Clean and Efficient -- With Improved Performance
Boston, MA - 24 October 2007 - At the International Automobile show in Frankfurt, Germany, Strategy Analytics Automotive Electronics service analysts reacted favorably to the new HCCI combustion systems, as seen in the Mercedes-Benz F700 concept car. Details may be found in the report, "HCCI: The Single Solution for Combating Both CO2 and NOx."
The F700 is equipped with a Mercedes "DiesOtto" engine that uses HCCI (Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition) combustion technology, similar to engines developed by General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda and others. Despite its 1.8 liter 4-cylinder design, the F700 is able to perform like the larger 3.5 liter V6 engine of the S350 sedan. Thanks to compression ignition, the F700 boosted fuel economy as much as 68 percent.
The HCCI phase combustion takes place at a lower temperature producing fewer emissions by compressing a homogenous mixture of air and fuel. This process offers the low nitrogen oxide emitting qualities of a gasoline engine, enabling it to pass the stringent Californian LEV II standards, as well as the low carbon dioxide emitting qualities of a diesel engine, enabling it to pass the proposed emission standards being discussed in Europe.
According to the author of this Insight, Kevin Mak, Industry Analyst of the Automotive Electronics Service, "Emissions legislation is forcing car makers to find solutions that can be deployed on a global scale, some of them involving new approaches to engine combustion control. We envisage HCCI to be series production deployed within 5-6 years before the arrival of more radical powertrain solutions such as fuel cells. Despite the complexity of managing HCCI combustion, the required electronic components have already been developed, even though the system has to be further enhanced to become cost effective against improving diesel engine designs."
"The need for HCCI systems to run highly advanced control algorithms and integrate additional sensors for monitoring in-cylinder combustion conditions present additional opportunities for high performance processor, sensor and sensor interfacing chip vendors," added Chris Webber, VP, Global Automotive Practice.