Software patch could boost MPG in gas-powered vehicles

No doubt, we've seen more than a few sensational sounding gizmos aiming to provide (nearly) limitless power and create energy out of thin air, but a simple software patch could enable the vast majority of the world that's still stuck in gasoline-powered vehicles to get better gas mileage. John Kessels at the University of Eindhoven has partnered with Ford to develop software to improve engine performance and save "up to 2.6-percent" in terms of miles per gallon. Quite simply, the patch dynamically switches the dynamo, (which charges the car battery) on and off when it is "particularly inefficient for the engine to power it, thus improving the overall efficiency of the engine." Mr. Kessels even stated that "a simple cable and a software upgrade" was all that would be necessary to boost MPG, and thankfully it's not exclusive to Ford motors. Notably, a fuel savings closer to six-percent could likely be achieved if a "powerful starter motor" was installed to allow your engine to cut off entirely and restart quickly in between long traffic jams, but both methods have a good bit of testing to go through before being deemed non-abrasive to batteries and engine components. But hey, there's nothing a firmware upgrade can't fix, right?

[Faisal @ Feb 11th 2007 11:04AM]

i totally agree with you...damn US oil companies, they keep paying car companies in the USA to keep their MPGs low so the oil companies can get more money...

off topic: GM sux

[Hal @ Feb 11th 2007 11:38AM]

Where will the ethanol and hydrogen come from? There will be more harm done to the environment if we switched to using ethanol and hydrogen than if we just stick to using gasoline and making cars more efficient.

[steve @ Feb 11th 2007 2:58PM]

------------------------
http://sanityfordummies.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-in-very-near-future-your-trash-will.html
Go there, I wrote all about where the hydrogen and ethanol will come from.
------------------------

Biodiesel is the only good "alternative" fuel. Ethanol and hydrogen are both bullshit.

[codywatson @ Feb 11th 2007 4:33PM]

because hydrogen isn't a source of energy per se, but a way to carry energy. it costs about $6 to get an equivalent gallon of gas.

spamtard.

[Gil @ Feb 11th 2007 9:08AM]

"Notably, a fuel savings closer to six-percent could likely be achieved if a "powerful starter motor" was installed to allow your engine to cut off entirely and restart quickly in between long traffic jams"

You mean a hybrid?

[Erk @ Feb 11th 2007 10:11AM]

This story is dumb.

1. Who calls an alternator a "dynamo".

2. Most new cars already do this. Not only do they reduce the charge rate (due to the design of the alternator, you can't really stop it from charging) but they also turn off A/C and some even reduce power steering pressures (Or completely stop power steering assist if the car is equipped with an electric power steering pump instead of a belt driven.).

3. If a starter motor needed to me more powerful to start the engine, then it wouldn't start it in the first place. Not to mention the fact that OBD-II computers have a wait time before going back into closed loop. I believe the new systems take 10 seconds before going into closed loop, thus in these first few seconds, emissions are HIGHER. Not to mention the extra wear and tear on the engine.

[Tom @ Feb 11th 2007 10:36AM]

1 People who don't understand the difference between AC and DC, thats who.

2 By switching off the loops in the alternator, the alternator provides reduced load on the engine. Similar to switching off the A/C, it reduces loading on the engine when its least efficient.

3 I've heard of people who ran out of fuel using the starter motor to help them shift the car. A more powerful one would make it into a sort of hybrid-lite.

I think the point is that this is a retrofit for many older cars, to increase MPG. Lets face it, most cars on the road are old, rather than new. If a software update and a couple of extra cables can save you £$¥, wouldn't you choose it?

[Larry @ Feb 11th 2007 10:40AM]

"Notably, a fuel savings closer to six-percent could likely be achieved if a "powerful starter motor" was installed to allow your engine to cut off entirely and restart quickly in between long traffic jams"

Every hybrid vehicle sold today does this, as do many conventional cars sold in Europe and elsewhere outside North America. It's nothing new... I drove a car that did this in Germany almost 20 years ago.

