Engine, Exhaust and Minivan

Chrysler introduces Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivan; 80 mpge city, 30-mile AER

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2016

Chrysler unveiled the all-new 2017 Pacifica minivan in both conventional and plug-in hybrid versions at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The PHEV is the minivan segment’s first. The Pacifica Hybrid will deliver an estimated all-electric range of 30 miles from a 16-kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery.

Minivan

Minivan Chrysler Plug-in Hybrid

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan EPA-rated at 84 MPGe in electric-only mode; role of eFlite dual-motor/one-way clutch strategy

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 1, 2016

No other minivan has ever come close to this rating. (As In addition, the EPA gave the all-new minivan a rating of 10 in its Green Vehicle Guide. This marks the first time a minivan has achieved a 10—the highest possible rating—in this category. Click to enlarge.

Minivan

Minivan Chrysler EPA 2017

Chrysler to introduce PHEV models in 2016 and 2017 to meet ZEV requirements; new FCA gasoline engine family coming in 2015

Green Car Congress

MAY 6, 2014

One will be a PHEV version of the new Chrysler Town & Country minivan to be introduced in 2016; the second will be a PHEV version of a new full-size crossover vehicle to be introduced in 2017. FCA will launch a PHEV minivan in 2016 to comply with ZEV requirements. Several mild hybrid applications will come to market shortly thereafter.

Chrysler

Chrysler 2016 PHEV Gasoline

BorgWarner suggests Valve-Event Modulated Boost system can offer 6-17% fuel economy benefit over already downsized and turbocharged engines

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2012

The VEMB system uses a concentric camshaft, blow-down manifold and scavenge manifold to separate the exhaust event into two phases: high-energy blow-down to the turbo without pumping losses, and high-hydrocarbon scavenge to the EGR system. Source: Borgwarner. Click to enlarge.

Fuel Economy

Fuel Economy Downsizing Economy Engine

2017 Chrysler Pacifica wins Altair Enlighten Award for weight reduction in full vehicle category; Toyota, Faurecia and AP&T module, technology winners

Green Car Congress

JULY 31, 2017

Toyota’s carbon fiber closure panels for the 2017 Prius Prime and Lexus LC500 ( earlier post ), and Faurecia’s Adaptive Valve for exhaust systems employed on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado took the top honors for the module category. In addition, the all-new Pacifica minivan also makes strategic use of aluminum. 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.

Chrysler

Chrysler 2017 Toyota Minivan

BorgWarner supplies clutch for Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Green Car Congress

MAY 11, 2017

BorgWarner supplies its sprag one-way clutch for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the first FCA US LLC mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and the industry’s first PHEV minivan. Earlier post.) BorgWarner’s one-way clutches provide superior engagement performance and high efficiency for a variety of transmissions.

Chrysler

Chrysler Supplies Hybrid Minivan

Chrysler Readying Roll-out of Pentastar V-6 Engine Across 13 Models; Average 7% Fuel Efficiency Improvement

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 21, 2010

Chrysler has provided additional details on its Pentastar V-6 ( earlier post ), which is slated to be the workhorse engine across 13 models and will eventually replace seven different V-6 engines over the next three years. The engine is designed for a range of specific applications, with horsepower and torque tuned for specific models.

Chrysler

Chrysler Engine Fuel Exhaust

ORNL study quantifies fuel economy costs of common driver practices and vehicle alterations

Green Car Congress

APRIL 10, 2014

In addition, two minivans were subjected to coastdowns to examine the similarity in derived coefficients for two duplicate vehicles of the same model. The SUV, a 2009 Ford Explorer with a 4-liter V6 engine, was also tested while towing an enclosed trailer. The compact sedan, a 2009 Toyota Corolla with a 1.8-liter

Fuel Economy

Fuel Economy Economy Cost Of Fuel

DOE to Award $187M to 9 Projects to Improve Vehicle Efficiency for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Passenger Vehicles

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2010

These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization. Cummins Inc.

Fuel Economy

Fuel Economy Downsizing Vehicles Waste

Third-Generation VW Sharan Van Will Offer Fuel Consumption As Low As 5.5 L/100km (43 mpg US); Start-Stop and Battery Regeneration

Green Car Congress

JULY 1, 2010

Volkswagen will introduce its new third-generation Sharan MPV (minivan) this summer. The new Sharan, which is larger than its predecessor, will offer a choice of two direct injection TSI gasoline and two TDI diesel engines that are up to 21% more fuel-efficient than the comparable engines of the outgoing model.

MPG

MPG Fuel Batteries Battery

ORNL researchers quantify the effect of increasing highway speed on fuel economy

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 18, 2013

Huff Fuels, Engines and Emissions Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The study includes various sizes of sedans, wagons, and SUVs, as well as pickup trucks, minivans and a few “muscle” and sports cars. Thomas, Brian H. West and Shean P. Vehicle installed on the chassis dynamometer in the ORNL vehicle research laboratory.

Fuel Economy

Fuel Economy Economy Fuel MPH

2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan EPA-rated at 28 mpg highway, 22 mpg combined; stop/start and PHEV still to come

Green Car Congress

MARCH 8, 2016

The gasoline-powered version of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan has earned a highway-cycle fuel-economy rating of 28 mpg US (8.4 l/100km) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—a benchmark unsurpassed by any minivan on the US market and 12% better than the vehicle Pacifica replaces. liter Pentastar V-6 engine.

