Lotus range extender engine

The engine is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine designed to be a range extender for an Extended Range Electric Vehicle.  The advantage this one has over the ones used in the Chevy Volt and the Fisker Karma is that this engine is designed for the sole use as a range extender.  The engines used in the Volt and Karma also serve double duty as the primary powerplant for other cars.

Lotus says that this will give their engine a distinct advantage over the other engines that are repurposed for use as generators.  Since this engine is designed as a generator from the ground up it is markedly different from a traditional internal combustion engine.  It is also simpler in certain areas.

The engine block, cylinder heads, and exhaust manifold are all casted from the same block reducing complexity and cost.  Some of the pieces that you would normally see in a combustion engine, like the head gasket, are left out all together.

It is a 1.2 liter engine with two valves per cylinder and a single overhead cam.  The design includes the electric generator coupled to the engine.  It can be operated in two different modes, a 15 kilowatt and a 35 kilowatt mode.  No mention of how fuel efficient the engine is, though it would be tough to figure that out without knowing the car it’s attached to.

It’s good to see a market cropping up for designs specific to EVs.  I think in the future we’ll be seeing a lot more parts made especially for electric cars and not something that’s repurposed from a traditional dinosaur burner.

One blogger is argueing that no, we don’t.

To review the math, a gallon of gasoline releases 20.35 pounds of CO2 (9,231 grams) when it is burned in an internal combustion engine. So a normal car that meets current CAFE standards of 27.5 mpg is responsible for roughly 336 grams of CO2 emissions per mile. In contrast, an HEV like the Prius, which slashes fuel consumption by roughly 40% through a combination of recuperative braking, idle elimination and electric launch will be responsible for roughly 201 grams of CO2 emissions per mile.

The following table compares typical vehicle costs (without tax subsidies) and CO2 emissions per mile for each class of vehicle. It then goes two steps further and (a) calculates an average carbon abatement cost for HEVs, PHEVs and EVs, and (b) calculates an incremental carbon abatement cost for PHEVs and EVs. Both carbon abatement costs are expressed in dollars of capital spending per gram/mile of CO2 emissions.

He finishes off his arguement by saying that we’ll be plugging our cars into a lump of coal.  For the entire article go here

Personally, I think that anything that helps to reduce our need for oil is a step in the right direction.  Replacing our source of electricity is something that’s easier to do than replacing the powerplants for every car on the road.  The sooner we get to work on our cars the better off we’ll be.  Our grid will come over time with wind and solar getting cheaper.

GM, which last week raised its request for U.S. government aid to support a turnaround, said it would invest about $250 million at an existing plant in Flint, Michigan, rather than continue construction of a new facility there at $370 million.

“This means that GM will not invest in new floor space at this time due to current capital expenditure constraints and available floor space in existing facilities,” GM said in a statement.

GM has received $13.4 billion of loans from the U.S. Treasury and has sought up to $30 billion overall.

The automaker expects to begin preparing its Flint South engine plant in the spring for installation of new machinery and equipment. Production of the four-cylinder engines is targeted to begin in December 2010.

Source: Reuters

The worsening economy is causing the car market to shrink, with fewer sales GM doesn’t have the cash on hand needed to pay the $370 million for the facility.  According to ABC 12 GM has cancelled all construction plans for Flint giving no official explanation for it.  However, GM says it remains commited to the city of Flint.

“Our commitment to the city of Flint hasn’t changed,” GM spokeswoman Sharon Basel said. “Right now we are looking at all possible options and scenarios.”

With the new plant cancelled it is likely that GM will either outsource the engine or just use one of their existing engines for use in the Volt or the Cruze.

1.4L turbo engine

GM announced on thursday that it was going to build an I4 engine at a new plant in Flint Michigan.  The I4 is one of the most important engines in GMs history, it’ll be powering the Chevy Volt and The Chevy Cruze.  Two vehicles that GM is relying upon to help it’s sales and image.

The new 1.4 liter I4 isn’t actually an entirely new engine.  It’s an evolution of GMs Family 0 engine that are used in the Opel line overseas.  The new 1.4L will be the North American debut for the engine.  There will be two versions of it in North America.  A normally asperated engine that outputs about 100 HP, that one will be used to power the generator in the Volt.  The Cruze version will get a turbo that boosts the HP up to 140 with 148 lb-ft torque.

The port injection system (direct injection was considered, but deemed too expensive at this time) has been designed to use E85 as well as regular gas.  The Volt will be E85 compatible, it is still unknown if the Cruze will have the same option.

The actual engine is a cast iron block with aluminum heads.  It has a hollow frame where possible to bring the overall weight of the car down as much as possible.  It also has a variable flow control oil pump to pump as much oil as needed through the engine based on demand.  In addition it also has an electronically controlled thermostat that can control the flow of coolant as the engine needs it.

Right now no hard MPG numbers are known though Chevy did say last week during the reveal of the Cruze that it would get 40 miles per gallon.  It is assumed by most that the Volt will get about 50.

Source: autobloggreen

The plant will produce a 4 cylinder engine starting in 2010.  The investment in Flint is one of several that have been announced at U.S. plants in the past 10 years, adding up to over a $9 billion total investment in Michigan and more than $42 billion in the United States. “GM, the UAW and the City of Flint have had a long- standing relationship,” Wagoner said. “ Based on the capability and the commitment of the men and women who will work here, the tradition and leadership from UAW Local 599, the tremendous automotive heritage that underlies this region, and the strong partnerships we enjoy with local, state, and federal governments… we are confident that Flint is exactly the right place to build our all-new powertrain plant.”

“We are proud that General Motors has chosen Michigan as the best place to develop and produce the revolutionary Chevy Volt and other next-generation vehicles and components,” Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said. “Our competitive business climate, outstanding workforce and aggressive strategy to diversify our economy put us in a strong position to win this project and be the state that helps GM produce the cars and trucks that will help end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

Two engines will be built at the new facility. A 1.4-liter turbo for the Chevrolet Cruze and 1.4-liter naturally aspirated engine for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV), will be new members of an engine family already deployed successfully around the world, primarily in Europe. The engines will play a key role in GM’s plan to double global production of small four-cylinder engines by 2011, with more than half of that increase coming from North America.