Auto industry hush-hush on development of new fuels
Automakers and oil companies are quietly developing a new generation of fuels and engines to run more efficiently on them, generating more power from less gasoline to reduce emissions and boost fuel economy.
But industry executives are reluctant to talk publicly about their research. Why so quiet? Because no company wants to be the poster child for higher fuel prices, even if the additional cost is offset by lower fuel consumption and better performance.
Higher-octane fuel costs more because the fuel components that boost octane are generally more expensive to produce.
Development work on superpremium gasoline grades and engines to take advantage of them is going on behind the scenes while automakers and oil companies around the world ponder how to sell the public on the idea.
“Ten cents a gallon more is probably palatable. A quarter risks customer acceptance,” said an industry executive who requested anonymity because his company’s plans are secret.
Ford global technology and engineering chief Raj Nair provided a rare glimpse into the automaker’s plans for higher-octane fuel recently during a speech at the Society of Automotive Engineers annual banquet in Detroit.
Nair said “new fuel formulations” are a priority as the company works to reduce its environmental impact. Even that oblique reference to higher grades of gasoline drew applause.
When automakers and oil companies talk about “higher gasoline grades” and “new fuel formulations,” they usually mean higher octane ratings. Most gasoline in the U.S. today is between 87 and 94 octane.
Currently, the national average prices are $2.40 for regular, $2.67 for midgrade and $2.92 for premium, according to AAA’s gas price monitor.
Octane allows an engine to run at higher compression ratios and use more of the energy in gasoline. More energy equals the ability to do more work, and that means a properly engineered vehicle will go farther or faster on the same amount of gasoline.
For example, the new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon produces 840 horsepower using super-premium 100 octane fuel, but “just” 808 horsepower with 91 octane.
The U.S. Department of Energy
is working with automakers and oil companies on a project called Optima to cooperate on engine and fuel development and reduce petroleum consumption 30%, Lindsay Brooke reported in the Society of Automotive Engineers publication Automotive Engineering.
“The general position is that (premium) is what automakers are thinking for the future octane level,” Toyota senior principal engineer for energy and environmental research Marie Valentine said.
“We don’t need a new fuel — we just need improved gasoline,” David Brooks, General Motors director of global propulsion labs, recently told an engineering conference. He said 114 octane was ideal from an engineer’s point of view but probably too expensive for customers to accept.
In addition to adding higheroctane fuels, the lowest current octane levels will probably be phased out over time.