SAE 2010 World Congress: reporting on displays by automakers Four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine by GM; Focus EV by FordMay 17, 2010 No.876 |
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Index Ford stresses "ecology" by exhibiting the cutaway model of the Focus EV (Electric Vehicle)... Magna, co-sponsor of the show with Ford, introduces weight-reducing technologies Toyota exhibits the Prius PHEV (Plug-in HEV) and two newly-developed gasoline engines Honda displays the cutaway model of the CR-Z HEV put on sale in Japan, and the VFR1200... Nissan exhibits the new INFINITI M37 (Fuga, in Japan) introduced this year in the US GM exhibits the cutaway models of its small to medium size engines and cars on which they... Fiat and Chrysler jointly exhibit the Fiat 500 and the cutaway model of the Dodge Ram 3500...
Executive Summary
The following is a summary of reports on the production cars, concept vehicles and relevant technologies introduced by the six automakers (Ford, GM, Fiat/Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan) and Magna International at the SAE 2010 World Congress co-hosted by Ford and Magna International (held in Detroit on April 13 to 15, 2010; referred to as the SAE show). A total of six automakers exhibited their products at the 2010 SAE show, as in the previous year, held under the theme of "New Era - New Solutions New Congress" but the number of automotive suppliers at the show fell significantly from last year's approximately 300 to only approximately 100 due to the stagnant economy. The products and technologies exhibited at the show by the automakers and Magna are outlined below.
Ford stresses "ecology" by exhibiting the cutaway model of the Focus EV (Electric Vehicle) slated for sale in 2011 and the production car of Ford Fusion HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle)Ford exhibited the cutaway model of its EV based on the next Focus model being co-developed with Magna. The EV is planned for sale in the US and Canada in 2011 and in Europe in 2012. The Focus EV has a three-phased 100kW AC motor and a reduction gear in the conventional engine compartment, and a total of seven lithium-ion battery modules under the floor and in the trunk room. The car has the battery capacity of 23kWh (400V) for driving up to 100 miles (160km) per full-charge which will take 12 hours from a 110V household outlet and 6 hours from a 220V source, according to the company. The car also has a 12V battery for operating the power steering (redesigned as a motor-driven unit to suit the EV model), vacuum pump for braking, water pump etc. Electricity is supplied from the high voltage battery via a DC/DC converter.
In addition, Ford also exhibited the production car of the Fusion HEV selected as the 2010 North American Car of the Year. The car has a regenerative brake, has a city/hwy mileage of 41/36 mpg (17.3/15.2km/L) and reaches 47mph (75km/h) in EV drive mode. The HEV features a 275V Ni-MH battery pack, motor and Atkinson cycle type 2.5L inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and the electric CVT along with 191hp/136 lb･ft system output/torque.
Ford also displayed the 2011MY Fiesta slated for sale in North America this summer. The 1.6L four-cylinder four-valve DOHC gasoline engine has a city/hwy mileage (as measured by Ford) of 30/40 mpg (12.7/16.9km/L) when driven in combination with the 6-speed AT option. Ford claims its highway mileage is one of the highest among the subcompact class vehicles (for information, the AT versions of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris powered by a 1.5L engine and designed for North American markets have the highway mileage of 35mpg).
Magna, co-sponsor of the show with Ford, introduces weight-reducing technologies(1) One of the weight-reducing items on display by Magna was the aluminum-made door structural parts made by super-plastic forming, which happens to be an existing process in which the aluminum and other material sheets are formed by blowing against the die under a controlled water pressure. This leads to less costly and faster forming compared to the press forming. According to Magna, the process makes it possible to reduce the parts count since nearly 20 parts, such as the brackets and reinforcements, can be formed integrally.
