by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research This post provides calculations of the approximate energy and environmental costs for flying ultralong distances nonstop against strong headwinds. The calculations were performed on flights in both directions between New York (JFK) and Auckland (AKL)—one of the longest current nonstop routes. (The distance between... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines, plus options for 20 more. This is the biggest ever order for the Trent XWB-97, which exclusively powers the Airbus A350-1000. Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus... Read more →

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, revealed the Freightliner SuperTruck II in Las Vegas this week. As part of the SuperTruck program co-funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) with the aim to reduce emissions from on-road freight transportation, DTNA engineers were able to investigate next-generation... Read more →

NASA has issued an award to The Boeing Company for the agency’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, which seeks to inform a potential new generation of green single-aisle airliners. Under a Funded Space Act Agreement, Boeing will work with NASA to build, test, and fly a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW)... Read more →

Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, released a new whitepaper reporting the effects of temperature on tire rolling resistance. Tire rolling resistance is closely related to overall vehicle fuel economy or range in both ICE and electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, it is understood that rolling... Read more →

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Lufthansa Technik a so-called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that officially paves the way for the series modification of two Boeing 777 variants with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK riblet films. (Earlier post.) Through the STC, the subfleet-wide roll-out of this sustainability technology, developed... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual Automotive Trends Report, which shows that model year (MY) 2021 vehicle fuel economy remained at a record high—but flat with MY 2020 fuel economy—while CO2 emission levels reached a new record low. The report also shows all 14 large automotive manufacturers... Read more →

The CIRCLES (Congestion Impacts Reduction via CAV-in-the-loop Lagrangian Energy Smoothing) Consortium, comprising Vanderbilt University, UC Berkeley, Temple University and Rutgers University-Camden, in coordination with Nissan North America and Tennessee Department of Transportation, recently concluded a five-day open-track experiment testing an artificial-intelligence-equipped cruise control system designed to increase fuel savings and... Read more →

The 2023 Toyota Highlander gas models are equipped with a new, higher-torque, high-efficiency turbocharged engine. The 265-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which uses balance shafts for super-smooth performance, delivers 310 lb-ft (420 N·m) of torque. This results in a significant 17% increase over the previous 3.5-liter V6 engine’s 263 lb-ft (357... Read more →

Automated operations company Motive has published a study showing that businesses can improve fuel efficiency and optimize vehicle maintenance by using data insights and AI-powered automation. In the study, Motive analyzed more than 800 commercial fleets across a two-year period beginning in January 2020, identified what top fleets with the... Read more →

Researchers in the Transport Technologies Division of Saudi Aramco have used using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to co-optimize the piston bowl and the injector design of a gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine. The optimum ML design provided similar performance at mid-load but a 3.8%... Read more →

Volkswagen has enhanced its bestselling 1.5 TSI gasoline engine and is now introducing the latest generation, the TSI evo2, in the first models in Europe. The compact four-cylinder engine will initially be available with an output of 110 kW (150 PS), and further variants of the 1.5 TSI evo2 will... Read more →

In Japan, Toyota unveiled the all-new Crown with four model types: sedan, sport, wagon and crossover. The first model out of the lineup will be the crossover type, to be released this fall in Japan. Toyota will bring the Crown to the US in three grades—XLE, Limited and Platinum—with the... Read more →

The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX has beat its own efficiency record (earlier post) in real-world driving with another 1,000 km+ (621 mile+) journey on a single battery charge. Following its initial record-breaking drive from Stuttgart to Cassis (France) in April, the research vehicle set the bar even higher, with a 1,202-... Read more →

FEV, a leading service provider in vehicle and propulsion system development and testing, has evaluated the performance of the Transient Plasma Systems Inc. (TPS) nanosecond pulsed power ignition system (earlier post) on the current Toyota 2.5-liter, direct and port fueled injection, inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine commonly used in the Camry... Read more →

In 2010, researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology proposed a new combustion system for diesel engines: the Double Swirl Combustion System (DSCS) (Li et al. 2010). Within the DSCS, the Double Swirl (DS) chamber is one of the most noticeable factors in the new system. The configuration of DS... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is introducing the third generation of its OM 471 heavy-duty diesel engine this year; the engine will deliver increased fuel efficiency and compliance with the strictest emissions standards such as Euro VIe. The third generation of the OM 471 installed in the Mercedes-Benz Actros and the Mercedes-Benz Arocs... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for MY 2024-2026. The new standards require an industry-wide fleet average of approximately 49 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks in model year 2026. Estimated Average of CAFE Levels (mpg)... Read more →

