The role that technology has played to the development of the automobile industry cannot be underrated. One key are that it has been highly welcomed is as regards to automotive engines. Despite the fact that the V8 engines delivered a lot of power, the fact that consumption of gas increased did not go well with the users. Economy score is one of the factors people tend to analyze before settling on the car to buy. Because of the high fuel economy and the ever rising fuel charges, several companies started working on technologies that would offer cheaper alternatives.
Higher Compression Ratios
By increasing the compression ratio in engines, engineers realized that both fuel economy and performance would be significantly increased. Cars that have higher compression ratios use fuel efficiently. This approach has been used by various by the latest models and generation of vehicles. Important to note is the fact that whether the engine is designed to use gasoline or diesel, this technology is effective. Research shows that cars that use this engine technology have the capacity to consume up to 15 percent less fuel. It also facilitates the emission of up to 15 percent torque. This means that driving becomes more fun. The only challenge that this technology faces is the knocking sound produced.
Direct Injection
In most cases, engines mix air with fuel before directing them to the combustion chamber. However, direct-injected engine, fuel is highly pressurized to the combustion chamber directly. One challenge that this technology faces is that it can cause knocking too. In order to overcome this challenge, some motor companies combine turbo charging to direct injection. The result of this is boosting the performance of the vehicles. Ford is one of the companies that have embraced this technology effectively, calling such engines EcoBoost.
Flex Fuel
This technology enables the driver to make a decision whether to use ethanol blend or regular gasoline. In most cases, when the driver chooses to use ethanol blend, the percentages used are 15 percent and 85 percent for gasoline and ethanol respectively. When this is the case, the vehicle’s power is significantly boosted.
EV Power Boost
The electric-gasoline mix system has been common over the past decade. This technology has effectively worked in increasing the gas mileage. Despite this, many cars using this method have a low fun factor. With the EV Power Boost, vehicles get charged by a 3-liter V6 engine that is supercharged. To add up to this is an electric motor, similar to the one many hybrids have. This technology is crucial in the sense that it gives drivers the ability to access the 70 horsepower electric motor. This gives the car the ability to achieve 96 km/hr in 4.5 seconds from a standstill position.
Cylinders on Demand
This technology ensures that a car only uses the cylinders that are essential. For instance, when the car accelerates to achieve 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds from a standstill position, it may require to use all the cylinders it has. However, when this is not required, some cylinders are not used. This technology is more common in Audi vehicles.
The above engine technologies are geared towards making driving more fun. However, for one to enjoy the technology more, it is crucial that they pass a dsa theory test before hitting the road.