The US Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office published a notice of intent to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Fiscal Year 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research FOA.” This FOA may include the following topics: Lithium-ion batteries using silicon-based anode. The objective of this potential area of interest is... Read more →

Chevrolet unveiled the new 2021 Tahoe and Suburban. Each is enlarged, and redesigned to offer the most interior space of any SUV, exclusive technologies and features, and the best driving dynamics in the full-size segment. The new SUVs combine the strongest aspects of Chevrolet’s new full-size truck architecture with entirely... Read more →

General Motors and Isuzu announced a $175-million investment through their DMAX joint venture to build an all-new, diesel engine components plant in Brookville, Ohio. The new 251,000 square-foot facility would expand the production of critical engine components for the company’s current DMAX diesel engine manufacturing operation in Moraine, Ohio. 2017... Read more →

Cummins Inc. announced its next environmental sustainability strategy—PLANET 2050—which includes science-based goals that meet or exceed the goals in the United Nations Paris agreement on climate change. By 2050, Cummins is targeting net-zero carbon emissions. PLANET 2050 focuses on three priority areas: addressing climate change and air emissions; using natural... Read more →

China-based Kolbenschmidt Huayu Piston Co. Ltd. (KSHP) (belonging to Rheinmetall Automotive AG) has received an order from one of the world’s biggest car producers with a lifetime volume totaling more than €200 million for modern lightweight pistons for gasoline engines with ring carrier and coolant gallery technology. Lightweight gasoline piston... Read more →

Jeep will offer a diesel-powered Wrangler for the first time in North America with the introduction of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel. Wrangler four-door models will offer the new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine (earlier post), rated at 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque in this application, with engine stop-start... Read more →

Pierburg (Rheinmetall Automotive), Swoboda, BASF and General Motors (GM) have developed the first all-plastic fuel vapor pump assembly in series production. It is currently produced at Pierburg’s facility in Fountain Inn, South Carolina and placed on the 2019 Cadillac XT4. The assembly is mounted on the engine and directly transfers... Read more →

INFINITI’s future models will offer drivers a choice of electrified powertrains as the brand embraces new technology to propel its vehicles. (Earlier post.) These include fully-electric systems, as well as a gasoline-generated EV system (known as e-POWER at Nissan, earlier post) in which a gasoline engine generates electrical power stored... Read more →

Dutch start-up ECONAMIQ is developing a novel engine technology which saves up to 20% in fuel consumption. The “ECONAMIQ principle” uses flexible over-expansion in combination with cylinder deactivation technology to increase performance and efficiency without significantly changing the engine layout or architecture. By over-expanding into adjacent de-activated cylinders, ECONAMIQ creates... Read more →

Eaton says it has shown in regulatory test cycles and real-world use that its cylinder-deactivation (CDA) technology can play a key role in helping commercial vehicle manufacturers meet or exceed 2024 and 2027 US emissions regulations. The company will make the announcement at the North American Commercial Vehicle show (NACV)... Read more →

Volkswagen has unveiled the eighth generation of the Golf—the most successful Volkswagen model, having sold more than 35 million units. The newest Golf is digitalized, networked, predictive, intuitively operated and electrified, with five hybrid versions from mild to plug-in. Its digital interior architecture opens up a new dimension of intuitive... Read more →

Subaru Corporation unveiled the Subaru Levorg Prototype at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show 2019. The concept for the second-generation of the Levorg features a newly developed 1.8L horizontally-opposed direct-injection turbo engine. The first-generation version, which launched in the Japanese market in 2014, offered 1.6L or 2.0L engines. The new Boxer... Read more →

In Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) unveiled the new model Yaris. Scheduled to go on sale in Japan starting in mid-February 2020, the new Yaris will be exhibited at VenusFort in Odaiba, Tokyo during the Tokyo Motor Show 2019. The new Yaris will also be displayed in showrooms throughout Japan... Read more →

Engine company DEUTZ AG has purchased Futavis GmbH, a development service provider for battery management hardware and software. The purchase of Futavis GmbH enables DEUTZ AG to incorporate batteries, a crucial core component, in its electrification strategy. Futavis has extensive technical expertise in electronics, software, battery technology, and battery testing... Read more →

Modern piston assemblies are subject to high demands in terms of both loading and lifetime; in addition, there is the environment-friendly demand for low engine emissions. KS Kolbenschmidt has developed its LITEKS concept for particularly low-friction piston systems installed in highly loaded gasoline engines. The supplier is now introducing its... Read more →

Aerojet Rocketdyne has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to design and manufacture a lightweight rocket engine thrust chamber assembly using innovative additive manufacturing processes and materials. The goal of the project is to reduce manufacturing costs and make a thrust chamber that is... Read more →

