Gas engines at centre of fuel efficiency drive

Reuters/Washington/Detroit

A GM Chevrolet Cruze, the resurgent US auto maker’s best-selling car

Auto makers have agreed to produce by the quarter-century mark the most fuel- efficient cars and trucks ever that will leverage new designs and technology, but still rely heavily on gasoline engines.A blueprint announced by President Barack Obama would boost fuel economy requirements 53% by 2025.This target is unlikely, as some suppose, to prompt a dramatic ramp up in production of electric cars and hybrids, which are only a fraction of the US sales market.“Auto makers will meet the standards by improving technology on the road today,” said Brendan Bell of the Clean Vehicles Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.Bell, auto makers and other experts say industry will accelerate development of cleaner burning gas engines, enhanced transmission systems, lighter materials – like stronger steel and alloys – and more aerodynamic designs.These changes are already taking place as is a shift toward production of small cars to meet consumer demand and new government mandates in an era of high gas prices.In particular, US auto makers, led by Ford, have been working feverishly on making those changes after long over-relying on gas-guzzling trucks, SUVs and minivans. Big trucks, including full-size pickups, will have the hardest time meeting the new goals.“The Detroit Three have finally and really discovered fuel economy and it’s a real focus for them,” BorgWarner chief executive Tim Manganello saidManganello, whose company makes turbochargers and other engine technologies, noted that getting better fuel economy, undoubtedly comes at a higher cost to automakers.The backdrop for Obama’s announcement on Friday at the Washington Convention Center included a GM Chevrolet Cruze, a 4-cylinder compact that is the resurgent US auto maker’s best-selling car. Not present was GM’s mostly electric Volt sedan, a production novelty GM promotes in Washington to draw attention to its efforts on fuel economy.Obama is especially interested in more electric car production and developing improved battery technology as part of a green jobs initiative and a bid to reduce oil use.Environmentalists warn of potential loopholes that could skew the new fuel standards program away from the most efficient fleet possible. But overall, industry has made good- faith efforts so far to focus on fuel saving improvements.The emphasis has been to not subtract from many of the features that US motorists want in their cars and help them sell, like engine performance, smooth handling, cargo space, and extras like motorist assist services and systems that enable mobile phone compatibility and GPS.The strategy is built around a number of advances, some of which can be described as “low-hanging fruit,” that alone offer incremental gains but in total can be game changers.“You’re eating that elephant one bite at a time,” said Vince Muniga, a product spokesman at Chrysler.GM has the 4-cylinder Cruze and the Volt, and Ford boasts Ecoboost technology – a combination of fuel injection and turbo-charging aimed at giving smaller gasoline engines more power and better efficiency.The popular F-150 pickup equipped with Ecoboost was rolled into the Convention Center for Obama’s event.Auto makers and suppliers are also investing hundreds of millions of dollars in transmissions made more efficient with additional gears that lower RPMs to increase engine productivity.Chrysler, which is run by Italy’s Fiat, is using this technology in upcoming editions of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.Jake Fisher, a senior engineer with Consumer Reports auto test division, said there may be more high-strength steel and other metals and materials that are lighter but offer good stability and crash protection – although they can be more expensive.Aluminum, which is very expensive for major auto construction, may find its way into suspension systems and other components to reduce weight. Less clear is the role of composites, like carbon fibre materials, that are being used more in the aircraft and other industries.Overseas auto makers, like Toyota and Honda, will continue with signature hybrids. Ford has also pushed ahead with its hybrid production. European car makers like Volkswagen want to push more clean diesel on the US market.