Turbochargers
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Volkswagen hid a previous emissions-related issue from regulators, a new report claims.
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New Mazda Rotary Engine Likely To Feature Turbo, Not Electrification
Mazda's new rotary engine will not debut as part of an electrified powertrain, the company's R&D chief says.
Stephen Edelstein -
Why BMW Boosting Its V-8 Twin-Turbo's Fuel Efficiency Kills Batteries
Turbocharger cooling demands overtax batteries in V-8 BMWs.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford Marks 5-Millionth EcoBoost Engine Since 2009
The 5-millionth EcoBoost-equipped vehicle to roll off assembly lines marks a significant milestone for Ford.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Turbochargers Forecast To Boom For Gas-Mileage Gains
Electric turbochargers could become more common as carmakers work to boost fuel economy.
Stephen Edelstein -
Next Audi Q7 To Launch Electric Turbocharger For Better Fuel Economy
Audi's "e-boost" electric turbocharger could debut on the next Q7 SUV.
Stephen Edelstein -
A turbocharged four-cylinder version of the next generation of the Ford Mustang, due for the 2015 model year, has been widely reported around the web--but it had been assumed it would be for non-U.S. consumption. That has changed. In fact, it appears that the U.S. may very well get the engine, if a report from Road & Track proves true. What would a turbocharged four-cylinder 2015 Mustang offer? A likely scenario is a 2.3-liter engine rated at about 300 horsepower--very close to the current V-6's output. Power output could be higher, however, as the turbo four Mustang is thought to be a...
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2013 Ford Focus ST: Mean, Green, With Overboosted Ecoboost
Can a sporty car also be a green car? And can you add performance boosts to a green engine without making it a gas-guzzler? For thinks the answer is yes. Enter the 2013 Ford Focus ST, the latest in a long-line of motorsport-inspired performance Ford Focus STs, but the first Focus ST to be sold in...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Turbos Grow Much Faster Than Hybrids In Quest For MPG
There's a quiet revolution going on in the auto world, one that isn't as trendy as plug-in cars or hybrids: turbocharged engines. Cheaper to build and buy than hybrid systems, they offer great gas mileage and great performance. In some cases, such as the 3-cylinder 2014 Ford Focus 1.0-liter...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
BMW Pairs Electric And Traditional Turbos To Boost Efficiency
To improve fuel efficiency, engines are gradually shedding accessory drives. Electric power steering is now commonplace, and electric air conditioning compressors are used on hybrid cars to keep them cool while the engine's off. Now, BMW has taken a new tack to electrifying ancillary equipment...
John Voelcker -
BMW Looking To Boost MPGs With TwinPower Turbo Three-Cylinder Engines
Expect to see smaller engines for BMW’s future models, as high fuel prices and greater environmental concerns push automakers towards engines with lower displacements. We’ve already seen this trend with the recent announcement of BMW’s new TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Number Of Turbocharged Vehicles To Soar Thanks To CAFE Mileage Rules
There’s no doubt new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations introduced by the federal government are hitting automakers hard, especially here in the U.S. where traditionally low gas prices have meant vehicle size, weight and efficiency have never been much of an issue. But thanks...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Turbochargers have been with us in volume production only since the Seventies, but superchargers have a long and honorable automotive history. They were used on the Blower Bentleys that won Le Mans 80 years ago, and have appeared ever since on high-performance engines, often larger ones. A boost for boost Now, propelled by new and stricter emissions and fuel economy laws, both types of boost are poised to appear in much greater numbers as carmakers seek to make smaller engines far more efficient. Ford in particular has branded its latest line of turbo engines as EcoBoost, applying both direct...
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3 Green-Car Trends: Smaller Cars, More Turbos, Luxury Hybrids
Everyone has opinions. But if you had to wrap up what's happening in green cars today by naming three trends, what would they be? The ever-eager publicists at auto-classified site AutoTrader.com sent us their list of three changes in the world of eco-friendly vehicles. We've reproduced them below...
John Voelcker -
Special Brands for Small Turbo Engines: GM To Follow Ford?
Used to be that turbos were used in performance cars, from the Saab Turbos of the late Seventies to BMW's current range of twin-turbo sixes. These days, the little air pumps more often make smaller engines perform like bigger ones to give fuel economy. In brief, a turbocharger uses exhaust gases to...
John Voelcker -
Smaller-More-Efficient Engines II: Ford EcoBoost Effort Expands
We said it on Friday: Smaller, more efficient engines are going to be the main way we increase gas mileage in the next few years (in that case, a four-cylinder 2010 Buick LaCrosse). This morning, Ford has underlined that theme once more by announcing three new applications of their EcoBoost engines...
John Voelcker -
Fuel Efficient Fours Gain Ground on V-6s, V-8s In New Cars
At December's Los Angeles Auto Show, Hyundai made a big splash by saying it would no longer offer V-6 engines in its Sonata midsize car or its Tucson compact crossover. Instead, it replaced them with higher-performance, more fuel-efficient four-cylinder motors. But Hyundai's just one of many makers...
John Voelcker -
Will the 2011 Ford Mustang Get An EcoBoost Engine Too?
We always enjoy talking cars with the opinionated Alex Nunez from Autoblog, most recently last week when we both appeared on FoxNews.com's Fox Car Report with dapper host Gary Gastelu. This week's guest was Derrick Kuzak, who heads up global product development for Ford. Meaning he's the guy...
John Voelcker -
In the accelerating quest for greater fuel efficiency, boosting engines--with turbos or superchargers--is one way to pull more power out of a given displacement. Traditionally, superchargers have been driven by chain or belt powered from an engine's crankshaft. Now, a British engineering firm has introduced the world's first electrically driven supercharger for volume production. It says its new system can improve the fuel efficiency of gasoline engines to the point that they're competitive with diesels of the same power output. For gas, diesel, even turbo engines The firm, Controlled Power...
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Ford Super Duty Pickups To Offer Clever PowerStroke Turbodiesel V8
Ford's been around a long time; it just celebrated the 100th birthday of its Model T. Much of its green news these days focuses on its upcoming 2011 Ford Fiesta subcompact, the well-received new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan, and its Escape Hybrid sport utility. But Ford had never designed and...
John Voelcker -
Big Mileage Gains From Really, Really Small Engines
We keep saying that one of the ways all cars will get greener and more efficient is for their engines to get smaller and work harder. One of the first production examples of this is Ford's EcoBoost V6 engine, which delivers the power of a V8 with better gas mileage. Now a couple of experimental new...
John Voelcker