(2) Another display by Magna was the bolster (radiator support) formed by ILC (In Line Compound: formed by compression molding immediately after polypropylene and continuous glass fibers are compounded). This method contributes to approximately 20 to 25% reduction in weight, compared to the conventional iron counterpart, to the weight nearly the same as that of the magnesium component. Magna claims that the ILC process also has led to a lower parts count since nuts were integrally formed and parts that require reinforcement were ribbed. The bolsters are delivered from Magna's plant in Mexico to Ford's Mexican plant located in Hermosillo where they are used in Ford Fusion cars.
(3) CellForm™ , co-developed by Magna and Dow, is made of a corrugated fiberboard with a polyurethane coat in which bio resins are mixed to 35 to 50% to meet weight reduction and rigidity requirements at the same time. It is used in the trunk and passengers compartment floor panels on SUV, etc, that are prone to heavy loads. Magna claims the new material contributes to 30 to 50% weight reduction from the conventional (resin made) floor panels.
(4) Renewable and Recycled Flexible Foam is a polyurethane foam material containing 5 to 25% bio resins containing oil extract of beans and ricinus and 5 to 15% recycled bio resins. According to Magna, it is being developed to make seats, headrests and armrests.
In addition, Magna exhibited three components at the show.
Toyota exhibits the Prius PHEV (Plug-in HEV) and two newly-developed gasoline enginesToyota exhibited the Prius PHEV (exhibited at Detroit motor show, etc) and the main components of the third-generation Prius HEV. Toyota plans to sell a limited number of the Prius PHEV in the world (500 vehicles in total, including 150 in the US) before the end of this year with the main aim to collect data of the vehicle. Toyota hopes to sound customers' expectation toward the PHEV and to study the performance of the lithium-ion batteries that will go into the production cars for the first time for Toyota. Toyota has medium- to long-term plans toward the reduction of CO2 that call for (1) the development of internal combustion engines that use a variety of alternative fuels such as natural gas, coal and bio-mass, and the development of HEV that use those fuels, and (2) the development of fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FVHV) that run on hydrogen manufactured by CO2-free power plants that use nuclear power, hydraulic power, geothermal heat or solar heat (light) and the development of EV powered by electricity from such power plants. According to Toyota, the company faces certain walls before necessary technologies become available. Toyota further predicts a mixture of eco-friendly vehicles that run on different kinds of power sources in the future where the EV will serve short distances and the passenger cars will take the form of HEV and PHEV equipped with gasoline or alternative fuel engine and buses and large trucks for medium to long distances will be FC vehicles.
Toyota also exhibited the cutaway models of the 1.8L four-cylinder inline engine (2ZR-FXE) of the third-generation Prius, and of the newly-developed four-cylinder AR series engine. The 2ZR-FXE engine of the Prius has a larger piston displacement than the 1NZ engine of the second-generation Prius, which has led to higher output and torque while reducing friction and increasing fuel efficiency. The main specifications are given below.
The 2ZR-FXE engine represents a 26.8% reduction of friction compared to the 1NZ engine. The reduction was achieved by the use of the motor-driven water pump (replacing the conventional auxiliary drive belt and mechanical seal), roller rocker arms, a smaller oil pump, piston rings of lower tensile force etc. In addition, the pumping loss was reduced by the use of water-cooled EGR cooler and the variable intake valve timing control. The engine further achieves a 19% improvement in fuel efficiency in cold climate through the use of the heat recirculation system consisting of a heat exchanger built into the exhaust pipe. The exhaust heat that used to be discharged unused is now reused to heat the engine coolant. The newly-developed AR engine series includes the 2.7L 1AR-FE and the 2.5L 2AR-FE. The 2.7L type is used on the new Sienna that was put on sale in the US in 2010. The main specifications of the AR series are shown below.
The AR series engines feature a variable valve timing system on both the intake and exhaust sides and their intake efficiency has been improved from the earlier engines through the optimization of the intake manifold shape, addition of the valve with variable intake pipe length, the addition of the tumble valve, etc. Furthermore, Toyota says it has managed to realize increased torque and fuel efficiency (2.8% on the 2AR type) through reduction of friction by the use of piston rings of lower tensile force and the use of a variable oil pump and roller rocker arms.