[matt @ Feb 11th 2007 10:50AM]

neither ethanol nor hydrogen are realistic alternatives to petroleum.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/caribbean/sfl-htortillas11feb11,0,3669196.story?coll=sfla-news-caribbean

lol

[Tad in Tucson @ Feb 11th 2007 2:03PM]

"Faisal @ Feb 11th 2007 11:04AM

i totally agree with you...damn US oil companies, they keep paying car companies in the USA to keep their MPGs low so the oil companies can get more money..."

Nice fantasy. Proof please. I can buy the same MB or BMW in Germany or in the US and it gets the same MPG. I guess all those German oil companies are illegally keeping MPG low on German cars too. IF GM could build a 100mpg car they would dominate the global market and put every other car company out of business. Get a clue.

[macona @ Feb 12th 2007 2:41PM]

Gee, then why do similar size cars from europe and asia get the same mileage as their counterparts here? You can only extract so much energy from a certain amount of gasoline. Current internal combustion engines are near as efficient as they are going to get.

The idea of a bigger starter motor is just dumb. Starter motors are designed for very low duty cycles. Second you will waste a whole lot of power turning over the engine to move the car. If you installed an auxiliary motor maybe bypassing the transmission it might work. But then you need more battery capacity which means more weight, which means less MPG. Not only that you will add a couple grand to the sticker price when your done.

At this point you might as well buy a hybrid. You are going to spend $20000 more for one and save about $1000 a year in gas, but you are going to have to replace the batterys after 3 years for about $3000, so its a wash.

[LongshotX @ Feb 11th 2007 11:28AM]

They'll (the auto industry) switch when people stop voting for candidates based on single issues that honestly don't matter and candidate who care about radically changing the way we view energy. Why is abortion more important than stem cell research or Gay-Marriage more important than environmental and energy concerns? Not since the days of FDR, Eisenhower, and Kennedy have we had a revolution or a shift to bring everybody together towards a common goal. So I say if you want change VOTE for someone who is going to make change not someone who is going to ride in Hummers and drink Martini's and seldom seats in the seat in the House. As much as some people hate to say it the power is still in the people. YOU decide. So coming up in 2008 will be my Second chance I get to vote, I'll be 21. I am not going to waste it on ONE issue. I'm going to make a conscious decision to base it on national concerns such as ENERGY, BORDER SECURITY, GLOBAL WARMING, OUR ECONOMY, HEALTH CARE, AND SOCIAL SECURITY. We need CHANGE!!!!!!

[LongshotX @ Feb 11th 2007 11:31AM]

Sorry, I made a mistake...

They'll (the auto industry) switch when people stop voting for candidates, based on single issues that honestly don't matter and candidates who could care less about radically changing the way we view energy. Why is abortion more important than stem cell research or Gay-Marriage more important than environmental and energy concerns? Not since the days of FDR, Eisenhower, LB and Kennedy have we had a revolution or a shift to bring everybody together towards a common goal. So I say if you want change VOTE for someone who is going to make change not someone who is going to ride in Hummers and drink Martini's and seldom sits in their seat in the House. As much as some people hate to say it the power is still in the people. YOU decide. So 2008 will be my Second chance I get to vote, I'll be 21. I am not going to waste it on ONE issue. I'm going to make a conscious decision to base it on national concerns such as ENERGY, BORDER SECURITY, GLOBAL WARMING, OUR ECONOMY, HEALTH CARE, AND SOCIAL SECURITY. We need CHANGE!!!!!!

[Benson Leung @ Feb 11th 2007 11:49AM]

Hydrogen is a pipe dream. We are still decades away from a "hydrogen economy" and there are serious technical issues that remain unsolved when dealing with hydrogen.

