Empa, together with FPT Motorenforschung AG Arbon, Politechnico di Milano, lubricant manufacturer Motorex and other partners, is exporing the use of DME as a fuel for heavy-duty engines. A DME test engine has been in operation on a dynamometer in Empa’s Automotive Powertrains Technologies Laboratory. The scientists intend to provide... Read more →

In a new report, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Enforcement Division (AED) estimates that the emissions controls have been removed from more than 550,000 diesel pickup trucks in the last decade. The AED report includes only tampering that involves the complete removal and disablement of emissions controls hardware.... Read more →

SEAT has invested more than €30 million in recent years to create the most advanced powertrain test center in southern Europe. The facilities are equipped with nine multi-energy test benches, which enable different types of tests to be carried out on internal combustion, electric, hybrid and CNG engines, with the... Read more →

Daimler AG and Geely Holding, the respective parent companies of Mercedes-Benz AG and Volvo Cars, plan to collaborate on developing highly efficient powertrain systems for next-generation hybrid vehicle applications. The companies expect to work together on hybrid powertrain solutions to enhance their global competitiveness and create economies of scale. Areas... Read more →

The BMW Group is speeding up the shift towards electromobility and strengthening its global network for production of electrified vehicles. The company is investing €400 million in a new vehicle assembly at the main plant in Munich. The new assembly in Munich will be built on the site currently used... Read more →

The US Department of Energy announced $16 million in funding for 17 projects as part of Phase 1 of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Ultrahigh Temperature Impervious Materials Advancing Turbine Efficiency (ULTIMATE) program. ULTIMATE teams will develop ultrahigh temperature materials for gas turbine use in the aviation and power... Read more →

Landi Renzo, the American subsidiary of Landi Renzo Group, the global leader in eco-fuel advanced systems for the automotive industry, received California Air Resources Board (CARB) Certification for the Heavy Duty Ford CNG/RNG 7.3L engine, which covers Class 4-7 vehicles. Supported vehicles include the F-450/550, F-650/750, F-53/59 and E-450. The... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. announced a follow-on contract for new product development work with its current European-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner to apply Westport HPDI 2.0—the company’s LNG system for heavy-duty diesel vehicles—to an updated base engine platform. The program will incorporate new features for the resulting HPDI 2.0... Read more →

BYD launched its DM-i hybrid technology alongside the official announcement of the high efficiency version of the 1.5L Xiaoyun engine, which is dedicated for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). After defining new performance standards for PHEVs with its DM-p technology, BYD is prioritizing ultra-efficient fuel consumption with the DM-i technology. The... Read more →

The Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) National Laboratory consortium is overseeing a Directed Funding Opportunity (DFO) to apply the unique, world-class capabilities of the consortium toward addressing specific challenges identified by applicants from industry and academia. This DFO seeks proposals to advance foundational knowledge at the fuel-engine interface, as... Read more →

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have used the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Argonne, to generate the first 3D images of the fluid flow inside a steel fuel injector nozzle. The high-speed 3D visualization will help engine manufacturers and suppliers improve the... Read more →

ULEMCo has worked with partners JCB and Bucher Municipal to produce a new road sweeper for Aberdeen City Council that demonstrates the ability to use hydrogen fuel in both the primary engine and the auxiliary engine powering the ancillary equipment. The project for Aberdeen has involved ULEMCo converting a Bucher... Read more →

Intelligent Power Generation (IPG) will demonstrate the impact of Flameless Ceramic Turbine technology in UK electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, following a £1-million contract from Highways England. IPG secured the £1 million as part of the Highways England (HE) and Innovate UK’s £20-million innovation call to invest in projects that... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies Inc., a recognized leader in the area of high-performance dynamometer systems, recently upgraded an existing electric variable cam timing (eVCT) durability test system for a major international provider of powertrain components. Custom-designed for use with cam phasers driven by an electric motor, the new test stand will be... Read more →

Star Scientific has been named an Emerging Technology of the Year category finalist in the S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, an annual program recognizing innovation, leadership and exceptional performance in the energy sector. Star Scientific is developer of the Hydrogen Energy Release Optimizer (HERO). HERO uses a proprietary catalyst... Read more →

The new VW Golf is now also available in certain markets with natural gas drive: the Golf TGI is equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 96 kW / 130 PS and three natural gas fuel tanks. The tanks are integrated into the underbody and permit a range of around... Read more →

