With gas prices on everyone’s mind these days, government regulators are pushing for better fuel efficiency in vehicles over the next few years. The thing is, hybrid, electric, and hydrogen cars aren’t the short term answer, it’ll be a while before they become mainstream. Car companies need something they can use now to modify their traditional engines during the interim.
That something is turning out to be turbochargers.
If you’re curious how superchargers and turbochargers work, check this page out. Over the next few years, engines will continue to get smaller, with V-6s replacing V-8s, and four-cylinders replacing V-6s. I’m not sure what’ll replace four-cylinders, maybe a mouse on a wheel. Either way, automakers are going to try to preserve some of the power that the largest engines had. Turbochargers will help keeping those power levels up.
Several different carmakers have turbocharged engines in the pipeline. Starting next year, Ford plans to sell a turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine in its Lincoln MKS luxury car. Chevrolet plans on giving it’s upcoming Cruze compact car a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, which will be 36 percent smaller than the engine in the Cobalt, the vehicle the Cruze will replace. That should make for a car with about 20% better fuel economy, while maintaining the Cobalt’s power.
| Turbo engines 101 |
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