What if you could have the performance of a 4.0 liter V6, while returning the fuel economy of an inline four? Chyrsler is working with the Department of Energy on just such an engine, and it will use both gasoline and diesel to achieve these performance targets. It won’t burn the two fuels independently, so running out of gas (or diesel, presumably) will still leave you stranded. Instead, the engine burns the two fuels simultaneously to achieve both superior performance and fuel economy.
The engine is primarily a gas-burner that utilizes high compression and twin turbos to make reasonable power from a small displacement. Diesel is injected into the combustion chamber to control preignition, which allows the engine to run higher compression than pump gas normally allows. As a result, Chrysler claims comparable performance with a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to their 2009 model year 4.0-liter V6. That translates into 31 mpg on the highway in a Town & Country minivan, but a smaller, lighter vehicle could see even bigger fuel economy improvements.
Chrysler isn’t the first automaker to undertake a multi-fuel engine project. Ford is working on a multi-fuel engine that uses both gasoline and ethanol, but there currently isn’t an infrastructure in place to support such a design in the real world. Where, exactly, would you buy ten gallons of ethanol? Diesel is commonly available from coast to coast, but both designs suffer from the same design drawback: multi-fuel engines require two separate fuel tanks and fuel systems, and they assume that drivers will never inadvertently mix fuels.
Since the engine is only in the design phase, Chrysler has time to sort out the bugs. I like the possibilities that such a design presents, because it shows that horsepower can coexist with fuel economy. Maybe the future for us horsepower junkies isn’t as bleak as we thought.
Source: Kicking Tires
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
