Two technologies stand out helping develop Australian-designed low-emission vehicles

20 June 2007 · Staff

By Mark Westfield*, ninemsn Money http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=582004
June 18, 2008

Kevin Rudd’s public relations exercise in throwing $35 million of taxpayers’ money at Toyota to install an imported petrol-electric engine drivetrain into a locally-assembled Camry could have been far better spent on helping develop Australian-designed low-emission vehicles.

Two technologies stand out, but no doubt there are more. Successive federal and state governments have ignored these technologies and allowed themselves and the nation to become hostage to the global car makers and, worst, big oil.

Since the car makers belatedly realised that big oil had betrayed them and, through General Motors’ president Rick Wagoner late last year, declared that all options were on the table to explore alternatives to the internal combustion engine, governments have an opportunity to assist development of fuel-efficient technologies without meeting resistance any more from the motor industry.

Hybrid technology delivers fuel savings of 20 percent or more, but only in slow moving, congested city driving where the electric motor comes into its own. On the open road where petrol motors operate at their most efficient fuel savings by hybrids are minimal.

EDITED – SEE http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=582004

One submission he has received, from Melbourne engineer Joseph Scalzo, offers the prospect of the ‘holy grail’ of motor engineering — the variable capacity engine. General Motors, Chrysler and Honda have all developed ‘cylinder deactivation’ technology that allows two or four cylinders in a V6 to stop firing to save fuel, but the pistons not getting the fuel vapour continue to move up and down and are a drag on performance.

Scalzo has developed a system far superior to this, using a 3.6 litre V6 Commodore engine that actually disconnects two or four pistons from the crankshaft and stops them moving. The fuel savings are equivalent to a hybrid. In two-piston mode the engine is reduced to 1.15 litres and can maintain a speed of 110km/h. At low speeds on two pistons Scalzo estimates fuel savings of 30 percent — as good if not better than a hybrid. Scalzo’s technology, like the hybrid, is an interim because they both use the internal combustion engine.

His engine can be dropped into any Holden (and presumably can be adapted for Falcon, although it works better on a V6 as opposed to Ford’s straight six).

This is the sort of technology that can be easily adapted to Australian production lines, and would presumably be a keenly sought export. Holden’s Australian-made V6 is used throughout the General Motors’ empire from Cadillacs to Alfa Romeos.

The second technology that Rudd should have put money from his $500 million ‘green car fund’ comes from his own state, Queensland. The UltraCommuter has been developed by the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG) several years ago but still lacks funding for development. It is a genuine long-term solution to the fossil fuel dependency in which we find ourselves.

MORE – http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=582004

If you are aware of other advanced developments in automotive technology that could help Australians bear the brunt of the looming energy crisis a bit easier let us know here….