A new Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) report describes the top ten biofuel-derived blendstock candidates. These top candidates, when blended with petroleum and used in a boosted spark ignition (BSI) engine, will offer environmental benefits and boost energy efficiency all while being available at a competitive price. One of... Read more →

Thirty-seven globally prominent scientists representing the International Journal of Engine Research have published an open-access editorial addressing the future of the Internal Combustion Engine, and stressing the importance for continued development of more efficient and even lower-emitting technologies. The article provides an assessment of the state of power generation in... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a new manufacturing prize as part of the Manufacturing Innovator Challenge: the Lightweight Turbocharger Turbine Wheel Challenge. Photo credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory EERE has partnered with Freelancer.com since 2018 to hold crowdsourcing campaigns that... Read more →

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have laws that regulate engine idling, but each of these states has different applications of idle reduction and various exemptions. Some states regulate only certain vehicle types, such as school buses, state vehicles, commercial vehicles, diesel vehicles, or vehicles over a certain weight... Read more →

Volvo Cars and Geely intend to merge their existing combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business in order to establish a new global supplier that will seek to develop next generation combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. The proposed new business would clear the way for Volvo Cars to focus on... Read more →

At the Tokyo Motor Show lather this month, Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) will unveil the MI-TECH CONCEPT—a small plug-in hybrid SUV featuring a 4-motor 4WD system called Quad Motor with Dual Motor AYC (active yaw control) with 2-motors for both front and rear axle. The light and compact PHEV drive system... Read more →

Audi Sport GmbH has fine-tuned many details of the RS 4 Avant which was newly introduced in September 2017, including the addition of a new high-torque twin-turbo V6 with a power output of 331 kW (450 metric hp) and 600 N·m (442.5 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft in a... Read more →

At the Aachen Colloquium next week, Ricardo and Geely will present research work into the application of the Ricardo Magma xEV gasoline engine concept into a commercial vehicle series hybrid powertrain, delivering 45% brake thermal efficiency. The Ricardo Magma concept was developed as a deep Miller cycle engine (earlier post)... Read more →

p>MAHLE Powertrain will showcase its new MMHP (MAHLE Modular Hybrid Powertrain) fully integrated and modular hybrid drive (earlier post), which can be tailored to suit a wide range of vehicle applications, at Aachen Colloquium 7-9 October. The MMHP is a fully integrated, plug-in hybrid drive that incorporates a highly efficient... Read more →

Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI) is replacing its entire diesel trucking fleet with near-zero emission natural gas trucks, which it plans to fuel with carbon-negative renewable natural gas (RNG). The announcement was made in conjunction with the non-profit Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) to raise awareness of the importance of... Read more →

Wärtsilä has launched the 31SG pure gas engine for marine market applications. The 31SG is based on the successful Wärtsilä 31 product platform; the diesel version of the engine has been recognized by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. The Wärtsilä 31SG is available... Read more →

Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Methanex Corporation, and Marinvest/Skagerack Invest (Marinvest) announced the delivery of two second-generation methanol fueled vessels—M/T Mari Couva and M/T Mari Kokako—to the Waterfront Shipping fleet. The 49,000 dwt vessels are built with the second generation of MAN B&W ME-LGIM two stroke... Read more →

Building off its 350 bar GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) system, Delphi Technologies has developed a 500+ bar GDi system that can reduce particulate emissions by up to 50% without expensive engine re-designs for the majority of applications. Left: GDi 500+ injector. Right: GDi 500+ fuel pump With an innovative new... Read more →

Garrett Motion Inc., a leading differentiated technology provider in the automotive industry, has developed a new turbocharger boost control software that can significantly enhance turbo performance and health and help unlock optimized energy management in hybrid vehicles. Electrifying a turbocharger removes the constraint of needing a small turbine with excellent... Read more →

One of two world debuts at the Audi stand at the IAA in Frankfurt is the second-generation Audi RS 7 Sportback. Audi Sport GmbH is presenting the RS 7 Sportback as a wide-bodied five-seater for the first time, also showcasing the improved performance and efficiency delivered by a mild hybrid... Read more →

MAHLE has developed a new, fully integrated and modular hybrid drive that can be tailored to suit a wide range of vehicle applications. The MAHLE Modular Hybrid Powertrain (MMHP) is a fully integrated, plug-in hybrid drive that incorporates a highly efficient 2- or 3-cylinder, turbocharged gasoline engine featuring the latest... Read more →

Since 2018, Volkswagen has used only SCR exhaust gas treatment systems with its diesel engines. SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology significantly reduces nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas. Volkswagen has now developed the next evolutionary stage of its SCR system: “twin dosing”. Adblue is injected selectively upstream of two SCR... Read more →

