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Auto Focus

By Melissa Anderson
Vice President, IRN Inc.
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Fuel economy and emissions reduction have taken center stage at all automakers, primarily because of government regulatory activity. Each automaker is pursuing a number of steps to squeeze out the best performance in the least disruptive way. They are also all managing a broad portfolio of short and long-term powertrain initiatives. A number of themes have emerged that describe how things are getting done, but the concept of ‘doing more with less’ is manifesting itself most prominently.

One way we have observed this theme is in the drive to maximize getting power out of the smallest, “least thirsty or dirty” engines. Consider the example of General Motors. We consider GM to be the strongest domestic OEM in terms of powertrain capability, and it has been on the cutting edge of advancements such as direct fuel injection and common rail fuel injection for its Duramax diesel. While GM believes it is important to work on the complete portfolio of advanced propulsion technology, its core premise right now is that power-dense, state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines can be substituted for larger-displacement engines for the first round of improvements in fuel economy and emissions.

GM’s latest variant on the Ecotec four-cylinder engine program, the Ecotec 1.4L used in the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, is unique in its size and price class for the use of direct injection to eke out another 5-10 percent in fuel economy. Engineers decreased the mass of the Ecotec engine by using a hollow frame structure for the cast iron block and hollow-cast camshafts. GM expects most Cruze buyers to opt for the turbocharged I-4 engine.

We see this theme at Ford as well, where you hear a lot about Ford’s EcoBoost technology that combines direct fuel injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to reduce fuel consumption and emissions with power of a larger engine.

Developed by Ford engineers based in Europe, the EcoBoost engines will be a choice on almost 100 percent of Ford models by 2014. Once they have developed and applied technologies to obtain more power from smaller engines, the automakers expect a change in the mix of powertrain production.

For example, Ford says that its mix of four-cylinder engines tripled from 10 percent in 2005 to 31 percent in 2010, and that its V-6 production declined from 46 percent to 34 percent, and its V-8s from 44 percent to 35 percent over that time period.

Hyundai’s regulatory strategy for its U.S. operations is a striking example of doing more with less in that the company has eliminated the alternative of “doing more with more.” Hyundai decided to go with only four-cylinder engines in the 2011 Sonata with no V-6 option. By not having to make a vehicle that could accommodate the larger engine or the smaller one, Hyundai was able to optimize fuel efficiency through both the powertrain and reduced mass (i.e. front-end structure, engine cradle, etc.). It was the industry leader in U.S. fuel economy ratings in 2009 with 30.1 mpg.

Doing more with less also comes about by forming partnerships, to get more development by pooling efforts. Chrysler is a prime example of this in the powertrain area, where it has relied heavily on partnerships for powertrain development, such as its Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance LLC with Mitsubishi and Hyundai in Dundee.

Since Fiat took an ownership stake in Chrysler in 2009, the two companies have developed a comprehensive powertrain strategy. Chrysler says that by 2014, 80-plus percent of its current powertrain line-up will undergo a complete makeover.

Fiat Powertrain has been designated the global center of expertise for diesel technology and small displacement gasoline engines (<1.8L) and Chrysler Powertrain is the global center of expertise for the large displacement gas engines and vehicle electrification technology.

As a result of the deal, Chrysler is bringing Fiat’s 1.4L I-4 FIRE with MultiAir to NA production at the Dundee plant for Fiat 500 models built in Mexico for U.S. sale beginning 2011. Fiat says its MultiAir technology can boost power 10 percent, low-end torque 15 percent, and fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent, so the company is clearly doing more with a very small engine.

Longer term, we are certainly going to see more variety in how vehicles are powered, beyond the traditional internal combustion engine and consumers will have the opportunity to vote on new choices with their wallets.

A close look indicates that in the short to medium term, however, the powertrain choices will look very familiar, albeit smaller. The industry cannot afford the tsunami of technical development that would be required to develop and commercialize entirely new alternative vehicles, either individually or in partnerships. Our sense is that most consumers are not ready for drastic changes in what they are able to buy, anyway.

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