A recent blog piece from Elio Motors got me thinking about the state of small displacement ICE development, and how newly innovative powerplants can add value to the overall transportation segment.
According to Elio’s manufacturing partner IAV,
“Internal combustion engine(s) will remain the chief source of propulsion for automobiles and light commercial vehicles for decades to come. (IAV is) hard at work on reducing fuel consumption and emissions from these engines while harmonizing product costs, quality and other product attributes consumers find important.”
Clearly an ability to create extended travel ranges, while satisfying today’s reduced carbon footprints by means of refined fuels, are not only possible, but more importantly logical, since measured North American oil and gas supplies have never been higher. That said, however, it’s ‘who’ gets from ‘here to there’ that typically makes the world of difference.
In the case of Elio’s decision to utilize IAV’s three-cylinder ICE, the move offers a host of overall value propositions that seem to be almost too good to believe. However, under the bonnet IVA’s little engine is quite remarkable technologically, and at the heart of this result is the German company’s core environmental mission,
“IAV provides engineering services to the automotive industry, carrying out innovative research and development projects and making new, eco-friendly drive concepts ready for mass production… through IAV’s engineering work, an important contribution is made to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, thereby realizing low CO2 drive concepts; for example, by permitting the use of regenerative energy sources on an increasing scale.”
Based in Berlin, the company was founded in 1983 by Dr. Hermann Appel in order to serve as a University research institute. However, from its inception the technologies developer has produced a number of impactful automotive-related systems including the aforementioned regenerative energy system, along with its 2009 quick-charger battery unit, and now the final configuration and roll-out of the Elio’s three-cylinder powerplant.
Along with Elio Motors, however, IAV produces engineering innovations for a host of other automotive brands including; VW, BMW, PSA Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, GM and Toyota. IAV’s engineering value is being further enhanced by a number of major auto supply-chain providers including; Bosch, Delphi, Continental AG, and the ZF Group.
To learn more about this cutting-edge engineering enterprise please visit the company at IAV.