Transient Plasma Systems Inc. (TPS), which develops nanosecond pulsed plasma ignition systems to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has achieved a new milestone in its internal combustion engine testing with its first multi-cylinder demonstration of the company’s nanosecond pulsed plasma ignition technology in a mass-manufactured, on-road natural-gas... Read more →

Researchers at Empa have developed an electrohydraulically actuated cam-less valve train that enables completely free adjustment of stroke and timing, while at the same time being robust and cost-effective. The new technology saves up to 20% fuel in typical passenger car low load operating conditions. The FlexWork valve train was... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $59 million to 43 projects for new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, these projects include solid-state batteries (15 projects) and power-dense electric motors (5 projects); co-optimized engine and fuel technologies (3... Read more →

Purdue University researchers are developing pre-chamber technology for automobiles to replace conventional spark plugs and enable more reliable ultra-lean combustion. In the pre-chamber approach, a tiny chamber—a pre-chamber—is filled with a mixture of fuel and air. The mixture ignites, producing combustion, and specialized nozzles in the bottom of the chamber... Read more →

Dearman and TIP Netherlands (NL) have entered into a partnership to deploy alongside their regular fleet of refrigerated trailers Dearman’s liquid nitrogen-powered transport refrigeration units (earlier post) trailers leased by TIP to leading fleet operators. The Dearman transport refrigeration system combines cryogenic refrigeration with a Dearman engine (earlier post) and... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is awarding $43.6 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Release 2 grants to projects that demonstrate commercial feasibility for innovations during the second phase of their research. Phase II awards range from $975,000... Read more →

The 2020 Hyundai Accent features a new Smartstream G1.6 Dual Port Injection (DPI) engine and a Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). These changes increase Accent’s EPA estimated fuel economy to 33 mpg city, 41 highway, 36 combined, up considerably from the 28 city, 38 highway, 32 combined mpg rating with... Read more →

Researchers at Hunan University have investigated the effects of compression ratio (CR), EGR and spark timing strategies on performance, combustion and NOx emissions of a heavy-duty natural gas engine fueled with 99% methane content. A paper on their work is published in the journal Fuel. … natural gas … is... Read more →

Tests have demonstrated that a residential combined heat and power (CHP) engine developed as an Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)-backed venture through the Generators for Small Electrical and Thermal Systems (GENSETS) program (earlier post) offers at least a 20% improvement in efficiency over the current leading alternatives. The... Read more →

Audi’s sporty top model of the Q family, the SQ8 TDI SUV coupé, features a biturbo V8 TDI diesel that delivers 435 metric hp, 900 NN·mm (663.8 lb-ft) of torque, and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.8 seconds. 4.0-liter V8 TDI Biturbo engine with electric powered... Read more →

Wärtsilä, Japanese ship builder Oshima Shipbuilding, and the classification society DNV GL have delivered the first results of their joint industry development project. At the recent Nor-Shipping exhibition held in Norway, the project partners announced a next-generation 62,000 dwt Ultramax Bulk Carrier design that is optimized according to actual operating... Read more →

Brunel University London is the first to begin researching future powertrain concepts using Camcon Automotive’s new Single Cylinder Intelligent Valve Technology (SCI). The system uses the company’s Intelligent Valve Technology (iVT) and is intended to speed up OEM and Tier 1 engine development significantly, helping meet upcoming emissions regulations while... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group has developed the first Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) technology to feature in future Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The innovation was revealed at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang on Wednesday alongside the Smartstream G1.6 T-GDi—the first engine to feature the technology. CVVD optimizes both engine performance and fuel efficiency... Read more →

Cummins Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, all the issued and outstanding shares of fuel-cell systems provider Hydrogenics Corporation for US$15.00 per share in cash, other than shares already owned by The Hydrogen Company, representing an enterprise value of approximately $290 million. Following... Read more →

Three years after embarking upon rigorous evaluation of a pool of more than 400 candidates (earlier post), researchers with the US Department of Energy (DOE) Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative have identified the six blendstocks—di-isobutylene, ethanol, fusel alcohol blend, isobutanol, isopropanol, and n-propanol—that exhibit the greatest potential to... Read more →

Saudi Aramco and its affiliates signed 12 agreements with major South Korean companies to reinforce relationships with South Korea, expand international operations, and support the region’s energy security with the expansion of Arabian crude oil supply to Asian markets. Among these agreements is a partnership with Hyundai Motor on hydrogen.... Read more →

In parallel with the advancing electrification of its fleet, Volkswagen Group and its brands continue to rely on CNG (compressed natural gas) as an alternative drive technology for decarbonizing road transport; Volkswagen Group[ has revised and expanded its product range again with this in mind. Volkswagen Group currently offers the... Read more →