Browse Topic: Fuel economy
The ongoing efforts for reduction of the traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions and, at the same time, the mitigation of harmful pollutant emissions from vehicle exhaust emissions are important development tasks for the entire automotive industry worldwide according to demand to provide clean and efficient products. Further tightened fleet average FE standards and ultra-low limits for exhaust emissions require the continuous development of new propulsion system types. Due to the given reluctance of the end customer and corresponding low acceptance of fully electrified vehicles, especially in the commercial vehicle segment, new and innovative topologies are needed to meet regulatory requirements and maintain the high versatility of today’s dominating solutions. For further optimization of operating conditions with enhanced fuel efficiency, the technical strategy is also determined by uplifting the attractiveness of electric driving incl. the avoidance of areas with poor ICE efficiency and as well as the coverage of emission-critical operations by electric propulsion. In this context, the support provided by an electric drive on board the vehicle in a combined drive system is becoming increasingly important. This article discusses accordingly various platform strategies for hybridized Diesel powertrains in different sectors of commercial vehicle applications and delivers a comprehensive comparative analysis of different hybrid drive concepts. Specifically, several hybrid powertrain configurations that extend an electric drive platform (hybridized BEVs), such as series and parallel-series topologies, are compared with traditional parallel hybrid powertrain topologies based on internal combustion engines (ICE). The study focuses mainly on two different cornerstone applications: a large light commercial vehicle, ranging from 3,5 to 6,5 to. and a heavy-duty long-haul truck with 40…44 to. gross vehicle weight. It evaluates the advantages in terms of CO2 emissions and Diesel fuel savings and investigates the effects on emission controls aspects. In addition to technical comparisons, the paper addresses also regulatory demands and end customer merits, assessing the integrational effort and commonalities in components with pure ICE and battery electric topologies. Furthermore, it explores the additional impact of advanced operational strategies for Hybrid Diesel powertrains, incorporating insights from innovative observations from executed hybrid technology demonstrator vehicles.
Volvo Trucks' revised VNR brings updated safety tech, improved fuel economy and driver comfort features to the regional haul segment. Volvo Trucks has continued its rollout of new models for every sector of the commercial truck market. The redesigned VNR is the latest model to see the spotlight. The new VNR naturally carries all of Volvo's latest safety tech, but also prioritizes maneuverability, fuel efficiency and configurability for a wide variety of fleet uses. “The VNR is an incredibly versatile truck,” said Maddie Sullivan, product marketing manager. “There are so many different configurations to meet our customer's needs. We offer four different cab sizes, three different axle configurations and two different chassis configurations.”
ZF foresees hybrid powertrain technology becoming more popular for commercial transport in the coming years, and it's working earnestly to be a major player in that realm. The supplier unveiled the TraXon 2 Hybrid transmission to the North American commercial vehicle market at last year's ACT Expo and is now evaluating the technology in real-world conditions. The next-gen automated manual transmission (AMT) is optimized to improve fuel efficiency for plug-in and full hybrid heavy-duty trucks and coaches, as well as special applications such as medium- to heavy-duty mobile cranes.
Sustainability needs to be practical. That was a point Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, made clear at CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas. “We're running a business, so we are focusing a lot on efficiency and uptime,” he said, referencing the up-to-10% improvement in fuel efficiency with the new VNL. “That helps our customers to run their operations at a better pace and a lower cost, but at the same time we have a very positive impact on the climate.” Voorhoeve also teased the launch of a new vocational truck. “We are strong in long haul. We are a leading sleeper manufacturer, very strong in regional haul, and we now have renewed focus on vocational,” he said. “In August we will launch a new truck specifically for the vocational segment that's built on the same platform as the VNL and VNR.” (See page 22 for our feature story on the new VNR.)
