New Car Technology

Bad News and Good News on Advanced Engine Technologies

We can confidently report both bad news and good news: If you thought the traditional internal combustion engine stood right on the brink of obsolescence, you probably should reconsider because major American and European auto-makers continue improving their old engines for fuel economy and reduced emissions instead of exploring radical alternatives to the old-fashioned “exploding cylinders” technology.

We fear that’s the bad news because, even with considerable gains in mileage, we continue our dependence on oil and petroleum. We don’t see a lot of headline-grabbing breakthroughs in bio-fuels, fuel-cells, hydrogen or any of the other much-touted but mostly imaginary technologies. We’re pretty sure that’s cause for concern.

Of course, the international economic meltdown, of which the American auto industry obviously has numbered among the most prominent victims, probably explains the car makers’ dedication to expedients, hold-us-overs, and improvisation. A company that cannot meet its payroll or fund its pension plans does not have a great deal of money to invest in research and development. Sadly and ironically, a handful of astonishingly gifted garage wrenchers have developed spectacular battery-powered and electric cars; but, because all the venture capital has disappeared, they have no funds to bring these products to the market.

Meanwhile, the somewhat belated good news brings reassurance that the big auto companies are scoring some impressive advances in fuel economy for their old-fashioned motors. With the technology readily available today, if we were willing to reduce our average American horsepower by about 50%, our overall fuel economy would soar about 30%. In other words, as we wean ourselves from SUV’s and muscle cars, the benefits of our new technologies become more apparent.

As part of their comeback and make money initiatives, GM next year will introduce “displacement on demand” in some of their larger engines. Using only half the cylinders in most normal driving and almost all freeway driving, the technology reduces fuel consumption up to 11%. GM engineers expect to increase fuel economy at least another 10% with widespread application of continuously variable automatic transmissions.

Futuristic Car

With other advances set to debut in 2010 and 2011 models, we will see another 10% to 20% gain in overall fuel efficiency for the American fleet, and we will see more smaller-sized American cars capable of delivering close to 50 mpg on the highway. No, these won’t be anything even remotely like your daddy’s old muscle cars, but they will hold four adults and save a fortune at the pump. Burning rubber was highly over-rated anyway.

Hybrids already have become popular, and we see their sticker prices edging slowly down into the average guy’s wallet range. We also see on-going improvements in their power, reliability, and efficiency. New gas-electric hybrids promise to make their predecessors look very sadly old school. And, as diesel fuel prices have fallen back in line, we see huge gains in diesel efficiency. Several major European manufacturers have developed diesel engines capable of 70 mpg with respectable acceleration and power, and with equally respectable controls on carbon emissions.