Powertrains

Intertek helping to solve the safety problem of stranded energy Stranded energy refers to the residual charge or stored energy left in a battery after an automobile accident that cannot be directly accessed but still poses a potential shock or fire hazard. Read full story

Federal Mogul's ACIS re-defines the 'spark plug' for dilute/lean combustion Increased use of EGR and leaner combustion strategies are driving new high-intensity ignition solutions. Federal Mogul's Advanced Corona Ignition System is moving into the advanced-engineering phase at some OEMs with first production applications likely in the 2016-2018 timeframe. Read full story

Naphtha-fueled research car meets emissions, other targets An oil refinery product currently used as a component in gasoline and as a petro-chemical feedstock could become a viable future fuel for light-duty passenger vehicles. Read full story

Eaton advances the supercharger for better fuel economy (video) Emphasis is on technologies that enable engine downsizing and downspeeding. Read full story

Protean unveils production in-wheel electric drive system Using motors that fit within a pair or all wheels of a vehicle, it is designed to be an integral part of a hybrid powertrain system when paired with a traditional internal-combustion engine, or it could be the only source of traction drive in pure electric vehicles. The plug-and-play nature of the concept can offer a transitional solution for automakers. Read full story

Is auto A/C a parasite? GM engineer says that's the fuel-economy-centric view Air-conditioning is essential for comfort and safety (defrost), but it uses fuel that could move the car, so it also is a target for improving vehicle fuel economy. New EPA test will give it the chance of proving it has developed fuel-sipping ways. Read full story

Study says lithium-ion batteries should rule for the next decade at least Next-generation batteries have many obstacles to overcome before they can power electric and hybrid vehicles. Read full story

Lithium-ion micro-battery demos potential new path to high performance The innovation is a novel, three-dimensional battery design from the University of Illinois that simultaneously expands the cell’s reactive surface area while boosting its ion and electron transport capacity. Read full story

U.S. consumers latest audience for stop-start technology Stop-start technology will gain substantial U.S. market share in the coming years even though consumers have mixed feelings about driving a vehicle equipped with the engine-off/engine-on feature. Read full story