CO2 changing focus

The global economic crisis could trigger novel engineering solutions and the need for comprehensive testing.

The increasing focus on CO₂ is opening doors to novel technologies previously thought uneconomic, says Luke Barker, Technical Director, Integral Powertrain (IP). “The financial threshold for high volume now stands at around €30 per percent of CO₂ emissions improvement-about twice the level of two years ago,” he said. “We are now working with vehicle manufacturers on a range of downsizing, downspeeding, and hybrid drive systems that would not previously have been viable. The key engineering challenge, particularly for higher volume production, continues to be maximizing cost-benefit ratio.”

In the short term (perhaps the next five years), substantial growth is likely in charge-neutral hybrid programs, believes Barker. IP regards these as typically generating a 30% CO₂ reduction in urban operation.