Nissan announced a breakthrough in engine efficiency, reaching 50% thermal efficiency with its in-development, next-generation e-POWER system. Nissan’s e-POWER system utilizes an on-board gasoline engine to provide electrical energy to the e-powertrain battery pack. Nissan’s latest approach to engine development has raised the bar to world-leading levels, accelerating past the... Read more →

A model-based analysis by Westport Fuel Systems and AVL indicates that H2-HPDI (High Pressure Direct Injection with pilot ignition)—a combustion approach for hydrogen in engines—has the potential to achieve fuel economy close to that of a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) for heavy duty applications, due to its high efficiency at... Read more →

Volvo Cars and Geely Auto have agreed on a wide-ranging collaboration that will maximize the strengths of the Swedish and Chinese automotive groups, delivering synergies in powertrains, sharing of electric vehicle architecture, joint procurement, autonomous drive technologies and aftersales. Elements of the expanded collaboration include: Powertrain operations to be combined... Read more →

Omnitek Engineering Corp. has received EURO VI-E certification for its OT13 heavy-duty natural gas engine. The 13-liter natural gas engine, which will be marketed worldwide in countries where this emissions requirement is mandated, can be utilized for truck and bus applications, and provides 420 hp and 1,960 N·m of torque—essentially... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and Cummins Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a global strategic partnership for medium-duty engine systems. The companies added that other opportunities for collaboration are also being evaluated. As part of the planned strategic partnership, Cummins will invest in the further development of medium-duty engine systems... Read more →

Continuing to speed up the adoption of hydrogen in long-haul transportation, Hydra Energy—the first Hydrogen-as-a-Service provider for commercial fleets—announced a strategic partnership with Chemtrade. The long-term contract is a pillar of Hydra’s Hydrogen-as-a-Service (HaaS) business model and includes Hydra capturing, cleaning, and compressing hydrogen sourced from Chemtrade. In exchange for... Read more →

MAN Energy Solutions’ Two-Stroke Business has surpassed 1,000 orders for secondary-measure, Tier III-compliant, emission-reduction technology for its portfolio of MAN B&W-branded, low-speed ship engines. Approximately one-quarter of the orders have been for EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) systems, with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems accounting for the remainder. The milestone was... Read more →

RINA, a global classification society, and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) have signed a Joint Development Project Agreement to develop a ship design capable of being fueled by either ammonia or methanol. Within the Agreement, SDARI will focus on the ship concept development and design while... Read more →

Rheinmetall AG of Düsseldorf is pressing ahead with its systematic transformation into a fully integrated technology group, reorienting its corporate structure in the process. With this restructuring, Rheinmetall is pursuing three strategic goals: Reducing the share of automotive components in total Group sales, especially products for internal combustion engines. Achieving... Read more →

Cummins Inc. and Isuzu Motors Limited announced agreements for a global mid-range diesel powertrain and an advanced engineering collaboration, marking another step forward in the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership (ICPP). The partnership, formed in May 2019, formalized a business structure for the two companies to evaluate and carry out opportunities... Read more →

Achates Power was recently awarded a $5-million contract from the US Army to expand the family of opposed-piston engines for military vehicles. The project, awarded in late-2020, builds upon the success of the Advanced Combat Engine (ACE). (Earlier post.) The US Army, after seeing the demonstrated capability of the Advanced... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies Inc., a leader in the area of high-performance dynamometer systems, recently provided a performance test stand for validating designs for new hydraulic variable timing cam phaser systems for a major international provider of powertrain components. The cam phaser test stand will be used for research and development on... Read more →

This spring, Blue Bird will begin production of its propane and gasoline Vision school buses integrating Ford’s all-new 7.3L V8 engine and a purpose-built fuel system designed specifically for school-bus application. The advanced fuel system technology was developed by ROUSH CleanTech, the same company that has manufactured more than 30,000... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems will begin a research project with Scania to apply an HPDI 2.0 fuel system with hydrogen to the latest Scania commercial vehicle engine. Preliminary test results are expected in the second half of 2021. Our specialty is working with gaseous fuels. Hydrogen use in an internal combustion... Read more →

Rolls-Royce is supplying two mtu 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines to Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard for the construction of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid powered tug. This is the first LNG-hybrid tug to be powered by mtu gas engines. Designed by LMG Marin (Norway), part of the Sembcorp Marine... Read more →