Producing it is inefficient... it's effectively an energy carrier, and not all that efficient of one.
Storing it in your vehicle is a problem.
Fuel cell technology will be expensive for a long while.

My money is on plug-in hybrids transitioning to pure EVs. Perhaps ethanol will have a supplemental role to electricity in the future, but hybrid technology, and pure EV technology is where the future is.

[strider_mt2k @ Feb 11th 2007 11:51AM]

Call me when it involves magnets.

I like my oil snakey.

[Hawk @ Feb 11th 2007 11:59AM]

They've been working on that starter motor thing for years. I remember seeing it at the Detroit Auto Show when I was in grade school, and it was only with diesels because they start faster when hot.

[Jaffa @ Feb 11th 2007 1:03PM]

There's a Merc that turns of cylinders when you're cruising and don't need all the power anymore. I think it goes down to just 2 cylinders and then cycles them in pairs so that the motor still gets even wear. Really cool concept and saves a lot of gas.

[paul34 @ Feb 11th 2007 1:36PM]

why do you need a more powerful starter? I shut my engine off all the time at the drive thru, during long red lights, in traffic for a long time, etc. There's no additional wear to the engine - plain and simple, idling wastes gas.

Starting on my I suppose "weak" tC starter takes a couple of seconds

[Tad in Tucson @ Feb 11th 2007 2:15PM]

"paul34 @ Feb 11th 2007 1:36PM

why do you need a more powerful starter? I shut my engine off all the time at the drive thru, during long red lights, in traffic for a long time, etc. There's no additional wear to the engine - plain and simple, idling wastes gas. "

Er, unless something has changed, something like 90% of all engine damage occurs when you start it because the oil is in the pan rather than circulating through the engine. That was the alleged appeal of Slick 50 and the like. It "bonds" to the metal to provide protection upon startup.

[paul34 @ Feb 11th 2007 5:09PM]

Well, then don't you think all hybrids would have engines crapping out on them in a year? That's not the case... engine oil doesn't quite work like that. It takes quite a few hours for all the oil to settle back into the pan... which is why its bad to start a *cold* engine repeatedly.

Besides, I know that the OEM filter for my tC (YZZF1) has an anti-flowback valve that keep a good amount of oil from settling back into the pan, thus reducing initial cold start-up wear even more. I would think most newer cars use such technology on OEM filters. They are less common among store-bought filters, however.

[idunno @ Feb 11th 2007 3:41PM]

Okay everyone that says a hybrid does this, no shit, but this is for OLD (ones already bought) cars. This improves the fuel economy of the car you have.

Not everyone has enough money to drop on every new fuel efficient type of vehicle (hybrids) that comes out...

[LJKelley @ Feb 11th 2007 4:43PM]

Hydrogen is the future... yes it is an 'energy carier', but its price will go down as it enter mass circulation. Second Hydrogen is everwhere... It is in the air we breath and in the water we drink. You must just extract it from the enviroment much the same way we do to oil today, except Hydrogen doesn't pollute or run out!! BMW is already manufacturing a vechile that run on Hydrogen.

http://www.startblue.net

[Biff @ Feb 11th 2007 5:07PM]

I've noticed that every anti-gasoline or anti-oil company post is "lowest ranked". Not a surprise considering how low the oil companies will stoop to silent or skew opinions.

The auto industry is just as liable as the energy companies for the current situation, where we are dependent on foreign oil, and as a result we have t to resort to wars just for pumping rights...and when you take global warming into consideration...we're practically ensuring our children die young and brutally. Hybrids and higher fuel standards should be MANDATED, with heavy regulation of the energy market to ensure they aren't price gouging or hyping up prices based on unwarranted speculation. We can do it now, nice and slow, or we can wait a few years and try to do it as everything comes crashing down. One way or the other, it has to be done.

[Tad @ Feb 11th 2007 8:42PM]

"Biff @ Feb 11th 2007 5:07PM

I've noticed that every anti-gasoline or anti-oil company post is "lowest ranked". Not a surprise considering how low the oil companies will stoop to silent or skew opinions.

