Technical Challenge in Meeting U.S. Government CAFE Standards Creates Lively Discussion at SAE 2002 World Congress

WARRENDALE, Mich., March 19 -- The technical solutions for the U.S. government's corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards may be easier to define than they are to implement, and the discussion of what is really possible is very important to society and the economy. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2002 World Congress in Detroit featured a preeminent panel of automotive technical experts from industry and academia, including members of the National Academy of Engineering. The panel discussed and critiqued a paper entitled ``Aggregating Technologies for Reducing Fuel Consumption: A Review of the Technical Content in the 2002 National Research Council Report on CAFE.''

The lively and meaningful discussion surrounding technological solutions to meet possible future CAFE fuel economy targets drew a standing-room-only audience of engineers, industry management, supplier company technical staff, and industry media. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, those present were asked not to attribute specific statements to specific panelists.

While the panel accepted the technologies presented in the NRC report as valid solutions to increasing overall fuel economy, they found some serious flaws in the methods used to aggregate the benefits of these technologies, which had the effect of overstating the estimated benefit of the use of multiple technologies.

The presenters expressed concern that if legislators use the NRC CAFE Report as scientific fact, unrealistic target results could become law. They went on to say that while this report is helpful in assessing the scope of the problem and potential solutions, it is insufficiently reliable as a source from which legislation can be drafted.

Among the technologies identified in the NRC CAFE Report to reduce fuel consumption were:

Multi-valve overhead cam engines; Variable valve intake and exhaust cam phasing; Variable valve lift and timing; cylinder deactivation; Variable compression ratio; Intake valve throttling (continuously variable lift); ``Camless'' valve actuation; Continuously variable transmission (CVT); Advanced (high-torque) CVT; and Integrated starter-generator with idle shutoff. SAE is a nonprofit engineering society seen by many in the automotive industry as an ideal forum to bring together members of the academic, regulatory, and industrial communities for policy and technical dialogue. The society's magazine, Automotive Engineering International, contains a monthly column on regulatory issues affecting standards development and manufacturing of vehicles.

SOURCE: Society of Automotive Engineers