Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - (Page 33) JULY 21, 2008 • 33 FUEL ECONOMY FRENZY MPG now! Automakers race to boost efficiency Leslie J. Allen and Bradford Wernle lallen@crain.com Less filling While some engineers and designers scramble for immediate mileage gains, others are working on these future fuel-saving technologies. Direct fuel injection: Fuel enters the combustion chamber from the cylinder head in a planned pattern, resulting in a more controlled combustion for maximum power. Brake energy regeneration: Battery recharges when the vehicle is braking or coasting. Turbocharging: More air and fuel are forced into the combustion chamber, allowing smaller engines to perform like bigger ones. Stop-start: Engine turns off when the vehicle stops. DETROIT — During the 18 months he worked on a new version of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Mike Danowski saw consumer tastes change before his very eyes. When he started, studies showed that styling was the No. 1 reason people bought Cobalts. By the time the vehicle rolled out, fuel economy had leapt to the top of the list, the Cobalt XFE project manager says. The Cobalt team’s timing couldn’t have been better. A combination of revised gear ratios, engine recalibration and lowrolling-resistance tires improved highway fuel economy 9 percent, from 33 mpg in highway driving for the base Cobalt to 36 mpg for the XFE. When the Cobalt XFE hit the market in March, consumers applauded. The XFE accounts for about 8 percent of Cobalt’s sales volume. “We thought it would be in the 2 to 3 percent range,” says Chevrolet spokeswoman Nancy Libby. She says dealers have an 18-day supply of XFEs, the fastest turn of any Cobalt version. Across the automotive world, designers and engineers are bending sheet metal, trying new tires, tweaking powertrains, and performing au- Ford says, the number is 0.375. Lower drag brings better fuel economy. “Aerodynamics is one of the best ways” to boost fuel efficiency, says Richard Gresens, Flex chief designer. “If I’m going to change something a little bit on the sheet metal, and it gives me a little better aero co-efficient — hey, let’s do it.” Tweaking the Hemi Ralph Gilles, chief designer on the 2009 Dodge Ram, and his team turned to aerodynamics to boost the pickup’s mileage. An associate says Gilles has made aerodynamics a “religion” in Chrysler LLC’s design department. The truck, redesigned for 2009, emerged from more than 200 hours in a wind tunnel with a coefficient of drag of .419 for the Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x4. That compares with a coefficient of .463 for the 2008 Ram Quad Cab 4x4. For some pickups, coefficient of drag can be 0.5 or higher. Chrysler engineers also tweaked the Hemi engine’s cylinder cutoff system so it operates in a wider rpm range, enabling the vehicle to run longer in four-cylinder mode. “There’s more torque in the fourcylinder mode,” says Mike Cairns, Ram chief engineer. “So you’re able to propel the vehicle in four-cylinder mode more often.” tomotive liposuction to eke out better mileage. Huge changes will be needed in the future, but many are years away. Carmakers need better mileage today. The top candidates for near-term improvement: Better aerodynamics. Seemingly minor changes can make air flow more smoothly around a car. Adjust engines. After decades of tuning the computer chips that govern engines for performance, engineers now favor fuel economy. Lose weight. Even tough-guy trucks are dropping rugged steel hoods for aluminum ones. Boxed in Take the Ford Flex. Based on the boxy Fairlane concept, it was never going to be aerodynamically slippery. After the Fairlane’s positive reception on the auto show circuit, Ford had decided to keep the same basic look. “From an aerodynamic standpoint, that really limited what we could do,” says Wayne Koester, a Ford aerodynamic development engineer. “We couldn’t change the shape of the roof or the sides because that’s what made this a Flex — the boxiness.” So designers and engineers focused on tweaking the details, such as squaring up the front fascia and “finessing” the rear corners. Fairly minor tweaks reduced drag enough to improve fuel economy by 1 mpg in highway driving. The Flex has a coefficient of drag — a measure of a vehicle’s air resistance — of 0.355. For competing vehicles, Also, compression is up, and the efficiency of air and fuel flowing through the engine has been improved. The Hemi added the fuel-saving feature of variable valve timing, which changes the time the valves open and close to let the engine run at peak efficiency. Then the pickup went on a diet. Engineers cut out 80 pounds, which might not seem like much on a 6,700pound vehicle. But the weight loss, engine tweaks and improved aerodynamics combined to achieve a 1 mpg improvement in fuel economy. That may seem paltry, but as Chrysler spokesman Bryan Zvibleman says, “We’re fighting for every mile per gallon in this ultracompetitive segment.” Little changes add up, says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development. He says he tells his team, “We need to treat every joule of energy in a vehicle like a precious commodity.” That means improving “every element of a vehicle, whether it’s aero, rolling resistance, powertrain,” driveline efficiency, or energy drains that don’t move the vehicle, such as power windows or heated seats, he says. “All of those, we’re working on; we benchmark; we’re improving.” c Amy Wilson and Jamie LaReau contributed to this report A big fuel saver: Easy-rolling tires (but watch braking) Jesse Snyder jsnyder@crain.com Rolling, rolling, rolling In Consumer Reports testing, Ford Escape XLT versions with V-6 engines