The U.S. government’s new CAFE fuel economy standards have automakers shooting for the stars, but there’s more to improving milage than creating more efficient engines, says Hyundai’s Timothy White. That might come as no surprise to the technology-minded, but aside from engines what can we expect to see in our cars by 2015 or 2020?
The Hyundai executive says only about 50 percent of increased mileage will come from changes to powertrains. The other half will come from modified vehicle structures and equipment. There’s really no “home run,” that will solve it all, White told Automotive News.
LED lighting will be one important technology. Already, automakers have started using the low-watt but very bright light-emitting diodes for taillights, but the real efficiency gains will come from LED headlights, which only a handful of automakers currently offer.
Electric power steering — which eliminates the need for complex power-assisted hydraulics — adds about 1 mpg to overall figures, according to the report. Also expect automakers to continue increasing the number of gears in transmissions — even at budget-minded Hyundai, six-speed automatics will be the norm.
Hyundai says it’s also revisiting some of the most basic engineering principles — better aerodynamics, reduced overall weight, tires with less rolling resistance.
Interestingly, all of these changes won’t just improve fuel economy — things like lower weight, LED headlights, and more aerodynamic designs should improve handling, safety, and styling, too.
05/05, 10:53 AM
posted by:
cookie4me
no radio, no seats either..
05/05, 10:59 AM
posted by:
G
And this kinda thing is only starting now why? …
This should have always been a major focus in vehicles…
05/05, 11:05 AM
posted by:
xyunya
I thought Hyundai half solved the problem: as CAFE gets stricter more of car body falls off with rust making it lighter and thus more fuel efficient.
05/05, 11:14 AM
posted by:
shaver
Im starting by leaving my kids and wife at home more.
How about dropping the mechanical fan on the the full-size trucks? Start/stop is coming this year, BMW is going to electric water pumps as well. Parasitic losses should be a no brainer.
05/05, 11:20 AM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
How about driving less in general? Walk to the corner store, or bike to your friend’s house if it’s close enough. No reason to drive all the time.
05/05, 11:25 AM
posted by:
snoboardguy21
Deanster, good call. I ride my bike to work on nice days. I’m not a hardcore cyclist who rides everyday, everywhere… just to work and back on sunny days. I fill my S-10 up about once a month. I probably get about 25 mpg, but one tank will last me several weeks. Makes the $60 fill ups less painful, when you can’t remember the last time you did it.
05/05, 11:27 AM
posted by:
VegasBenz
People can also lose weight.
05/05, 11:37 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Lower curb weight is going to be the most difficult hurdle to overcome. The average vehicle has been gaining pounds on just about the same pace as most of our population. Therein lies the problem: it’s easy to say you’re going to have everything riding around on bicycle tires in the name of fuel economy, but most fat f*cks these days carry a way bigger spare tire than the one in the trunk.
05/05, 11:57 AM
posted by:
xyunya
johnnycanuck, are you suggesting replacing all McDonalds and Burger Kings with colon cleansing offices? The weight of drivers & passengers will drop sharply.
05/05, 12:44 PM
posted by:
thart66
Here is a quick Aerodynamic improvement. Replace side-view mirrors with small cameras embedded in the front fender, with displays in the dash. I can’t believe this isn’t common practice nowadays, given how large mirrors are in the profile of the vehicle.
05/05, 2:09 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
The government needs to take its pick – safety or efficiency… otherwise it needs to keep its nose out of it. By making cars safer, they’ve also made them much heavier. Add all of the modern day comforts and amenities to all that safety and the problem gets even worse.
You want an extremely fuel efficient car? Take out all of the strengthening beams, airbags, electronic traction/stability wizardry, emissions equipment, air conditioning (does anyone realize how much a condenser weighs!?!), heated and powered seats, power-everything, the 10-jigawatt stereos, automatic transmissions, etc… and we could have plenty of cars on the road hitting 70+ mpg.
05/05, 2:12 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
I was going to say. Add one additional overdrive gear to every car currently sold. Something that is only useful at speeds of 55MPH or higher, and watch fuel economy soar. I can’t tell you the number of cars I’ve driven that are turning 3000RPM or more at 70MPH. It has nothing to do with a small engine with low torque… and everything to do with gear ratio. Put in another gear… drop those revs down to two grand and ride on.
05/05, 2:34 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
With all this new direct injection, computer management, and advanced turbocharging controls, I’m waiting for an automaker to apply it to the old 2-stroke engine. These had lousy emissions because of needing to mix oil and gas, but these new systems could make this a much more precise operation.
05/06, 1:02 AM
posted by:
AxeHead
How about Al Gore sucking the exhaust pipe – maybe he can reduce global warming and exhaust efficiency at the same time. Hey – all this is related to green politics – I just heard one of the scientists who was involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which Gore and all greenheads alike will reference admit that they are all wrong. Even if all of Kyoto was implemented on 7/100 of a percent in warming would be affected – its too small to measure. Maybe we should just ease off the green politics including CAFE cause it’s all based on goofy evidence.
05/06, 1:25 AM
posted by:
bigp
duh whats what i have been saying all this time reduce weight