ROUSH CleanTech began production of its Gen 5 propane autogas fuel system last month. The company’s innovative propane autogas technology integrates Ford’s new 7.3L V8 engine in Class 3-7 chassis. Ford’s new 7.3L engine is compact, durable and easy to maintain. It is narrower than the previous 6.8L, allowing it... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply its advanced Energy Storage System (ESS) to be retrofitted on four Harvey Energy class LNG-fueled Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs). A fifth vessel in this class was earlier fitted with a Wärtsilä ESS. Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf placed this latest order with Wärtsilä in October. Harvey... Read more →

MAN Truck & Bus outlined its roadmap for the development of CO2-free mobility solutions for longer-distance transport. The company is entering into several partnerships for this purpose. For public transport and distribution applications, the decision seems to have been made: battery electric vehicles are the means of choice. Accordingly, MAN... Read more →

The Government of Canada is awarding $1.2 million to GreenNano Technologies Inc. (GNT), a company based in Toronto, to scale up production of a new lightweight wood-fiber–based composite material to create automotive parts using an innovative process. Cam covers made at GNT. The project will combine wood pulp with polymers... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) sent a letter to automakers and other vehicle and engine manufacturers encouraging them to disclose by the end of the year any unapproved hardware or software programs that impact emissions control systems in vehicles sold in California. This letter is part of CARB’s ongoing... Read more →

Cummins has signed a multi-year agreement with digital engineering simulation company Ansys. The collaboration allows Cummins engineers to leverage Ansys’ simulation and data management tools to expedite the design and manufacture of engines with increased thermal efficiency and improved fuel economy. Cummins engineers are using Ansys’ next-generation simulation process and... Read more →

MAHLE Powertrain’s (MPT’s) latest development of its passive MAHLE Jet Ignition (MJI) technology (earlier post) can now be added into existing engine designs with only minimal changes to the final machining process. Continued work throughout the lockdown period means that passive MJI can now be installed as a press-in unit... Read more →

A current research project is working to establish the technical basis for standardization of methanol fuels in Europe. The project involves a consortium of universities, research institutes, industrial companies and small and medium-sized enterprises as partners. The partners in the “Methanol Standard” project aim to pave way for the certification... Read more →

Volkswagen announced that the Taos compact SUV, which slots into the lineup below the Tiguan, will feature a new version of the EA211 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that currently powers the Jetta sedan. Making 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, the new engine increases in size from 1.4 to 1.5... Read more →

Volvo Penta has developed an electric driveline for leading fire service vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer’s pioneering fire truck, named “Revolutionary Technology” (RT). The truck was officially launched at an event in Austria. The RTs will now be sent to fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai to begin real-world customer testing.... Read more →

Tula Technology is presenting its diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) technology (earlier post) at the 4th Future Diesel Powertrain Summit China 2020 on 24-25 September 2020 in Shanghai, China. In addition to providing an overview of dDSF technology, the presentation will address the Cummins-Tula 15L Heavy-Duty dDSF Project as well... Read more →

Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source—an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for... Read more →

Bosch and Weichai Power have increased the efficiency of Weichai truck diesel engines from their current level of roughly 46% to 50%. In increasing the efficiency by four percentage points, we have jointly reached a new milestone. Even though the diesel engine is nearly 130 years old, its development continues.... Read more →

BYD has introduced the Song PLUS mid-size SUV at a launch event in Chengdu. The announced ICE versions of the SUV comes in four configurations, ranging from 115,800 to 143,800 CNY (US$17,133 to 21,263). BYD intends for the Song PLUS to attack the mainstream SUV market in China synergistically with... Read more →

LiquidPiston, Inc., a developer of advanced rotary internal combustion engines for diesel and jet fuels (earlier post), received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant from the US Army for the development of its X-Engine as a hybrid-electric propulsion platform for UAVs. The company showcased its X-Engine powered... Read more →

For the past four years, the US Department of Energy’s Co-Optima team (earlier post) has focused research efforts on turbocharged (or “boosted”) spark-ignition (SI) engines, which is the dominant combustion approach for light-duty vehicles such as passenger cars and light trucks. This research involves identifying the fuel properties and engine... Read more →

Audi is adding a new member to its A3 family: the A3 Sportback 30 g-tron natural gas vehicle. Operation with natural gas or biomethane makes the compact model economical and more climate-friendly with low emissions. Sales in Germany and other European countries begin in fall 2020 at a base price... Read more →

The newly-formed partnership between Ricardo North America (Ricardo) and Achates Power Inc. (API) of San Diego, Calif. (earlier post), has received its first assignment: an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) grant to improve overall efficiency and reduce emissions in full-size pickup trucks. Ricardo, engineering specialists in advanced propulsion, software, thermal... Read more →