and automatic transmissions improved fuel economy. But they also increased stopping distance from 60 to 0 mph on a wet surface. Ford says that its 2009 model has a wet-surface stopping distance of 160 to 170 feet. As gasoline prices soar, auto and tire manufacturers are taking a fresh look at low-rolling-resistance tires. Tire makers say automakers are asking for easier-rolling tires as a quick way to boost fuel efficiency. “We have increased interest in anything that can improve fuel economy,” said David Cowger, General Motors program engineering manager for tire development. “If we reduce rolling resistance by 10 percent, it can improve fuel economy 1.5 percent.” The trick is in the trade-offs. Automakers need tires to produce more mileage without making major sacrifices in stopping distance and handling, ride quality or durability. Normally, better rolling resistance equals less traction. Tire makers say they are developing compounds that break that equation, but they apparently add cost. Yet with fuel economy on the minds of consumers who are suddenly paying more than $4 a gallon for gasoline, marketers are touting low-rolling-resistance tires on vehicles such as the Chevrolet Cobalt and 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner. In April, Michelin broke new advertising emphasizing the fuel savings of its Energy replacement tires. In June, tire maker Hankook quadrupled r&d spending on fuel-saving tires to $19 million annually. 215 feet 2008 Escape: 19 mpg 165 feet 2005 Escape: 18 mpg 146 feet 2002 Escape: 17 mpg Consumer Reports’ David Champion: As fuel economy of Escapes tested increased, so did stopping distance. “I can’t categorically say it’s all the tires, but nothing else changed,” he said. Ford’s re-engineered 2009 Escape, which started production in June, has low-rolling-resistance tires — but from a different supplier, Michelin. “We wanted to change the tires because we also revised the brakes, suspension” and electronic stability control, said Ron Razzano, Ford vehicle engineering manager for the Escape. He said Ford responded to media criticism and customer input in the redesign, which will noticeably improve the new Escape’s braking performance. The wet stopping distance for the 2009 Escape with 16-inch tires is 160 to 170 feet, depending on road surface, a Ford spokesman says. New materials changing tires is an obvious response to a rapidly changing marketplace. Rolling resistance is a measure of how much propulsion energy is lost by tires flexing as they roll across the road surface. Most resistance comes from the compression of the tread against the road and the flexing of the body of the tire as it rotates. Making tires with low rolling resistance starts by reducing mass, typically by using thinner sidewalls and less tread depth. Next is adjusting the compound. Most tire compounds mix natural or synthetic rubber, which provides the grip, with reinforcing fillers such as carbon black, which adds stiffness and strength. than high-performance tires that maximize traction. The interplay of tires and other vehicle systems is illustrated in the Ford Escape crossover. Ford introduced a new-generation Escape in the 2002 model year and has made a series of changes to improve fuel economy (see box, above). Consumer Reports magazine documented the increased fuel efficiency, from 17 mpg in 2001 to 18 mpg in 2004 and 19 mpg in 2007 in tests of identically equipped Escapes. But it blasted Ford for a corresponding increase in 60-mph-to-0 stopping distances of the 2008 model. In December 2007, the magazine said the Escape’s wet stopping distance rose from 146 feet in 2001 to 165 feet in 2004 and 215 feet in 2007. “It’s ironic that while the fuel economy improved in the same vehicle over successive tests, stopping distances increased to an excessive length,” said David Champion, senior director of the Consumer Reports automotive test center in Colchester, Conn. Although Ford lowered the rolling resistance of Escape tires from 2001 to 2007, Ford said the Consumer Reports tests cannot isolate tire performance because the automaker changed other systems over six years. “Those three Escapes were not mechanically identical,” said Ford spokesman Alan Hall. Ford did not dispute the Consumer Reports brake test results. Champion said each vehicle tested was a four-wheel-drive Escape XLT with 3.0-liter V-6 a
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - July 21, 2008 Automotive News - July 21, 2008 Gray sky, not blue; store values wilt Sour Chery: Bricklin suit claims corruption Germans in U.S. eye VW work S.C. warranty insurer faces shutdown LaNeve: Make do with less marketing money Tesla CAFE: 244 mpg Lincoln's big crossover Schaeffler goes shopping: Can supplier land Continental? Dealers cut, shift their ad spending Truck for the times? Oklahoma pickup gets 37 mpg For Chrysler sensations, glory days are gone Kuzak: Redone Fords must have best fuel economy The Fisher brothers: Quite a body of work Kazamai concept: Mazda's design heard round the world 3 years later, Mitsubishi, UAW resume contract talks Big-pickup production will plunge Nason's NHTSA: More rules, fewer penalties A vote for the Volt Hyundai: Genesis gives brand a new beginning in luxury GM may survive; to thrive, it needs hot products GM just bought some time Green can be cool; it's up to the maker Why don't we drive diesels in the U.S.? Hooray! Joint effort stops airbag deaths All-Stars: Look beyond top brass Leno was right about U.S. cars Toyota recalls Siennas, disputes safety issue This time, the industry embraces connectivity Telematics connects with consumers Telematics gets no respect — the word, that is Tapping mapping for an extra eye on the road