Stellantis revealed its new, 3.0-liter, twin-turbo, inline, six-cylinder engine, named Hurricane, that delivers better fuel economy and fewer emissions than larger engines while at the same time generates more horsepower and torque than many competitors’ naturally aspirated V-8 and boosted six-cylinder power plants. The Hurricane twin-turbo’s robust base architecture enables... Read more →

Volvo Trucks North America is introducing the Volvo I-Torque. Now available as an option with the latest D13 Turbo Compound engine, the Volvo I-Torque is a unique powertrain solution enabling the truck to operate optimally with up to a 31% increase in fuel efficient speed range, achieving up to 8.5... Read more →

DHL Express is installing solar panel units on trucks within its US pickup and delivery fleet, reducing fuel consumption in markets throughout the country. Equipping 67 of DHL Express’ medium- and heavy-duty trucks with the TRAILAR solar technology is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,000 kg per year for... Read more →

SWISS will equip its entire Boeing long-haul fleet with fuel-saving AeroSHARK surface technology (earlier post). Starting in the middle of the year, a total of twelve Boeing 777-300ERs will gradually be fitted with the riblet films developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF. The significantly reduced frictional resistance resulting from... Read more →

Transient Plasma Systems Inc. (TPS), which develops and markets nanosecond pulsed-power systems that unlock the potential of low-temperature plasma to be used in a variety of applications, says that it has made significant advances in its ignition technology, including development milestones in control software, plug configuration, and cost reduction, narrowing... Read more →

Range anxiety with electric commercial vehicles is real, since running out of battery can have serious consequences. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in collaboration with Volvo Group Trucks Technology, have developed a method to help electric delivery vehicles navigate strategically to use as little energy as possible. The... Read more →

Nissan introduced a new Rogue SUV for the 2021 model year; for 2022, Nissan is making its best-selling model more powerful, more fuel-efficient and more fun to drive with an all-new, 1.5-liter variable compression (VC) Turbo engine across the Rogue lineup. 2022 Nissan Rogue Mated with a responsive new transmission,... Read more →

Ricardo has received UK Government funding to optimize in-car thermal and energy management systems to improve electric vehicle range and battery performance. This technology innovation should help accelerate consumer adoption of battery electric vehicles, the company said. Partnering with Jaguar Land Rover and using a Jaguar I-PACE as a demonstrator... Read more →

Marine engine designer and power system integrator WinGD and engine builder Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) will strengthen their collaboration by partnering to develop environmentally sustainable two-stroke engine technology. Under a joint development agreement signed at the Kormarine 2021 exhibition in Busan last month, the two companies will... Read more →

The all-new 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid pickup—the first standard hybrid pickup in the US—is now officially the most fuel-efficient hybrid pickup with an EPA-estimated rating of 42 mpg city. The 2.5-liter hybrid has an EPA-estimated rating of 37 mpg combined, 33 mpg highway and an EPA-estimated range of more than... Read more →

The enhanced D13 Turbo Compound (D13TC) engine from Volvo Trucks is now standard on all Volvo VNL models, providing enhanced fuel efficiency and reducing overall cost of ownership. In Europe and other key markets, the D13TC engine has exceeded expectations and has proven to be fuel efficient, reliable and popular... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä, in cooperation with Silverstream Technologies, will install Silverstream’s proprietary Air Lubrication System, the Silverstream System, on a trial basis on a large container vessel owned by A.P. Moller - Maersk, the world’s largest container vessel operator. The trial will examine possible improvements to the ship’s overall... Read more →

Volkswagen launching refreshed MY 2022 Jetta in US; engine upgrade, IQ.DRIVE For the 2022 model year, Volkswagen of America will launch a refreshed Jetta family with new technology and styling to elevate both the value-oriented Jetta and the sporty Jetta GLI. Despite the shift towards SUVs, cars still account for... Read more →

President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) that sets a goal that 50% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel-cell-electric vehicles. The EO also directs the EPA to begin working on a rulemaking to establish new new multi-pollutant emissions standards,... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it will soon propose robust new fuel economy standards. The new standards would increase fuel efficiency 8% annually for model years 2024-2026 and increase the estimated fleetwide average by 12 miles per gallon for model year 2026,... Read more →