Lightweighting of components has become a key challenge in the development of modern transportation systems. In the automotive and aerospace industries, the overall mass of a vehicle has a significant impact on its fuel efficiency and manufacturing cost. Therefore, the lightweight design of vehicle components is crucial in the industrial field. Topology optimization (TO) is a computational design approach aimed at achieving lightweight designs. However, most existing studies focus on simplified academic models, with limited demonstration in real-world applications. This paper presents a revised TO workflow to obtain production-ready design and a practical implementation of TO in the design of three structural components in the aerospace industry: seatback frame, seat fuselage mount, and seat spreader. The revised TO workflow incorporates the practical demands of industry, including enhanced manufacturability and cost efficiency through TO design. The resulting designs are evaluated to ensure all regulatory requirements are satisfied. Comparative results show that the designs produced by the presented TO-based design method achieve a significant weight reduction of 50% for the seatback frame. For the seat fuselage mount and seat spreader, the proposed method produced designs with a weight comparable to the baseline while satisfying stricter crashworthiness requirements. These components also ensure manufacturability, efficient fabrication cost, and compatibility with family parts. These findings demonstrate that TO can deliver production-ready solutions without compromising structural performance. The study highlights the potential of integrating TO into a revised design workflow to support performance-driven development of complex, production-ready industrial components.
Aerodynamic simulations are crucial in vehicle design and performance evaluation. Traditionally, these simulations utilize Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques to compute flow quantities such as velocity, pressure, and wall-shear stresses. Accurate prediction of these quantities is vital for estimating drag and lift forces, which directly impact fuel efficiency, stability, and acoustics. This study focuses on developing an AI surrogate for aerodynamic design of production mideo-size SUVs using NVIDIA’s PhysicsNeMo framework. Firstly, high-fidelity 3D CFD data are generated using first-principles solvers on 102 different geometry variants at a uniform inlet velocity of 38.89 m/s and a fixed set of boundary conditions. The DoMINO (Decomposable Multiscale Iterative Neural Operator) AI model, part of the PhysicsNeMo framework, is then used to train on this dataset, accurately predicting surface pressure and flow fields around vehicles for rapid estimation of critical aerodynamic metrics such as drag and lift. DoMINO is a neural operator that learns local geometry representations from point cloud data and predicts PDE solutions on discrete points using dynamically constructed computational stencils in local regions. By leveraging both short- and long-range geometric features, the DoMINO model predicts solution fields on the vehicle’s surface and in the surrounding flow domain—capabilities essential for informed design and engineering decisions in industrial applications. In this study, the DoMINO model is evaluated on a realistic production mid-size SUV vehicle designed by General Motors. Comprehensive hyperparameter tuning is conducted to optimize model performance, along with an analysis of input grid sensitivity. The findings highlight DoMINO's effectiveness as a robust and accurate tool for aerodynamic analysis in the automotive sector, enabling accelerated design cycles and enhanced vehicle performance.
MSIL (Maruti Suzuki India Limited), India’s leading automotive manufacturer, offers a diverse range of SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) in its portfolio. Traditionally, SUVs are associated with an assertive stance and a commanding road presence; however, this bold design language often compromises aerodynamic drag performance. Over the past decade, demand for this segment has surged, while CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) regulations have become increasingly stringent. To address this growing market need, MSIL conceptualized a new SUV - Victoris - targeted to deliver best-in-class aerodynamic efficiency in MSIL SUV portfolio. This paper details the aerodynamic development process using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and full-scale WTT (Wind Tunnel Testing). Initially, the aggressive styling of Victoris negatively impacted drag performance. Strategic exterior surface refinements and integration of aero components enabled recovery of aerodynamic efficiency. Key interventions included redesigned front and rear bumpers, roof-end treatment, quarter spoiler profiling, bumper corner vents, and aero-cut alloy wheels. Victoris successfully retained its bold styling while meeting ambitious aerodynamic targets. The optimized aerodynamic silhouette comprising hood-to-windshield transition, roof contouring, backdoor spoiler, and side body profiling - along with underbody elements such as covers, strakes, and air curtains improved drag performance by 14% compared to the initial design. Achieving this improvement required significant shape modifications and aero part additions without compromising SUV identity. This paper explains how these measures were implemented and the resulting airflow characteristics.
Gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines are the most common technology on American roadways in 2025, and soon, an industrywide gasoline quality standard will better reflect their unique operational needs. Here's why that's important. It's no secret that fuel economy has been one of the greatest driving forces of automotive evolution over the past several decades. As corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards have grown increasingly lofty, OEMs eke out new efficiencies from every area of the vehicle. One of those areas, of course, is the engine, and many OEMs have deployed gasoline direct injection (GDI) technology, which is becoming the most common engine technology on American roadways. But while GDI engines proliferate, varying fuel additization throughout North America has not necessarily kept pace with their unique needs and can, in fact, hinder those engines from meeting and sustaining their full fuel economy potential.
The U.S. auto industry might be getting “more than what they asked for” when it comes to slashing federal fuel economy regulations. That's a quote from Cox Automotive's director of industry insights, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, and reported by multiple outlets. This is a topic you'll find addressed in this month's Supplier Eye (page 6), but it's worth mentioning here just as one more marker in the sand of where things look like they are headed. On February 12th, the U.S. EPA rescinded the scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health. As vehicles are a main source of GHGs, this finding allowed regulators to, well, regulate. The current White House discounts scientific findings it finds inconvenient, and has now weakened the EPA's power to regulate fuel economy standards. News reports say the administration is likely to reduce the current, agreed-to rules requiring 50.4 mpg (4.67 L/100km) new-vehicle fleet average by model year 2031 to just 34.5 mpg (6.82 L/100km).
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have become essential in modern aerospace structures, from fuselage skins and wing components to nacelles, interior structures, and a growing range of primary load-bearing parts. Their high strength-to-weight ratio delivers major benefits in fuel efficiency, payload capacity, and fatigue performance. Yet achieving reliable adhesive bonds on CFRP surfaces remains a persistent engineering challenge. The low intrinsic surface energy of composites - particularly under thermal cycling, vibration, and moisture exposure - limits bond durability unless surfaces are properly prepared. Plasma surface treatment has emerged as a pivotal solution, offering a fast, controllable, and non-destructive way to increase surface energy, improve wettability, and enhance adhesion across complex geometries. This is especially important as the aerospace industry transitions from thermoset to thermoplastic composites (TPCs), which enable faster processing, lower production costs, and better recyclability.
Composite materials have become widely adopted in commercial aviation, as aerospace manufacturers look to use them to drive weight reduction and improved fuel efficiency in new aircraft designs. In the case of aircraft rotary blades, the poor wear properties of these materials have necessitated the development of metal leading edge guards that can provide critical protection against erosion and impact damage during flight. Electroforming has been a leading process for the manufacture of these protective guards, with nickel parts providing excellent wear resistance that significantly extends the service life of the rotary blade assembly. Currently there has not been a focus on utilizing direct electrodeposition of metal on to carbon filled epoxy composite structures, as traditional plating-on-plastics approaches require considerable effort in surface preparation and normally do not provide adequate adhesion to the underlying structure. Alpha Metalcraft Group has been working in cooperation with aerospace suppliers in the design of an electroplating ready composite structure that would allow for direct nickel deposition, provide excellent adhesion, and significantly reduce both the time and cost for the manufacture of ready-to-assembly rotary blade structures. Test panels were constructed of commercially available prepreg materials or by resin infusion of dry fabrics that incorporated different metal containing conductive layers to allow for the direct deposition through a nickel sulfamate electrodeposition process. Different surface modification strategies were investigated to expose the metal conducting layer and thereby provide the metal-to-metal bonding surfaces required for successful electrodeposition.
