The 100 million gallon ethanol plant due in 2010 compares favorably with Range Fuels’ cellulosic ethanol plant (to manufacture ethanol from wood waste) currently under construction in Georgia (USA). They expect 20 million gallons out of that plant in the first phase later this year, but plan to ramp-up to 100 million gallons a year.

I guess the DuPont/BP and Virgin Fuels partnerships will have some stiff competition. This can only be good for the consumer and the environment! Kudos to GM for backing Coskata with their money.

If it’s a pushbutton handbrake, does that mean that the brakes are electronic (“brake-by-wire”) rather than hydraulic? If that’s the case I wonder how the brake pedal feedback feels. I would imagine that’s got to be hard to get used-to.

http://www.teknikensvarld.se/nyheter/080114-saab-9-4x-bilder/index.xml

If the interior took it even a step further, I wouldn’t mind. Expose some stainless steel, some screws….let us know that acrylic isn’t glued in place. Is the surround real metal, or plasticized?

Needs a roofrack. Preferably not painted– a clearcoated aluminum would be a nice touch with real crossbars..

I don’t really like the 2-tone paint— it doens’t flow with the front lights, cuts them in half, whereas I’d think it should go up higher.

anway, overall… I’d buy one.

Like some of you, I am not thrown off my chair by the styling. Looks like a Hyundai and Ford Edge duo trying to imitate a Saab. The Land Rover concept, ironically, very much inspired by recent Saab concepts, is much more exciting. This being said, styling is relatively unimportant as long as it doesn’t look like an Aztec, which is far from the case here. Interior design is much more important and it looks very promising on that front. But what strikes me much more is that although, like our valiant mate Swade, I am not naturally attracted to SUVs, CUVs and the likes, I will actually go see this vehicle as a possible replacement for our aging 9-5. The fact that it has a turbo four banger is a big plus for me, although my next vehicle will certainly be hybrid. I am sure Saab will get to that also. I also want a practical vehicle, and this one certainly fits the bill. So, all in all, could be good for Saab.
Keep up the good work Swade, and enjoy.(you should have kept the first class airline tickets !)

But the 9-1 should be a lot more interesting, let’s hope SAAB sends Swade a few plane tickets for Geneva

But, if it is confirmed that the 9-1 will be shown at Geneva, I may well go there too.

Thanks for all the hard work Steve, we all appreciate it a great deal!