Ways Automotive Industry Leveraging Modern Technology

Increasing vehicle sizes, weights, and powers have negated some of the benefits of fuel economy and carbon dioxide emission that were possible through improved technologies. New market trends increased the weight of a new average vehicle, even as weights fell within each type.

FREMONT, CA: The technological innovation and market trends of the two decades leading up to 2004 generally led to an increase in vehicle weight and power (due to growing vehicle sizes and content), while the average new vehicle fuel economy steadily decreased and CO2 emissions correspondingly rose. With technology innovation and market trends, fuel efficiency has increased by 32 percent since the model year 2004, horsepower has increased by 17 percent, and weight has increased by 1 percent since the model year 2004. EPA began tracking a model's carbon footprint for the first time in 2008; as of now, it is up 4 percent from 2008 to 2015.

Many factors influence the overall vehicle trends, such as vehicle technology, vehicle design, and changes in the distribution of vehicles available. All other factors being equal, increasing the weight or horsepower of a specific vehicle is likely to result in higher CO2 emissions and a lower fuel economy, provided that all other factors are equal. The larger the vehicle, measured here by the total footprint or the area encircled by the four tires, the higher the CO2 emissions and the lower the vehicle's fuel economy. The footprint also determines the standards under which the GHG and CAFE regulations must be met. The tailpipe emissions of electric vehicles are zero; however, weight, horsepower, and vehicle size can still impact the vehicle's fuel economy (measured in miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent).

With the advancement of technology in the automobile industry, manufacturers have achieved high levels of fuel economy, CO2 emissions, and performance. This has helped them to meet their goals.

The largest automobile manufacturers have adopted many of these technologies into their vehicles. Many of these manufacturers have achieved very high penetration rates for several of these technologies. Manufacturers' strategies to develop and adopt new technologies differ significantly as well. Depending on the design requirements of their vehicles, each manufacturer chooses the technology that best meets those requirements. In most cases, that technology evolves quite rapidly as the needs of their vehicles change.

With the development of engine technologies such as turbocharged engines (Turbo) and gasoline direct injection (GDI), engine design and operation have become more efficient and reliable. The cylinder deactivation system (CD) allows only a portion of the engine's power to be used when there is no need for full power. In contrast, the stop/start system can turn the engine off at idle to conserve fuel. With hybrid vehicles, braking energy is captured in the battery and used to provide power where needed, resulting in a smaller, more efficient engine since the battery can capture braking energy.