FEV Sees Opportunity In Fuel Economy Challenges

DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2006 -- FEV Engine Technology is developing a number of fuel-saving technologies that balance fuel economy improvement, increase performance and drivability, and produce excellent noise, vibration and harshness characteristics.

Emerging concepts that lead to improved fuel economy include gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engines, advanced valve deactivation and variable-valve timing, says Gary Rogers, president and chief executive officer of FEV.

Rogers commented on FEV's opportunities at the 11th annual Ward's 10 Best Engines awards luncheon, where the winning technologies were introduced. FEV is a gold sponsor of the event.

Variable-valve lift systems, camless electro-mechanical valve trains, and various hybrid configurations also offer options for automakers, he notes.

Other FEV initiatives include reducing friction and lubrication power losses in engines; optimizing cooling system controls; developing new vehicle- calibration equipment; and creating new transmissions.

"Although this award is called 'Ward's Top 10 Engines,' it really reflects something quite different and perhaps, more important," Rogers says. "While all of the engines receiving awards this year are technically superior engines, the evaluation process is one that is heavily weighted toward judging the quality of the powertrain integration and calibration.

"Market-specific attributes such as drivability, vehicle acceleration, passing power, the 'corporate sound' and the perceived enjoyment of the driving experience, tend to be unique to the local market in which the vehicle is sold, as opposed to pure performance attributes such as power or torque.

"This year's award winners are the manufacturers that 'hit a home run' with vehicle homologations that are targeted for the North American market -- and that's much more challenging than simply hitting power and torque targets," according to Rogers.

Many of the engines that competed in the contest feature advanced fuel- saving devices. For example, GDI engines have become the state-of-the-art production technology that can both improve fuel economy and vehicle performance.

"Last year, we saw a GDI engine -- the Audi 3.2-liter FSI -- recognized in the Ward's best engine list," Rogers notes. "Since then, more manufacturers have introduced GDI engines with great success."

Some markets have special requirements, he says. "Due to the historically higher fuel prices in Europe and Japan, some of these technologies have been developed for those markets. Consumer demand is now shifting the priorities in North America and those technologies are coming here in the next few years."

Diesel engines shouldn't be overlooked either as they have gained wide acceptance in Europe. Recent sales successes of diesel-powered passenger vehicles in the United States indicate that greater acceptance is anticipated.

"The diesel engine's strong low-end torque makes it ideal for the vehicle sizes and driving conditions in North America," Rogers says.

Environmental objections to diesel engines will be greatly reduced with the pending introduction of particulate filters, low-sulfur fuel, and nitrous oxide (NOx) aftertreatment systems, Rogers notes. The greatest challenge is that advanced diesel engines cost more than advanced gasoline engines. They are much less expensive, however, than hybrid electric systems.

FEV is an independent engine and powertrain systems research, design and development company. Globally, it provides complete concept-to-production (C2P(TM)) support to the transportation industry, commercial engine manufacturers and the emerging fuel-cell industry. FEV designs, prototypes and develops advanced gasoline-, diesel- and alternative-fueled engines, as well as advanced vehicle powertrain concepts, electronic control systems and hybrid-electric vehicles. FEV also is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment.

Additional information is available at http://www.fev.com/ .