Car companies are racing ahead with plans to deliver fleets of vehicles that meet CAFE standards.
To guide them, they’re looking to reduce fuel consumption by attacking places where the most energy is lost from burning fuel. According to research from Honda:
- 60 per cent of energy is lost to engine and exhaust heat
- 15 to 25 per cent is lost to deceleration and idling
- 10 to 15 per cent is lost to traction or rolling resistance
- 5 to 10 per cent is used for the drivetrain and accessories
Thus we’re now seeing auto makers focus on engine efficiencies, while they adopt stop-start systems and electric steering and electrically driven accessories, even as they work with tire companies to reduce rolling resistance where the rubber meets the road.
And cost? Trade Journal Automotive News reports that the book-length U.S. Government report, Assessment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light Duty Vehicles, prepared by the National Research Council, shows it is going to cost consumers a small fortune to get from the current gasoline engine to the electrically powered vehicles favoured by politicians through regulations and taxpayer funded subsidies.
For mid-sized and large cars:
- For a 29 per cent increase in fuel economy for a gasoline internal combustion engine, the added costs totals about $2,200 per vehicle;
- For a 38 per cent improvement in fuel economy, diesel improvements would total about $5,900;
- For a 44 per cent improvement in fuel economy, hybrid technologies add up to about $6,000.
The numbers suggest that the best short-term solution for meeting CAFE rules is to wring every possible efficiency out of the traditional internal combustion engine – and then move to pairing internal combustion engines with hybrids and plug-in hybrids. This makes sense: gasoline engines use a fuel that is generally inexpensive, plentiful and energy-rich compared to the available alternatives.
So the painstaking task of eliminating waste is in full flight at all the major car companies. Take the latest version of the Hyundai Tucson as an example. Squeezing fuel economy out of a vehicle powered by a conventional gasoline engine is tough slogging. It requires attention to detail and a commitment to grinding little percentages out of everything that has an impact on fuel economy.
“A lot of these things are not sexy or exotic,” says Hyundai Canada vice-president John Vernile, the marketing boss. “Frankly, I can’t advertise this stuff. But they all add up.”
This latest Tucson got a major fuel economy bump by simply downsizing, going from an aged 2.7-litre V-6 to a smaller and more efficient new 2.4-litre four-cylinder. It was not a step backward in horsepower, either: the 2.4-litre is rated at 176 hp, while the 2.7-litre V-6 goes out at 173 hp.
The engine switch gave Hyundai a 12 per cent fuel economy bump. Another 3.6 per cent gain came from lowering the Tucson’s weight by 27.7 kg. Electric power steering improved fuel economy by another 3.5 per cent, too.
Other fuel economy gains:
- a new exhaust port design (2.0 per cent);
- silica tires (1.8 per cent);
- six-speed automatic transmission, from the old four-speed (1.4 per cent);
- new alternator management system to reduce unnecessary recharging (0.8 per cent);
- automatic transmission fluid warmer (0.5 per cent).
Auto makers also stand to gain by shedding weight, though they must do so without compromising safety. This is no small task. The basic rules of physics say the heavier the car, the more secure the occupants.
Thus, car companies are not scrimping on safety as they shed weight by moving to:
