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The automotive industry is polarized between external pressures for ‘zero’ emission battery electric vehicles (BEV) and the ability to manufacture them economically and with minimal environmental impact. Most predictions of future BEV market share suggest that the internal combustion engine (ICE) has an important role to play in personal transportation for the next several decades. That engine will very likely be part of a hybrid architecture. Accepting that the engine will be part of a hybrid powertrain permits new design rules and strategies for the ICE. A major change of the engine could be to reduce BMEP, power density and/or engine speed requirements as performance demand will be supplemented by electric machines. This study focuses on simple changes to the ICE to increase thermal efficiency assuming supplemental electric energy.