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]

Tour Coupes are hitting the streets of San Diego. An ingenious concept, the little 2-seater 3-wheelers pull in a GPS signal that activates an on-board narration to describe the city sights. Visitors can rent the 8-foot-long vehicles starting at $45 an hour or $165 a day. The vehicles are registered as a motorcycle and are street legal.

According the company's Web site, the Tour Coupes run on a 49cc carbureated 2-stroke engine that is air-cooled. The vehicle's creator is quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that the engine is "not high-polluting." The vehicle gets up to 60mpg, depending on the passenger load. Tour Coupes may expand to Los Angeles and start selling the vehicles for $6,500 each.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]