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Fuels of Today

Gasoline - The key to improving efficiency, extracting more from less and reducing the load on the engine to improve fuel economy. Technologies such as variable valve timing ( VVT and VTEC adjust the timing of the valves letting fuel and air in) and direct injection (DI, FSI, DISI use special high-pressure injectors to mist fuel) improve the combustion process, promoting more complete combustion while using less fuel.

Another technology in use today is cylinder deactivation (AFM, MDS), which reduces the number of active cylinders under lighter loads by shutting them off, effectively making the engine smaller and thereby saving fuel. Some manufacturers have taken another approach, taking features that run on electricity and letting a higher capacity battery power them in order to reduce the load on the engine. Electrical power steering and electrically powered ancillary devices like water pumps are just two examples and an effective way to reduce consumption without taking away from performance. Down the road, Expect to see more vehicles use smaller displacement engines with turbochargers or superchargers, which combine to provide the performance of larger engines with the fuel consumption of smaller engines.

Diesel is starting to make a comeback in North America in a big way. Modern emissions controls in a car's exhaust system, including particulate filters and after-treatment systems (adBlue, Bluetech), have transformed diesel engines into some of the cleanest-burning power plants around, while highly advanced technologies like piezo injectors have improved performance and refinement. This has proven popular across the Atlantic, where diesels make up nearly 50 percent of all cars sold in Western Europe. Diesel cars consume an average of 30 percent less fuels, allowing them to go further on a single tanker of fuel, allowing to go further on a single tank of fuel, and emit 25 percent less carbon dioxide them their gasoline counterparts, making them an environmentally sound alternative fuel. Currently, only a handful of brands offer diesel power including Mercedes and Jeep, as well as a variety of heavy duty pickup trucks, but many more Volkswagen, Audi and BMW diesel products will be arriving this year. In the future, Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru will also enter this arena.

Hybrids - One of the hottest topics on the auto industry is hybrid vehicles. Hybrids combine a conventional internal combustion engine with an electric motor and rechargeable battery pack, in which the electric system assists the gasoline engine, thus improving fuel economy. Two types of hybrids are available to buyers: a mild hybrid (Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Saturn Aura Green Line) and a full hybrid (Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid): the key difference between the two is that the full hybrid can drive on electricity alone. Both hybrid types can turn them selves off at stop lights to stop idling, and provide electrical assistance during acceleration. Hybrids recharge their battery packs either by recapturing energy during braking or coasting, or by using the gasoline engine as a generator. Plug-in hybrids are another new technology that manufacturers are working on, but they can currently be installed by specialty manufacturing companies. Some of these small, local companies have created systems that allow owners to plug in their vehicles to top up their batteries, improving their range and fuel economy.