should be much less expensive than VW's. Check out the current model C4 in our gallery.


[Source: L'Auto Journal and Le Figaro (thanks to Dominique for the tip)]