Magna unveils ‘Mila Blue,’ a lightweight, natural-gas hybrid concept
by CanadianManufacturing.com staff
The vehicle uses a compressed natural gas hybrid drive that achieves a carbon footprint of less than 49g CO2/km
VIENNA—Magna International Inc. has at the Geneva Motor Show unveiled its MILA Blue vehicle concept, a natural-gas powered, A-segment lightweight vehicle that produces less than 49g CO2/km.
Magna says the car is a result of sophisticated interaction between an optimized vehicle architecture and the latest lightweight design concepts, novel materials and new joining technologies.
MILA Blue weighs 300 kilograms less than typical current A-segment vehicles.
“MILA Blue underscores our technological competence in lightweight construction and alternative drives, which help answer the demands of global CO2 reduction,” says Günther Apfalter, president of Magna International Europe.
MILA Blue’s weight-reduction stems from a three-pillar engineering concept:
- Functional integration—replacing plastic interior trim with structural parts suitably designed with laminable, visually attractive surfaces.
- Material substitution—multi-material approach including aluminum, magnesium and composite materials
- Downsizing—leveraging smaller, lighter components that maintain function and performance.
MILA Blue uses a compressed natural gas hybrid drive that achieves a carbon footprint of less than 49g CO2/km. Refueling with biogas instead of fossil-derived natural gas can bring the footprint to less than 36g CO2/km.
The combustion engine is coupled with an automatic/manual transmission and a belt-driven starter generator. Due to the vehicle’s comparatively light weight, crawling along in stop-and-go traffic and cruising up to 30km/h can be done electrically using power from the vehicle’s 12V-based electric motor and start-stop system.
The four-seat lifestyle vehicle’s continuous window graphic near the rear pillar imparts a floating lightness onto the roof area. The characteristic shape has a timeless elegance and embodies motion, even at rest. The color scheme, in a fresh metallic blue, stands for purity and highlights the environmentally friendly and sustainable approach of this vehicle concept.
Magna International is a global automotive supplier with 316 manufacturing operations and 84 product development, engineering and sales centres in 29 countries.