Reaction Engines Ltd and Rolls-Royce plc announced a new strategic partnership agreement to develop high-speed aircraft propulsion systems and explore applications for Reaction Engines’ thermal management technology within civil and defence aerospace gas turbine engines and hybrid-electric systems. We have been working closely with Reaction Engines for the past two... Read more →

FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 58,016 vehicles in the US to update certain powertrain software that will help prevent engine stall. An FCA investigation discovered the tone wheel in a small percentage of engines may, over time, lose magnetic material. Should this occur, it may disrupt signal... Read more →

Daimler AG and its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA LLC (MBUSA) have reached an agreement in principle with US authorities to settle civil and environmental claims regarding emission control systems of approximately 250,000 diesel passenger cars and vans in the United States. The involved US authorities are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),... Read more →

Hermeus Corporation, an aerospace start-up developing Mach 5 commercial aircraft, has won a $1.5-million SBIR Phase II award with the US Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate to work toward hypersonic travel for the Department of Defense. This award comes under an Other Transaction For Prototype Agreement... Read more →

Although intermetallic alloys potentially have high strength in a high-temperature environment, they generally suffer poor ductility at ambient and low temperatures, hence limiting their applications in aerospace and other engineering fields. Now, researchers led by scientists of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have discovered that adding a small amount... Read more →

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., a unit of Korea Shipbuilding, has been given the green light for its ammonia-propelled ships from Lloyd’s Register. Hyundai Mipo Dockyard intends to commercialize the ammonia-propelled ships by 2025 in cooperation with global engine maker MAN Energy Solutions and Lloyd’s Register. Ammonia has been attracting attention... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz AG is grouping all drive system competencies across the group in the new unit “Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems” within the company. The transformation of Mercedes-Benz AG and its products in line with CO2-free mobility for the future brings with it significant changes for the drive system in particular. Therefore, the... Read more →

More than 14 tonnes of CO2 was saved in a two-year trial involving just 11 urban trucks and vans running on green hydrogen dual fuel. That is one result of the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial (LEFT) project to investigate the practical deployment of hydrogen powered vehicles in the... Read more →

Baker Hughes and Snam have successfully completed testing of the world’s first “hybrid” hydrogen turbine designed for a gas network. The test paves the way to implement adoption of hydrogen blended with natural gas in Snam’s current transmission network infrastructure. The test took place at Baker Hughes’ facility in Florence,... Read more →

Jaguar Land Rover has now produced more than 1.5 million Ingenium engines at its Engine Manufacturing Center in Wolverhampton, UK. The UK manufacturer is now adding a new straight-six diesel to the family. The advanced Ingenium family, which includes a range of diesel, gasoline and electrified engines, are built to... Read more →

Porsche already uses 3D printing technology in prototype construction, manufacturing spare parts for classic sports cars and in other areas. Now, in cooperation with its partners MAHLE and Trumpf, Porsche is now establishing a new milestone in the use of additive manufacturing processes for highly-stressed drive components. For the first... Read more →

An author partnership from MAHLE Powertrain in the US has been recognized for its work on pre-chamber ignition, presented at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ Internal Combustion Engines and Powertrain Systems conference in December 2019. Pre-chamber ignition has been investigated since the early 1900s as a technology which promotes rapid... Read more →

A team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is proposing a new combustion mode—intelligent charge compression ignition (ICCI)—for ultra-high efficiency and low emissions simultaneously. A paper on ICCI is published in the journal Fuel. ICCI aims to realize flexible and controllable in-cylinder charge stratification fed by two complementary fuels: gasoline... Read more →

As suggested in 2018, (earlier post) the 2021 Jeep Gladiator is now available with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine. The expected fuel economy ratings will deliver the highest driving range on one tank of fuel yet for Gladiator. The new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine, rated at 260 horsepower and 442... Read more →

LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) is launching the VN5, its new electric light commercial van. Available to order now, first VN5 deliveries will commence in RHD form in Q4, with LHD models available from March 2021. Based on the same architecture and proven eCity range-extender technology as LEVC’s TX electric... Read more →

Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading global provider of auxiliary wind propulsion systems, and SEA-CARGO, leading logistics provider in the North Sea market, announced an agreement to install two of Norsepower’s largest Rotor Sails (earlier post) on board the SC Connector, a sidedoor Ro-Ro. The agreement also marks the installation of... Read more →