The auto industry is just as liable as the energy companies for the current situation, where we are dependent on foreign oil, and as a result we have t to resort to wars just for pumping rights...and when you take global warming into consideration...we're practically ensuring our children die young and brutally. Hybrids and higher fuel standards should be MANDATED, with heavy regulation of the energy market to ensure they aren't price gouging or hyping up prices based on unwarranted speculation. We can do it now, nice and slow, or we can wait a few years and try to do it as everything comes crashing down. One way or the other, it has to be done."

Where do you Socialist come from? I guess you don't remember all the gas lines during the previous attempt at "regulation" (Thank you Jimmah Carter). Man, everything's a consipracy. "Global Warming" is the worst. Ever hear of this guy? http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/global-warming020507.htm

No? Must be a conspiracy. Sun gets hotter: Earth gets hotter. What a concept. 30 years ago, the world was going to end because of "global cooling", now its global warming. I wish our esteemed scientists could pick a cataclysm to glom onto and stick with it.

And btw, how does 100"+ of snow in NY square with global warming? Oh yeah, global warming causes more snow. I get it.

[Tad @ Feb 11th 2007 5:54PM]

"Well, then don't you think all hybrids would have engines crapping out on them in a year? That's not the case... engine oil doesn't quite work like that. It takes quite a few hours for all the oil to settle back into the pan... which is why its bad to start a *cold* engine repeatedly.

Besides, I know that the OEM filter for my tC (YZZF1) has an anti-flowback valve that keep a good amount of oil from settling back into the pan, thus reducing initial cold start-up wear even more. I would think most newer cars use such technology on OEM filters. They are less common among store-bought filters, however."

Good points. I must admit I know very little about anti-flowback valves, but I can see how that could make a substantial difference.

[LongshotX @ Feb 12th 2007 12:48AM]

Tad you're an Idiot why don't you read up on El Nino, Global Warming and Global Cooling, and Thermohaline Circulation. What a tool. Learn before you speak about something you obviously know nothing about. Pick up a text book or read a scientific journal article, go back to college. You are an idiot.

[Peter Marchese @ Feb 12th 2007 12:22PM]

I have have had two cars fitted with freewheel devices a 1935 Rover (also fitted with an auto restart if the engine stalled)and a 1960 SAAB two stroke , both these vehicles were horrible to drive if the freewheel was used.

[circuitsmith @ Feb 12th 2007 1:13PM]

If the politicians and corporations were serious about hydrogen they wouldn't be waiting for affordable fuel cells (will never happen IMHO). Conventional internal combustion engines can run on hydrogen. We could be switching over NOW: solving the in-vehicle storage problem and building filling station infrastructure for the switchover. But hydrogen isn't a solution, it's just a convenient distraction for Dubya to point to.

[boost @ Jun 21st 2007 7:11PM]

I think everyone is missing the BIG!!! picture here. An engine can not continue to run without the alternator puting out a constant 12-14.4 volts, especially newer vehicles with highly complicated electronics and ignition systems. The electronics in a car do not run off of the battery when the vehicle is on, they run off of the alternator. Even high power stereos turn to shit when you turn the engine off because the battery can't put out the current and voltage required by them. This is the same for ignitions systems that often need to deliver 40,000 or more volts to the spark plugs to ensure complete combustion. When the voltage to the ignition coil is reduced then the voltage to the spark plug is dramatically reduced, leading to large increases in emissions and much reduced performance. The battery can not do it, it doesn't even do it in a hybrid.

Furthermore, hybrid vehicles shut down at every traffic light and their engines are known to last hundreds of thousands of miles. Plus any increased wear during start up can be solved by an electronic pre-lube oil pump. BMW already uses a similar system in their vehicles, as do most of the heavy construction equipment industry.

Now you know.