 "Micro-hybrids, not electric vehicles or fuel cells, to drive auto efficiency")
Auto manufacturers will need to meet aggressive fuel efficiency targets over the next decade - 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) in the US and Europe’s 95 grams of carbon dioxide emission per kilometer. While advanced technologies like all-electric vehicles, super-light carbon fibre composites, and hydrogen fuel cells will all be available, according to Lux Research report, micro-hybrids will provide the most economical route to meeting 2025 targets.
In a micro-hybrid, the car can automatically stop its engine when it would otherwise be idling, using an improved or an additional battery (or another type of energy storage) to quickly restart it when it's time to move - some even capture braking energy and do propulsion assist. Nearly half of the improvements required to meet the stiff targets will come from improvements in micro-hybrid technology, notably through improved batteries, while lighter structural materials will contribute 39 percent and improved fuels will add 13 percent.
“The automotive industry is under intense pressure to lower emissions and increase fuel efficiency. Improved energy storage options will help make micro-hybrids the most cost-effective way to respond, along with ongoing improvements to lightweight materials,” said Anthony Schiavo, Lux Research associate and the lead author of the report titled, ‘Building the car of 2025: How to cost-effectively get to 54.5 MPG using the right mix of advanced technologies’.
Besides, lighter structural materials are at the heart of fuel efficiency and would contribute a hefty 39 percent of the targeted improvements for 2025. No wonder that carmakers such as Ford and GM have ongoing partnerships with companies like Alcoa and Nanosteel Company that develop materials to reduce weight.
A third, albeit smaller, factor driving fuel efficiency is innovation in alternative fuels. About 13 percent of the improved 2025 targets will come from increased Research Octane Number (RON) content due to increasing biofuel blending mandates. Brazil has the highest target of 27.5 percent for ethanol, while the US aims for 20 percent by 2022 for all renewable fuels. India and Thailand have set 20 percent targets, while Europe lags at 10 percent.
In a micro-hybrid, the car can automatically stop its engine when it would otherwise be idling, using an improved or an additional battery (or another type of energy storage) to quickly restart it when it's time to move - some even capture braking energy and do propulsion assist. Nearly half of the improvements required to meet the stiff targets will come from improvements in micro-hybrid technology, notably through improved batteries, while lighter structural materials will contribute 39 percent and improved fuels will add 13 percent.
“The automotive industry is under intense pressure to lower emissions and increase fuel efficiency. Improved energy storage options will help make micro-hybrids the most cost-effective way to respond, along with ongoing improvements to lightweight materials,” said Anthony Schiavo, Lux Research associate and the lead author of the report titled, ‘Building the car of 2025: How to cost-effectively get to 54.5 MPG using the right mix of advanced technologies’.
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As per Lux Research report, innovation in micro-hybrid technologies will be the biggest factor in the march towards greater fuel efficiency, contributing 48 percent of the improvements required to meet 2025 targets. Falling prices of lithium-ion batteries, lighter and better-performing 12V and 48V batteries, and better supercapacitors are among the changes powering energy storage.
Besides, lighter structural materials are at the heart of fuel efficiency and would contribute a hefty 39 percent of the targeted improvements for 2025. No wonder that carmakers such as Ford and GM have ongoing partnerships with companies like Alcoa and Nanosteel Company that develop materials to reduce weight.
A third, albeit smaller, factor driving fuel efficiency is innovation in alternative fuels. About 13 percent of the improved 2025 targets will come from increased Research Octane Number (RON) content due to increasing biofuel blending mandates. Brazil has the highest target of 27.5 percent for ethanol, while the US aims for 20 percent by 2022 for all renewable fuels. India and Thailand have set 20 percent targets, while Europe lags at 10 percent.