August24
General Motors unveiled a new engine technology called homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, that essentially runs a gasoline engine like a diesel. GM has equipped a Saturn Aura and an Opel Vectra with modified versions of its 2.2L Ecotec four-cylinder engine for testing. GM claims that when this type of engine technology is combined with variable valve timing, direct injection, electric cam phasing, and pressure sensing, it can provide up to a 15% savings in fuel consumption while still meeting future emissions standards.
HCCI uses a sparkless ignition system, relying on compression for fuel combustion. GM officials state “An HCCI engine ignites a mixture of fuel and air by compressing it in the cylinder. Unlike a spark ignition gas engine or diesel engine, HCCI produces a low-temperature, flameless release of energy throughout the entire combustion chamber. All of the fuel in the chamber is burned simultaneously. This produces power similar to today’s conventional gas engines, but uses less fuel to do it.”
Honda was experimenting with a similar engine in a Civic.
Being the first company with a new fuel-saving technology? It sure doesn’t SOUND like GM, but you have my attention.
Oh, Honda did it first? Well now that sounds more like what I’m used to
pshhm u know umm what would be better
an actual diesel
So with a few simple LED lights, HCCI and a few other technologies, we could increase the fuel efficiencies of all our cars by around 15%? It’s simple stuff like this that automanfacturers should have dedicated their funding to in prosperous times like the 90’s. When the good times roll, so does the money, but now it’s rolled somewhere else!
I don’t know many details on Honda’s system, but it’s conceptually different than this, and mechanically. I think it also ran off of natural gas or some other fuel, but I could be wrong.
It doesn’t sound like it drains power a whole lot either, so why must you still have a half/half system? For damn sakes, why must all these automanufacturers be stubborn enough to institute half products such as hybrids to get somewhere!
I understand that customers don’t want something “different” but automanufacturers must consider generally the only thing buyers look at regarding the engine is horsepower figures, and the driving experience. They won’t care if you have a system like HCCI in it, let alone most likely they won’t notice.
Good step in the right direction, GM, I see a bright future ahead of you. But be ambitious not only in your finances, but your cars as well.
Customers will be completely ignorant of what HCCI means or does. They will know, however, that GM has a non-hybrid engine that increases fuel economy by 15%. Or GM will start pairing this with something like active fuel management and battery power, and then they’ll see tremendous fuel economy.
Man GM is def serious about meeting those cursed CAFE standards..I just don’t like that this engine uses gasoline, just like the Prius. Whatever future ‘fuel-saving’ technology we conjure up, it shouldn’t have anything to do with gasoline.
Doesnt Mercedes have one like this? Like the best of both worlds kind of thing. Petrol Power, Diesel Torque, Diesel Efficiency
mercedes briefly revealed their dieselotto engine which is essentially like this I thought..
as for running prototypes, I’m not sure I’ve seen any besides this, for an HCCI car. Good on GM. I know it is hard for most people to give themany props at all.
the one one thing that looks good about this, is that you won’t need the complicated and expensive aft exhaust treatments that diesels now do (particulate filter) or urea injection) but will reap much of the benefits of increased economy.
The question is, does GM really have the know-how to do this? I thought they were still struggling with their series II 3800 V6 from the 70’s….
So who was saying GM doesn’t innovate? Good job, GM!
deanster.. the 3.8 was in the 70’s. the 3800 came in 1988 and the series II 3800 from 1995-2005. and they are fine engines.
This technology is already in BMW and Mini engines. Honda is rolling out HCCI technology in 2008/9 (reminds me of the 1970’s CVCC -> Civic). But kudos to GM for getting on the ball.
how could you accuse gm of not having the know how? they’re the world’s largest car company and have been for quite a long time. just because they’ve had weak sales doesn’t mean they don’t have great engineers with experience, talent, and otherwise.
look at the 2.0 SIDI turbo. Amazing engine, highest specific output in GM history. They know what they’re doing.
Couple this expected 15% with some high tensile strength steel tech that Chrysler has recently been touting for another 9% increase and manufacturers and the new CAFE standards start to look realistic. It will take time to implement and integrate all of this but I still don’t see how they will ever meet CAFE if trucks are thrown into the mix. Why not try to classify only trucks for CAFE and change it so all the small-mid SUVs/ Minivans are re-classified as cars? Wouldn’t that be more reasonable?
Sure CAFE is doable, but is everyone willing to pay extra for the increase in fuel economy? Not everyone is able to pay more up front in order to decrease long term costs.
SkiD666, according to people who aren’t involved in the development of automobiles and don’t have a clue how they work (real CAFE supporters), better fuel economy is possible with current “off-the-shelf” technology. And off-the-shelf is synonymous with cheap. So that isn’t one of their considerations. That’s why domestic cries for help are falling on deaf ears.
By the way, they have yet to announce what magical technology it is.
STFU Deanser!!! THIS IS NOT THE ****ING 70s. AND YES THEY HAVE THE KNOW HOW — THEY MADE THIS ENGINE BTW…NOT HONDA OR TOYOTA OR WHATEVER YOU WORSHIP FIVE TIMES A DAY
Deanster, the point is you made an opinionated statement that was wrong. I don’t think it’s going to be so easy to incite anti-GM mobs on here anymore. Especially with stories like this. If it is relatively simple and cheap to incorporate, it should be a big help for GM, for many reasons. I wonder if there are any downsides like cold starts?
And, did someone say that BMW and Mini are already using this technology? Is that true? Are there already sparkless-ignition gasoline burning vehicles on the roads?
True, true. It was a wrong opinion. And I was trying to incite anti-GM sentiment.
The worst part is, I’m secretly starting to respect GM for some of their choices, like the Saturn Outlook and the Sky. Why is this happening to me? I should have no sympathy for the eternal purveyors of ****mobiles, but….dear God, I’m going ****ing crayzay