https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Lighter vehicle research

Lighter vehicle research

  • Written by rodwellj
  • 20th September 2018

Significant change also is expected for light vehicles through the SuperTruck program, as six projects — totaling more than $71 million in grants — are focused on developing engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2015 using an engine-only approach. The projects and funding being underwritten by DOE include:

  • Chrysler Group received more than $14.4 million to devise a flexible combustion system for its minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
  • Cummins received $15 million to develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40 percent fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.
  • Delphi Automotive Systems obtained more than $7.4 million to design a new low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine “down-speeding,” to improve fuel economy by at least 25 percent. 
  • Ford Motor got $15 million to achieve a 25 percent fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan, using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust after-treatment system.

If breakthroughs developed by the entire program — for heavy-duty trucks and light vehicles alike — are adopted broadly across the country, they could save more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, and reduce carbon emissions from on-road vehicles by 20 percent by 2030, says Ramin Younessi, Navistar group vice president for product development and strategy.

Near term, however, he believes ongoing work with composite materials and new aluminum components will be more rapidly applied to current truck designs, as well as aerodynamic advances, to help vehicle makers improve fuel economy ahead of the federal mandates.

"The improvements we strive to achieve will not come in leaps for the most part, but will be the sum of many smaller but important measures," says Elmar Boeckenhoff, DTNA's senior vice president for engineering and technology. “Don’t expect a silver bullet, but expect us to hit the target.”

In the end, the cost of the new technology could be the biggest challenge the participants in the SuperTruck project must surmount, says Wayne Eckerle, vice president for research and development at Cummins.

“Our biggest technical challenge is really getting the costs for any and all of the technologies and systems we’re working on down to where the fleets will want to buy them,” he says. “They need to be durable and reliable, of course, but in the end they must offer a way to reduce total cost of ownership in order for the customer to use them.”

Sean Kilcarr is senior editor for Fleet Owner, an American City & County sister publication.

Tags:

Related Content

  • South Dakota upgrades to statewide next-generation emergency telecommunication system
  • Codes of conduct and ethics in the public sector
  • 2021 Government Consumer Payments Insight Report
  • Study: Densely populated city centers associated with lower rates of depression

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Please take this brief survey and let us know how your organization is managing your budg… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Buying smart solutions: Technology is now part of (almost) every government purchase dlvr.it/SSbj3Z

21st June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid tech labor shortage, outsourcing digital services could provide relief dlvr.it/SSbj23

21st June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X