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‘There’s a long way to go with the ICE’, concludes Detroit conference

FUEL ECONOMY DETROIT: Michael Nash and Freddie Holmes talk to experts about the future of the combustion engine

Fuel Economy Detroit by Automotive Megatrends brought together various OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and industry stakeholders to discuss the key issues surrounding the development of more efficient vehicles. Of chief concern to many at the event were Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations in the US, which require each OEM’s car and light truck models to raise average fuel efficiency from the current 27.3mpg, to 54.5mpg in 2025—a 99% increase in vehicle fuel economy from today’s level. Note the term ‘average’ – some vehicles may fall under this target, some will be over.

What more can be done with the ICE?

Although much of the discussion revolved around the potential of vehicle electrification, several experts were eager to highlight a bright future ahead of the internal combustion engine (ICE). Michael Olechiw, Director, Light-duty Vehicle and Small Engine Center, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said: “It looks like there will be some incremental improvements realised over the next few years, as the current performance of fleets doesn’t represent the future of high efficiency engines. Product engineers have much more control now over the combustion process, for example, and more design space than ever before. We expect further exercise and investment in the area. And we haven’t seen the highest efficiency engines combined with highest efficiency transmissions yet.”

Do OEMs agree with this statement? Matthew Zaluzec, Senior Technical Advisor at Ford, said that the OEM will continue developing products with the primary aim of pleasing its customers. “We have to offer consumers what they want,” he said. “We’ve got small compact vehicles all the way to large SUVs in our product portfolio. Any company has to offer this type of product range to survive.”

Although he referred to Ford’s strategy for its powertrain portfolio (called ‘Power of Choice’), Zaluzec affirmed: “There are a lot of primary and secondary improvements available for ICEs when it comes to fuel economy and emissions. Technologies are out there, like twin turbochargers, for example, but we’re also examining new ways to reduce the weight of ICE components. I can confirm that we’re currently going through measurable fuel economy improvements with ICEs.”

Similarly, Steve Wesoloski, Business Development Manager at FEV, believes there remains room for further efficiency gains simply through refinement of the ICE. “Just look at what people are doing – putting a four-cylinder turbo into the Mustang, for example. Who would have thought the public would respond to that? But they’re getting 300bhp out of it, so how do you deny that is the right way to go?” he said. “You can get the power out of it, but also get the efficiency gains as well, so there is a long way to go with the ICE,” he mused.

So much choice

With the conference in Detroit focussing on the megatrends affecting the industry over the next decade and beyond, conversation turned to dwindling sales of electric vehicles (EVs). What more can the industry do to promote adoption? Wesoloski believes that a bridge between the ICE and the EV can be created through hybridisation in the interim.

“Hybrids have their place and have a lot of room to grow before you go to full EV in my opinion,” he suggested. “When you talk about economies of scale, the cost per kilowatt hour keeps coming down, and putting an EV on par with a conventional ICE engine car price wise is going to do a lot for that market,” he added.

However, John German, Senior Fellow, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), is confident that OEMs will be able to meet fuel economy targets beyond 2021 without the help of hybrids or EVs. “Electrification is certainly not the only way to go,” he told Automotive World. “On the contrary, there are too many ways for OEMs to comply with fuel economy targets that they’re spoilt for choice. ICEs will play an important role. It’s not going to be difficult or expensive, but they just need to pick a pathway.”

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