Another way we can improve fuel economy is to go back to the performance levels of 1987. If we look at the horsepower increases and performance levels since that time, acceleration times for cars from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) have dropped from 15 seconds down to 9 seconds, with average fuel economy improving slightly. Trucks are similar, with zero-to-60 times going from 15 seconds down to 10 seconds on average, but with fuel economy staying the same. Several technologies have enabled this, such as direct fuel injection, variable cam timing, variable induction systems and reduced internal engine friction. Performance is great, but if we used all those improvements for fuel economy instead of power, passenger cars that now average 29 mpgUS would now be getting 38 mpg, and trucks would jump from 21 mpgUS to about 30 mpg.

The internal combustion engine will still power the majority of vehicles on the road, so improving fuel economy significantly will help extend our energy reserves, but for true energy sustainability, we need to be using a renewable energy source. Electric vehicles sound good, but only if the electricity is generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydro (water) power. In Canada, our electrical generating capability is much cleaner than the U.S., but there are still coal-fired and natural gas-fuelled generating plants, so that is not the answer to energy sustainability.

Hydrogen fuel would be the ultimate solution. Pollution-free hydrogen can be used for fuel in conventional internal combustion engines or as fuel for electric fuel cells. The problem is producing it efficiently, storing it, and transporting it to where vehicles need it. Using electrolysis to produce hydrogen has little benefit, as the energy comes from traditional power generating stations. If hydrogen is separated from methane gas, less energy is wasted, but there are still storage and transportation issues.

Ethanol and biodiesel may be the most practical solution. There has been much controversy about the total cost in emissions and energy usage it takes to produce these fuels, as well as the impact of diverting food for fuel stock. Some say it is not practical or economical, but new cellulosic methods of producing ethanol from non-food plant material look promising, although they are complex. New microbial bio-diesel research may make this the renewable fuel we are looking for.

Energy sustainability is the long-term goal, but on the road to achieving it, there is much that can be done to extend the resources we have now.

Related posts:

  1. Daimler establishes sustainability board
  2. Auto Tech: Bio-diesel – a renewable energy source
  3. Auto Tech: First-generation hydrogen vehicles
  4. Auto Tech: Fuels for the future
  5. Ford wins award for sustainability reporting
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