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There is no doubt that the modern internal combustion engine (ICE) is approaching its theoretical limits in terms of efficiency. Owed to the fact that the conversion of fuel-bound chemical energy into effectively usable power by combustion is largely defined by the fuel properties, the combustion process and the implicit phenomenon of abnormal combustion is a governing factor that limits further efficiency increases. However, the use of a knock-resistant fuel such as methane is leading to a significant raise in the average combustion pressure and total engine efficiency. In turn this requires a base engine architecture that is specially designed to cater the increased thermal and mechanical requirements so that the positive fuel properties can be fully exploited. Furthermore, an improvement of the energy balance is achieved by utilizing the kinetic energy stored in the vehicle by means of electrical recovery.