Drivers can check CO2 'tire print' Pay As You Drive insurance tracks cars to trim costs Subscribers, sponsors may fund telematics services Big-truck sales fall 14% in June Continental plant to make brakes Lear to shut Mo. seating plant Modine shifts production to Ky. Linamar buys Visteon plant Picture this Lexus revamps 'Taste' marketing extravaganzas Suzuki hires new auto ad agency Fisker turns to Finnish firm to make first hybrids American Suzuki gets new president Canada sales slip 5.6% in June Dealers A big fuel saver: Easy-rolling tires (but watch braking) MPG now! Automakers race to boost efficiency Products — not entire brands — likely to be ditched Pared ad budget is back on the chopping block GM goal: Big small-car profits Congress mulls arbitration bill 2009 Mazda6 price: $19,220 Copart files antitrust suit Denton's out, Leuliette's in as Dura CEO June output falls 13.8% Dodge Challenger: Not quite a sellout Magazine is raided in Renault espionage case Ya gotta believe: Dealers buy GM stock States of the auto industry Will the big guns pull the trigger? Lear a year later: Icahn's offer in hindsight Midcourse correction in Toyota's global sales outlook Chattanooga: A good site better Automotive News - July 21, 2008 Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - (Page Intro) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Gray sky, not blue; store values wilt (Page 1) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Gray sky, not blue; store values wilt (Page 2) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Lincoln's big crossover (Page 3) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Truck for the times? Oklahoma pickup gets 37 mpg (Page 4) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Truck for the times? Oklahoma pickup gets 37 mpg (Page 5) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - 3 years later, Mitsubishi, UAW resume contract talks (Page 6) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - 3 years later, Mitsubishi, UAW resume contract talks (Page 7) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - A vote for the Volt (Page 8) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - A vote for the Volt (Page 9) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Hyundai: Genesis gives brand a new beginning in luxury (Page 10) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Hyundai: Genesis gives brand a new beginning in luxury (Page 11) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Why don't we drive diesels in the U.S.? (Page 12) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Why don't we drive diesels in the U.S.? (Page 13) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Leno was right about U.S. cars (Page 14) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Leno was right about U.S. cars (Page 15) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Toyota recalls Siennas, disputes safety issue (Page 16) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Toyota recalls Siennas, disputes safety issue (Page GM1) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Toyota recalls Siennas, disputes safety issue (Page GM2) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Telematics connects with consumers (Page 17) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Telematics connects with consumers (Page 18) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Telematics gets no respect — the word, that is (Page 19) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Tapping mapping for an extra eye on the road (Page 20) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Pay As You Drive insurance tracks cars to trim costs (Page 20A) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Pay As You Drive insurance tracks cars to trim costs (Page 20B) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Pay As You Drive insurance tracks cars to trim costs (Page 20C) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Subscribers, sponsors may fund telematics services (Page 20D) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Subscribers, sponsors may fund telematics services (Page 21) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Linamar buys Visteon plant (Page 22) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Picture this (Page 23) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Fisker turns to Finnish firm to make first hybrids (Page 24) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 25) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 26) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 27) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 28) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 29) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 30) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Canada sales slip 5.6% in June (Page 31) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Dealers (Page 32) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - MPG now! Automakers race to boost efficiency (Page 33) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - GM goal: Big small-car profits (Page 34) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Denton's out, Leuliette's in as Dura CEO (Page 35) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Denton's out, Leuliette's in as Dura CEO (Page 36) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - June output falls 13.8% (Page 37) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Chattanooga: A good site better (Page 38) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Chattanooga: A good site better (Page 39) Automotive News - July 21, 2008 - Chattanooga: A good site better (Page 40)
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