Automakers Finding New Ways to Boost Efficiency

Energy efficiency took center stage at the recent North American International Auto Show, as manufacturersproved they could find a multitude of ways to boost fuel economy.

While fourinches of snow fell on the streets outside Cobo Hall in Detroit, automakersinside rolled out green technologies aimed at halting global warming. The newtechnologies, ranging from electric vehicles to smart phone apps to power-efficientaudio systems, are helping them come closer to the government-mandated 35.5-mpgcorporate average fuel economy (CAFA%) needed by 2016.

One way tomeet the CAFA% mandates is to roll out new hybrid vehicles and electric cars,and the auto show was rife with such introductions. Ford announced its FocusElectric, to be out in dealerships later this year, along with its C-Max hybridand C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, both slated for 2012. Toyota, meanwhile, showed off its forthcomingPrius Plug-In, as well as its all-electric RAV4, which will hits the streetssometime in 2012. And French manufacturer Venturi Automobiles unveiled theall-electric Venturi America, a 300-hp "high-voltage buggy," said to modeledafter American dune buggies.

Thepressure to boost efficiency has reached the point where automakers are lookingto suppliers more than ever, in search of help. Suppliers at the show talkedabout ongoing efforts with automakers on products ranging from starter motorsto audio speakers. "They gave us the opportunity and said, a euro ~Maximize everythingyou can,'" said Robert Barnicoat, director of global business development for Harman/Becker Automotive Systems, regardinghis company's dealings with Toyota Motor Corp.in the design of audio systems.

Teaming WithSuppliers

New cars, of course, grabbed the headlines at the show.Ford's Focus Electric made the biggest splash, coming as it did on the heels ofthe Chevy Volt and NissanLeaf, which took center stage last year. The Focus Electric, with 100 milesof all-electric range, appears to be positioned to go as a head-to-headcompetitor against the Leaf. Toyota,meanwhile, was betting on the Volt-busting Prius Plug-In, which will offer anall-electric range of about 13 miles and an overall driving range of more than500.

"Most folkswill be able to go to work and do errands in the all-electric mode," said Toyota spokeswoman JanaHartline. "Then on the weekend, they'll burn gasoline and take it out for alonger drive."

While new vehiclesgrabbed the headlines, however, automotive suppliers showed they're playing anequally important role, especially in conventional gas-burning vehicles. Harmandescribed how it teamed with Toyotaon the incorporation of its GreenEdge audio technology. Although audiocomponents would have once been unthinkable as a solution to fuel efficiencydilemmas, manufacturers such as Toyotaare now looking for every imaginable edge, and GreenEdge supplied one.

Toyota incorporatedGreenEdge in its 2011 Prius V, a hybrid gasoline-electric mid-size that's knownfor its greenness. The new technology helped maintain the desired image with amultitude of energy efficiency advantages, including a weight savings of 37 percent,power improvement of 41 percent, packaging reduction of 5 percent and anoverall energy efficiency boost of more than 60 percent.

GreenEdge'sadvantages are a godsend for companies like Toyota, which are always searchingfor ways to boost product quality while cutting energy use. Conventional audiospeakers, which can be bulky, are a prime place to start that search, largelybecause big speakers can cause packaging difficulties in already-tight spaces,while adding weight at the same time.

"Mass isalways a challenge for us," said Barnicoat of Harman. "If we can help themanufacturer reduce the weight in the car, then we've achieved our goal."

Similarly, DensoCorp. said it's ready to help its customers by building a new breed of electricstarter motors for the coming adoption of start/stop technology. Densoengineers said they're talking to a number of automakers, with some planning onincorporating the technology as early as 2012.

"The waveis coming," said Robert Martin, director of engine electrical engineering at Denso International America. "Usingstart/stop, we can boost fuel economy by three to five percent, and that's whatthe manufacturers want."

Start/stop,which involves stopping a car's engine at traffic lights as a means of savingfuel, is being viewed as a key technology in the North American automotivemarket, where drivers annually burn about 3 billion gallons of gas whilesitting idly in traffic.

Denso'ssolution is a beefed-up starter motor that's connected to the car's battery bya switch. The motor meets the performance requirements of start/stop operation,offering about 10 times more starts than conventional starter motors. Martin saidthat conventional starter motors are built for a lifetime of about 35,000starts, whereas start/stop motors must offer about 350,000 starts.

Thetechnology is expected to offer an average fuel economy boost of about 3-5percent -- as much as 7 percent in big cars and less in smaller vehicles.

"Theseproducts will start appearing in North Americain 2012," Martin said. "We're talking to all the OE's (original equipmentmanufacturers) and we're expecting big growth."

Energy Efficiency,Bit By Bit

At the show, Ford Motor Co.also said it's looking for green solutions outside the realm of powertrains.The giant automaker showed off a suite of information technologies designed tomake it easier for EV enthusiasts to get the best out of their new vehicles. Newdashboard displays will provide drivers with a multitude of ways to check theirremaining charge. A feature called MyFord Touch will display an icon showingthe battery state of charge, and will work with GPS to determine whetherdrivers can make it to their remaining destinations. Similarly, MyFord Mobilewill provide charge information to smart phone screens and computer displays,and will even employ a Microsoft app designed to help owners re-charge theirvehicles in the middle of the night, when electricity rates are lower. MyFordMobile will even include an app that memorizes a person's driving habits(classifying them in categories ranging from "zippy" to "Zen") and then usethat information to make range calculations. It will also alert drivers to thepresence of the nearest charging stations.

"What wesee with electric vehicle customers is a need for more planning," said DaveFinnegan, marketing manager for Ford electric vehicles.

Automakers at the show made it clear thattheir efforts are more than greenwash. Nissan said that it ultimately plans tosell 500,000 Nissan Leafs per year. At the same time, Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota are ratcheting uptheir efforts, especially with regard to vehicles that use both electricity andgasoline. All of the companies hope to woo new customers into green vehicles.

"Electrification as a whole hasbeen a huge ongoing effort for us," Finnegan said. "We want to make driving andliving with electric vehicles as seamless as possible."