Aluminum alloy wheels have become the preferred choice over steel wheels due to their lightweight nature, enhanced aesthetics, and contribution to improved fuel efficiency. Traditionally, these wheels are manufactured using methods such as Gravity Die Casting (GDC) [1] or Low Pressure Die Casting (LPDC) [2]. As vehicle dynamics engineers continue to increase tire sizes to optimize handling performance, the corresponding increase in wheel rim size and weight poses a challenge for maintaining low unsprung mass, which is critical for ride quality. To address this, weight reduction has become a priority. Flow forming [3,4], an advanced wheel rim production technique, which offers a solution for reducing rim weight. This process employs high-pressure rollers to shape a metal disc into a wheel, specifically deforming the rim section while leaving the spoke and hub regions unaffected. By decreasing rim thickness, flow forming not only enhances strength and durability but also reduces overall wheel weight. This study investigates and compares the mechanical properties of conventional GDC and LPDC cast alloy wheels with flow-formed counterparts, focusing on the rim region. Results reveal that the flow-forming process facilitates a 30% thickness reduction in the rim section. Furthermore, it leads to a slight increase in yield and tensile strength while significantly improving elongation in parallel to the flow-forming direction. The study also examines microstructural changes, including the deformation behavior of silicon dendrites [5].
The purpose of this research is to examine the fundamental principles of a circular economy (CE) in relation to the automotive industry in India, which plays a vital role in the country's economy. As a result, energy consumption and environmental impacts also pose significant challenges. CE provide a transformative approach through the life cycle of a vehicle, guiding the automotive industry toward a more sustainable transportation system. In order to decarbonize this industry, the global automotive commission recommends that recycled plastic content in vehicles be increased to 20-25% by 2030. This target necessitates the recovery of plastics from end-of-life vehicles, though these materials are rarely integrated into compounds today. The automotive industry's reliance on plastics has grown substantially due to their lightweight properties, which enhance fuel efficiency, reduce CO₂ emissions, and improve versatility and mechanical performance. polypropylene polymer and several other polyolefins are used for components like bumpers. The most prevalent recycling method for polypropylene bumpers is mechanical recycling, yet it presents notable challenges. It is important to note that paint, in particular, affects both the aesthetic quality and the structural integrity of recycled materials. This review work also explores the primary recycling methods documented in literature, particularly those that have minimal environmental impact. Further, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of India's transition toward sustainability in the automotive sector, including procedures for waste disposal and reuse. The report emphasizes the industry's growing pressure to adopt circular and sustainable approaches in production, vehicle design, and waste management while emphasizing the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste.
The globe is looking headlong to set up new benchmarks for the reduction of GHG (Green House Gases) considering short-term and long-term strategies. Efforts in the Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) domain have been accelerating to find an alternative way to reduce harmful emissions. Hydrogen is considered as a promising fuel to leapfrog this transition. Hydrogen fuel can be categorized into vast mobility areas viz. ICE and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Hydrogen fuel has attracted global attention from engine researchers due to the crude oil crisis and its rise in prices in recent years. This will serve the nation's goal towards carbon neutrality. Hydrogen has a few advantages such as less fueling time, higher heating value and more efficiency making it an eye-touching fuel for the automotive industry. In the contemporary FCEV segment, many fuel cell technologies have evolved, wherein the development of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology has taken a new height for heavy-duty commercial vehicle applications due to its significant interest in the non-existent tailpipe CO2 emissions. Since electric vehicles are also being combined with hydrogen fuel and the opportunity persists to convert it into a hybrid system or FCEV. There is always a keen curiosity of the end user to know the mileage of a vehicle as a distinguishing measure of fuel economy. Thus, it is pertinent to determine the hydrogen fuel economy of the FCEV vehicle. This paper provides an insight into fuel cell fundamentals, the working principle of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, vehicle operation modes and testing methodology to determine the fuel economy of FCEV based on the electric current method and pressure method. The vehicle (e-Bus) has been validated on a chassis dynamometer based on the prescribed DBDC Cycle in the AIS 049 standard to calculate the hydrogen fuel economy of the FCEV Bus. The multiple stacks of PEM fuel cells connected in series has been used along with the electric powertrain vehicle and estimation of its fuel economy are the focus of this paper.
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