The Internal Combustion Engine: "I’m Not Dead Yet"
by Richard T. Stuebi
The August 16 edition of The Economist contains an interesting article summarizing many of the advancements being made by various companies to improve the good-old internal combustion engine.
For instance, Daimler (NYSE: DAI) is working on an engine design called the DiesOtto, which attempts to forge a cross between a diesel and a gasoline engine, with the aim of providing the torque and economy of the former along with the flexibility and horsepower of the latter.
Meanwhile, Fiat (BIT: F) is experimenting with a sophisticated valve-control approach called Multiair that they believe will reduce fuel consumption by 20%.
And, it’s not just the big automakers at work. The article profiles Antonov Automotive Technologies (AIM: ATV) in their efforts to develop a new-fangled supercharger, and Ricardo (LSE: RCDO) in their pursuit of an engine that can switch between 2-stroke and 4-stroke operation.
It’s worth noting that none of the companies mentioned in the article are based in the U.S. Will the American automakers be left behind in the innovation race again? Is General Motors (NYSE: GM) putting all of its eggs in the basket of the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt? And where are Ford (NYSE: F) and Chrysler in this game?
Richard T. Stuebi is the BP Fellow for Energy and Environmental Advancement at The Cleveland Foundation, and is also the Founder and President of NextWave Energy, Inc.