Minivan

Minivan Chrysler MPG 2017

Rare Rides Icons: The Lincoln Mark Series Cars, Feeling Continental (Part XLII)

The Truth About Cars

MAY 26, 2023

There were simply fewer coupe buyers as Americans ran to minivans and the earliest family-friendly SUVs. Engineers thought it might be a good idea to add all-wheel drive to the MN12, at a time when the only companies doing so for passenger cars were bit players Subaru and Audi. We’ll talk about facts, figures, and engines next time.

Parts

Parts Cars Ford IDEA

When They Electrified Christmas

Cars That Think

DECEMBER 3, 2021

Homeowners can illuminate the eaves with iridescent icicles, shroud their shrubs with twinkling mesh nets, or mount massive menorahs on their minivans. The earliest Christmas lights used miniature versions of Edison's pear-shaped carbon-filament bulbs, which had fragile exhaust tips that were prone to breaking.

Light

Light Kansas City New York Washington

Road Test: 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited

Clean Fleet Report

JANUARY 5, 2023

liter, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated boxer engine that produces 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The Subaru designed and built boxer engine, which has horizontally opposed pistons instead of configured in a V or inline pattern, uses Toyota’s direct and sequential port injection system and runs on 92 octane. Ready to rev.

MPG

MPG Clean Cleaning Miles

Achates Power building 2.7L opposed-piston light-duty engine; exceeding CAFE 2025, Tier 3 targets at lower cost

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 13, 2017

Stemming from a major project partially funded with a $9-million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) to develop an opposed-piston two-stroke gasoline compression ignition engine (OPGCI) ( earlier post ), Achates Power announced it is developing a 2.7-liter, liter, 3-cylinder (i.e., The new Achates Power 2.7-liter

Light

Light Engine Power Powered

Achates OPGCI project targeting 50% fuel efficiency gains over downsized GDI engine at reduced cost

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2015

Achates Power will work with Delphi Automotive and Argonne National Laboratory on its ARPA-E-funded project to develop an innovative opposed-piston, gasoline compression ignition (OPGCI) engine. Conceptual image of a possible multi-cylinder OPGCI engine. It could also be the first of a family of OPGCI engines spanning 1.0

Downsizing

Downsizing Engine Fuel Gasoline

Analysis: What’s the Best Way to Market EVs?

Clean Fleet Report

MAY 13, 2021

LiveWire motorcycles are not really Harleys, the thought goes, although they will share engineering, production facilities, a supply chain and global logistics. Without being exhaustive, let’s take a look at some examples. Next up will be the ID.Buzz electric minivan. The LiveWire at launch was a Harley. Sub-brand, the ID.4

Market

Market Motorcycles Saturn Prius

NRC report finds significant number of near-term technologies could greatly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars

Green Car Congress

JUNE 16, 2011

According to its estimates, adopting the full combination of improved technologies in medium and large cars and pickup trucks with spark-ignition engines could reduce fuel consumption by 29% at an additional cost of $2,200 to the consumer. —“Assessment of Technologies” Spark-ignition technologies.

Fuel

Fuel Downsizing Fuel Economy Diesel

My journey to and on the Mauritanian Iron Ore Train

Plug Me In

APRIL 9, 2024

Up to halfway through Morocco, I could travel by train, then mainly buses and minivans. My first stop was Terjit, and I took another minivan. Around 2 pm, I was picked up by the train engineer, whom I had met by chance. I didn’t need to ask when it would come; I could hear the engines from afar. ’ Exhausted?

Mauritania

Mauritania Morocco United Arab Emirates Taxi

EV Driven

Chrysler introduces Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivan; 80 mpge city, 30-mile AER

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan EPA-rated at 84 MPGe in electric-only mode; role of eFlite dual-motor/one-way clutch strategy

Chrysler to introduce PHEV models in 2016 and 2017 to meet ZEV requirements; new FCA gasoline engine family coming in 2015

BorgWarner suggests Valve-Event Modulated Boost system can offer 6-17% fuel economy benefit over already downsized and turbocharged engines

2017 Chrysler Pacifica wins Altair Enlighten Award for weight reduction in full vehicle category; Toyota, Faurecia and AP&T module, technology winners

BorgWarner supplies clutch for Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Chrysler Readying Roll-out of Pentastar V-6 Engine Across 13 Models; Average 7% Fuel Efficiency Improvement

ORNL study quantifies fuel economy costs of common driver practices and vehicle alterations

DOE to Award $187M to 9 Projects to Improve Vehicle Efficiency for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Passenger Vehicles

Third-Generation VW Sharan Van Will Offer Fuel Consumption As Low As 5.5 L/100km (43 mpg US); Start-Stop and Battery Regeneration

ORNL researchers quantify the effect of increasing highway speed on fuel economy

2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan EPA-rated at 28 mpg highway, 22 mpg combined; stop/start and PHEV still to come

Rare Rides Icons: The Lincoln Mark Series Cars, Feeling Continental (Part XLII)

When They Electrified Christmas

Road Test: 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited

Achates Power building 2.7L opposed-piston light-duty engine; exceeding CAFE 2025, Tier 3 targets at lower cost

Achates OPGCI project targeting 50% fuel efficiency gains over downsized GDI engine at reduced cost

Analysis: What’s the Best Way to Market EVs?

NRC report finds significant number of near-term technologies could greatly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars

My journey to and on the Mauritanian Iron Ore Train

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