Until electric cars and their associated technologies (motors, batteries, controllers etc.) become mainstream, the internal combustion engine will need to be further refined in order to meet upcoming fuel economy requirements and current emissions regulations -- while still producing the power that consumers have come to expect. HCCI is one technology currently being developed to make these goals possible, while direct injection and turbocharging are simply becoming quite common.

Ricardo has developed a new prototype engine called 2/4SIGHT which could give HCCI a run for its money. An engine equipped with this new system is capable of running on either the 2 or 4 stroke engine cycle, allowing their V6 test-bed to be downsized from 3.5 liters to 2.0 liters while making the same power output. This downsizing leads to a 27 percent reduction in fuel consumption and correspondingly lowered emissions.

Ricardo believes that their 2/4SIGHT technology will be cost effective and easy to package for vehicle use. A video of the test engine switching from 2 to 4 stroke can be seen here.


[Source: Ricardo]

Italy is a bastion for cool old scooter finds, as classic manufacturers such as Piaggio, Vespa and Lambretta were born and bred there. These classic scooters include striking and beautiful design aesthetics as well as solid construction methods. Also in their favor are decades of sentimental value, which is hard to put a price on. Unfortunately, most of these scooters also have a dark side, and it has to do with emissions. While they are quite thrifty when it comes to fuel consumption, the vast majority of the older scooters on Italian roadways are powered by 2-stroke engines, which emit much more harmful pollutants than newer 4-stroke models. Also, when many of those scooters were manufactured, emissions laws did not yet exist, meaning there is nothing in between the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe than a straight tube ... catalytic what? To help alleviate some of these pollution generators, the Italian government has decided to offer a 300 Euro bonus to trade in your old scooter for a new model. The hope is that pollution levels will decrease as the older fleet of scooters currently on the road is replaced with a new, cleaner one. Scooter fans the world over collectively shed a tear.

[Source: Forbes via 2 Stroke Buzz]

We have brought up the idea of saving money on gas by riding a motorcycle or scooter a few times now, and invariably, we get comments which state that motorcycles are worse for the environment than cars. Is that true? Not necessarily. Exhaust emissions are calculated in parts per million, and more parts per million of harmful particles in the exhaust is bad. This is often cited in defense of cars, as motorcycles often have worse ratings in parts per million that autos. But, what about the difference in total amount of exhaust? The smaller the engine, usually the less total exhaust comes our the tailpipe. So, motorcycles with smaller engines may or may not be better for the environment that automobiles. Note, too, that most modern motorcycles are equipped with fuel injection and modern computer controls in addition to their necessary catalytic converters (click for a test in 1999 - warning: .pdf), all of which make quite a difference in overall harmful emissions. Remember, the worst polluters are the old 2-stroke bikes, which are not sold really in America anymore.

But, what about electric motorcycles? Here is one made by Lightning Motors. The bike is based on the Yamaha R1, which, at 1000cc, does not have a small engine from the factory. The R1 is one of the highest performing motorcycles on the roads today, and is a bit of a status symbol. The conversion is slightly ungainly, because of the box-like lithium ion batteries hanging from the frame spars. The article also speaks of charging the bike using solar panels, which is an intriguing possibility for an electric cycle, as they should need fewer hours of charging for the distance required to travel in comparison to a heavier, more powerful electric car.

[Source: LA Times]