Honda displays the cutaway model of the CR-Z HEV put on sale in Japan, and the VFR1200 motorbike with the dual clutch transmissionHonda exhibited the cutaway model of the two-seater CR-Z HEV launched earlier in Japan. The car features a 1.5L four-cylinder four-valve engine with an idle stop system and a hybrid system Honda calls IMA (Integral Motor Assist electric system) and delivers 122hp/128lb･ft output/torque. The car also features a regenerative brake and has a city/hwy mileage of 35mpg/39mpg (CVT model) and 31mpg/37mpg (6-speed MT model). The CR-Z HEV complies with AT-PZEV and Tier2-Bin2 standards.
Honda exhibited the VFR1200F motorbike, that appeared earlier at the Tokyo motor show, the first motorcycle ever that features a dual clutch transmission system. Also on display was the cutaway model of the bike's engine and the transmission. The wet type dual clutch system is supplied by FCC and consists of a clutch each for the 1-3-5-speed and for the 2-4-6-speed ranges.
Honda also demonstrated a motor-driven unicycle, U3-X, an offspring from Honda's ASIMO robotics studies. The unicycle is not meant for commercial marketing at the present.
Nissan exhibits the new INFINITI M37 (Fuga, in Japan) introduced this year in the USNissan exhibited the new INFINITI M37 introduced this year in the US market. Customers can opt from V6 3.7L (330hp) or V8 5.6L (420hp) engine along with the 7-speed AT with manual shift mode, and also from either the rear-wheel drive or all four-wheel drive model. Another option was the "Blind Spot Intervention System" that detects another vehicle in the next lane approaching from behind, alerts the driver visually and audibly and, when the driver attempts to change lanes closer to the approaching vehicle, the system acts upon the brake to generate a force that would bring the vehicle back to the original lane thus alerting the driver of the danger. According to Nissan, it is the first system of its kind in the world. Another display by Nissan was the panel introducing a system called ECO pedal, available on the new M37. When the driver steps on the accelerator more than necessarily, the lamp in the instrument panel blinks and increases the reactive force on the accelerator to remind the driver to drive in an eco-friendly manner. Nissan claims the system can increase fuel efficiency by 5 to 10%.
Other Nissan displays included the panel introducing the LEAF EV slated for market launch in the US later this year, and laminated lithium-ion batteries.
GM exhibits the cutaway models of its small to medium size engines and cars on which they are usedGM exhibited the 1.4L turbocharged engine and 2011MY Chevrolet Cruze in which the engine is used, the 2.4L direct injection engine and 2011MY Buick Regal in which the engine is used, and the 3L direct injection V6 engine and GMC Terrain in which the engine is used. GM also displayed the cutaway model of the 2 Mode Hybrid Module having a 6-speed torque converter type AT, two 60kW motors, three gears, and four wet clutches. The 2 Mode Hybrid Module is a hybrid system co-developed by GM, Chrysler, BMW and Daimler.
Other displays by GM included panels introducing the Chevrolet Volt (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) to be introduced in the market later this year, an internal combustion engine improvement item called HCCI (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition), and driving power technologies for the future automobiles.
Fiat and Chrysler jointly exhibit the Fiat 500 and the cutaway model of the Dodge Ram 3500 truckFiat and Chrysler exhibited the Fiat 500 to be produced in Mexico starting by the end of this year. The Fiat 500 is a four-seater three-door hatchback, shorter by 112mm in overall length and by 84mm in width than Toyota Yaris (called Vitz in Japan). The car will have a 1.4L (100hp) engine and a 5-speed MT. Chrysler exhibited the cutaway model of the Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck chosen by Motor Trend magazine as the Best Truck of the Year for 2010. Standard equipment includes Cummins 6.7L turbocharged diesel engine (350hp/650 lb･ft) and 5-speed AT.
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