Gentherm, a developer of innovative thermal management technologies (earlier post), has received its first production vehicle award for its ClimateSense technology on an all-new 2024 model year electric vehicle with a global automaker. ClimateSense is Gentherm’s proprietary microclimate solution comprising advanced thermal products, integrated electronics, embedded software and a thermo-physiology... Read more →

Alfa Laval, a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, has acquired a minority stake in the Netherlands-based technology company Marine Performance Systems (MPS). MPS’ air lubrication technology (FluidicAL) significantly reduces ships’ friction when sailing, resulting in fuel savings. The patented solution can be installed on vessels... Read more →

The pistons unit of the technology group Rheinmetall expects to win a significant order for piston systems from a major international automaker. A letter of intent on the development and production of customized aluminum pistons has been signed with a well-known carmaker; together with the piston ring and piston pin,... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a graphene oxide (GO)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aerogel (GPA) weighing just 2.1 kg m-3—making it the lightest sound insulation ever manufactured. Over the 400–2500 Hz range, the reported average sound absorption coefficients are as high as 0.79, while the average sound transmission losses... Read more →

Using wind tunnel measurements and computational fluid dynamics simulations, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) engineers have demonstrated that aerodynamically integrated vehicle shapes decrease body-axis drag in a crosswind, creating large negative front pressures that effectively “pull” the vehicle forward against the wind, much like a sailboat. An open-access paper on... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency, will release the findings of a recent simulation study to evaluate the efficacy of its newest technology at the FEV Powertrain Conference. The study validated that Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) developed for mild-hybrid diesel vehicles reduced CO2 emissions in a 2.3... Read more →

A team at Chalmers University (Sweden) has tested blends of OME3-5, HVO and RME in a light- and heavy-duty CI engine. For the study, which is published in an open-access paper in the journal Fuel, OME3-5 was blended with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), rapeseed methyl ester (RME) and the C8-alcohol... Read more →

GE Aviation and Safran launched a technology development program targeting more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today’s engines. The CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program will demonstrate and mature a range of new, disruptive technologies for future engines that could enter service by... Read more →

Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading global provider of auxiliary wind propulsion systems, announced the installation of five tilting Rotor Sails (earlier post) on board a new-build Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) chartered by Vale, the Brazilian mining company. The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution is a modernized version of the Flettner... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has officially unveiled the Pearl 10X, the third and most powerful member of its market-leading Pearl engine family for the business aviation market. The engine has been optimized to power exclusively Dassault’s new flagship aircraft, the Falcon 10X, which was revealed during a digital ceremony at Le Bourget airport... Read more →

Cummins Inc. announced that the latest B6.7 Performance Series engine in Europe—used in agriculture, mining and construction applications—not only meets EU Stage V, delivering near-zero emission levels of NOx and PM, but it also features stop-start capability which can help operators further reduce running costs, as well as their environmental... Read more →

The lower the frictional resistance of an aircraft in the air, the lower its fuel consumption. Using nature as a role model, the aviation industry has been intensively researching ways to reduce aerodynamic drag for many years. Now Lufthansa Technik and BASF have made a breakthrough as part of a... Read more →

Argonne National Laboratory is helping Caterpillar improve efficiency and reduce emissions in their heavy-duty diesel engines. Heavy-duty diesel engines still power most large vehicles used in the construction, mining and transportation industries in the United States. Engineers are working to improve the fuel efficiency of these engines while minimizing pollution... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., the developer of Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) and diesel DSF cylinder deactivation technology for combustion engines, reported at the International Vienna Motor Symposium that its product Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) (earlier post) mitigates efficiency losses of electric motors while significantly reducing reliance on rare-earth materials. DMD’s application... Read more →

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed to withdraw its portions of the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule issued under the Trump Administration (earlier post), which, among other things, sought to preempt states, including California, from issuing their own greenhouse gas emissions standards and zero-emissions vehicle... Read more →

Cummins Inc. and Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency, announced at SAE International’s WCX the results of their collaborative study on the effectiveness of Tula’s diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) in reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on a Cummins X15 HD Efficiency Series diesel... Read more →

A team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has achieved diesel-like efficiency in a single-cylinder spark-ignition (SI) research engine while maintaining compatibility with stoichiometric 3-way catalyst (TWC) systems. A paper on their work is published in the International Journal of Engine Research. The ORNL team conducted engine experiments with both... Read more →