Innovative Technology Can Help Free Us From Our Dangerous Oil Dependence

Source: Sierra Club

The Biggest Single Step The United States Can Take to Curb Global Warming and Save Oil is to Raise the Fuel Economy of Our Cars and Light Trucks.

Modern technology is the key to increasing fuel economy and saving oil. Between 1975 and the late 1980s, better engines, transmissions, materials, and aerodynamics accounted for 86% of fuel economy improvements. Existing fuel-saving technology can raise fuel economy even further. In 2002, the National Academies of Sciences found that with current technology we could “significantly reduce fuel consumption within 15 years.”

The technology exists to make all new vehicles ? from cars to SUVs to pickup trucks ? go farther on a gallon of gas. These fuel-saving technologies are on the road today in some vehicles, but should be in all. A 2003 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists titled “Building a Better SUV” analyzed the fuel economy benefits of many of these technologies.

Advanced Ignitions: By replacing a conventional startermotor and alternator with an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), a gas engine can switch off when the vehicle is stopped and idling. Vehicles burn as much as 15 percent of their gas while sitting in traffic. The ISG restarts the motor when you put your foot on the gas, just like tapping a computer mouse to awaken a sleeping computer, and saves added fuel by doing it more efficiently than a standard starter. Fuel Economy Improvement: 15-25%
High Strength, Lightweight Materials: Strong, lightweight steel, aluminum, and plastics can all play a role in helping vehicles shed weight while enhancing safety. Fuel Economy Improvement: 25-30%
Sleeker Design: Improving the aerodynamics cuts down on wind resistance and installing low rolling resistance tires reduces road friction. Fuel Economy Improvement: 5%
Smarter Transmissions: A Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission (CVT) allows for an infinite number of gear ratios for the most efficient combination of engine speed and wheel speed.With a CVT,gears are replaced by continuous belts to maximize efficiency. A 2001 study by the trade publication Automotive News estimated a 20% fuel economy gain from a CVT.
High-Tech Engines: By allowing engine intake valves to close early during low demand,variable valve timing prevents inef- ficient pumping. Adding lean-burn technology, which introduces more air to the combustion chamber, can provide further efficiency. Fuel economy gains also occur when engines have four valves per cylinder instead of two, individual cylinder control, and cylinder deactivation, which improves fuel economy by automatically shutting down unneeded cylinders when less power is required. Automotive News found that Cylinder Deactivation alone would result in as much as a 20% improvement in fuel economy.

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