EcoMotors looking to expand in Michigan, build 100mpg diesel sedan
Earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show, EcoMotors showed off a small diesel powerplant which used the boxer or pancake style of horizontally opposed cylinders. The small company believes that its engine design can provide the power of a much larger engine while retaining the fuel savings of a small one. As always, we make no recommendations on what companies, if any, to invest in. So far, the company has received its funding from Vinod Khosla, a venture capitalist from Silicon Valley. Now, though, EcoMotors has apparently outgrown their surroundings and the seven-person company is in need of more staff, larger offices and a manufacturing facility. For this reason, the company is now hoping to get some tax breaks from the city of Troy in Michigan. According to recent reports, the small outfit has plans for its diesel engine to power a sedan by 2010 with a goal of reaching 100 miles per gallon. Interestingly, EcoMotors is headed by John Coletti who was once the director of Ford's Special Vehicles Team. Thanks for the tip, Rob!
[Source: Hometown Life]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jzj 12:41PM (8/21/2008)
After looking at the engine design, I can understand why it has high power-to-weight and high power-to-volume ratios and well-balanced operation. However, I have three questions: 1. Why wouldn't this design suffer the same issues regarding high emissions as do all 2-stroke designs? 2. Why wouldn't this design suffer from high friction losses (having to drag both the pistons and cylinders back and forth)? 3. Why would this design be more amenable to combust "a number of fuels" as the manufacturer claims?
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Tyler 3:34PM (8/21/2008)
I don't see any mention of it, but if it's direct injected, that has alot of benefits for 2-strokes in reducing emissions.
I would also say that this would have at least as much friction as any conventional 4-cylinder design of equal displacement. However, it wouldn't have the level of friction of an 8 or 10 cylinder motor of 4x the size that they claim this can rival in power.
As for the fuel compatibility, I doubt they mean you could just dump any fuel in and it would work. The engine could, however, be developed for most fuels w/ less work than a normal inline 4. The opposed piston could give it high compression for diesels, or a different stroke could lower it for petroleum. Or higher again for elthanol. Direct injection could run anything w/ the right injectors.
So it sounds a bit like they're really overstating things, but not really lying. I could come up w/ an idea for a motor that could run nearly any fuel too. Now give me millions to develop it and tell me what fuel you want.
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caveman_dick 1:25PM (8/22/2008)
2-Strokes are much more effective if the fuel used is diesel. All the large diesel engines in large ships are 2 strokes. The only problem with them are they are quite noisy in comparison to 4-stroke diesels and have to have turbo/super chargers.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/diesel-two-stroke1.htm
Anyway, i can't see where it says that's it's a 2-stroke?!?! 2-cylinder yes, 2-stroke no.
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