As of the beginning of 2021, Audi has converted its European vehicle range to the level of the Euro 6d emission standard. All models included in the currently valid sales program comply with the strict limits of the Euro 6d-ISC-FCM standard. Currently, 193 models are certified according to the new... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to implement projects which reduce emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $46 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds.... Read more →

Power management company Eaton has introduced a complete suite of solutions from its Vehicle Group to reduce vapor emissions produced during the refueling of gasoline-powered vehicles. Industry data reveals that significant amounts of hydrocarbons are commonly forced out through the filler neck and released into the atmosphere while a gasoline-powered... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced $6.4 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) FE-FOA 0002397, University Turbines Systems Research (UTSR) — Focus on Hydrogen Fuels. The UTSR Program conducts research to increase the efficiency... Read more →

Bosch has now won orders worth several billion euros for its vehicle computers—€2.5 billion worth since this past summer alone. Vehicle computers have huge business potential for Bosch. Even now, our high-performance computers mean that automakers view us as one of their leading engineering and technology partners. —Harald Kroeger, Member... Read more →

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have used neutron diffraction to provide noninvasive measurement of lattice strains inside components of a firing engine, thereby enabling the operando study of complex load states and thermal gradients throughout the solid materials. Their results are published in an open-access paper in Proceedings... Read more →

Earlier this month, Achates Power announced that its innovative 3-cylinder, 10.6L opposed-piston (OP) heavy-duty diesel engine achieved Ultralow NOx (ULNOx) performance results. (Earlier post.) A key element of the achievement is the low engine-out NOx from the opposed-piston engine, which reduced the requirements for the aftertreatment system (ATS). The original... Read more →

The governors of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and the mayor of the District of Columbia announced that theirs will be the first jurisdictions to launch a new multi-state program that the principals expect will invest some $300 million per year in cleaner transportation choices. The Transportation and Climate Initiative... Read more →

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Lockheed Martin Corporation in an all-cash transaction with a total equity value of $5.0 billion. Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc., is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä and Grieg Edge, the innovation hub of Norwegian shipping group Grieg Star, are jointly running a project to launch an ammonia-fueled tanker producing no greenhouse gas emissions by 2024. The MS Green Ammonia project is the result of a Nordic industrial collaboration group founded from the... Read more →

Achates Power’s innovative 3-cylinder, 10.6L opposed-piston heavy-duty diesel engine has achieved performance results that comply with pending 2027 requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California to reduce sharply emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Engine and aftertreatment system development and performance assessments were conducted at the Achates Power... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., a tech leader in improving propulsion efficiency and reducing emissions in passenger cars and commercial vehicles, announced that the one-millionth vehicle utilizing its award-winning Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) technology (earlier post) was produced in November 2020. Unlike cylinder deactivation strategies that shut off a fixed number of... Read more →

LiquidPiston, Inc. (LPI), developer of advanced rotary diesel and multi-fuel internal combustion engines, announced the award of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the United States Army to develop the X-Engine platform to power Small Tactical Generators ranging from 2-5 kW. (Earlier post.) This contract comes on the... Read more →

Volkswagen 2.0 TDI diesel for Euro 6d; SCR twin-dosing Volkswagen continues to refine its most important diesel engine, the 2.0-liter TDI. With SCR twin dosing technology in the exhaust gas system, the diesel unit now undercuts the Euro 6d emission standard limits while also running quietly and smoothly, according to... Read more →

PEUGEOT Sport and TOTAL have released the main technical characteristics of the powertrain of their Hypercar LMH for the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC)—the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW. The main features of the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW are: Hybrid technology, with a mid-rear, 2.6-liter, 500 kW (680 horsepower), twin- turbo, V6,... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company announced an updated roadmap for its future business Strategy 2025 at the 2020 CEO Investor Day’\ forum held virtually in Seoul. The comprehensive mid- to long-term strategy reinforces Hyundai’s plan to lead the future mobility industry as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. The updated Strategy 2025 roadmap... Read more →

The LiquidPiston (LPI) (earlier post) team has adapted and demonstrated the X-Mini engine running on propane fuel. A propane tank was connected to the engine through an EFI propane injector, and the engine ignition timing was retarded in the ECU. With a little adjustment to injector pulse settings, the engine... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) announced up to $60 million in new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. (DE-FOA-0002420) This funding opportunity supports priorities in batteries and electrification, advanced engine and fuel technologies, materials, and new mobility technologies. The Vehicle Technologies Office funds a broad... Read more →

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 →