Pushing the ICE forward, gradually

Emergent technologies from BorgWarner, Eaton and Mahle aim for greater efficiency in gasoline and diesel engines.

Free lunches don't exist in the quest to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce emissions. No one knows this better than powertrain engineers whose work is a constant series of tradeoffs that must be tackled if the auto industry is serious about reducing CO₂.

Do you want enhanced drive-cycle fuel economy? It could cost you real-world performance. You say your latest dyno tests indicate efficiency improvements through charge dilution? Well, what about the impact to specific power and torque and full-load pumping losses? These are the arcane kinds of tradeoffs the industry grapples with as it seeks effective, low-cost production engine solutions, noted Dr. Terry Alger, who directs spark-ignition R&D at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).