Will we see any new ICEs or transmissions developed?

dishdude

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I've been thinking about the current crop of gasoline engines and transmissions currently on the market and the switch to all electric. Do you think any new powertrains will be developed or will the manufacturers sunset gasoline vehicles with the current engines and transmissions in production? It seems like we're at the point of diminishing returns for fuel economy and the switch to all electric is inevitable.
 
Without a breakthrough battery, engine designs will continue. Both gas, diesel, & jet turbine.
No battery is lifting an airplane up & across the Atlantic. Same for diesel locomotives. Those generators are diesel powered to the electric wheels.
Ever more refined hybrids would seem to be the road to tomorrow.
 
I think so. My prediction is there will be heavy demand for electric for a while and then it'll taper off, and ICE car development will pick back up.

Plug in hybrids are the way to go for the majority IMO.
 
Hyundai just came out with their new 2.5 dual injection 4cyl (MPI/GDi). I'm sure some will continue development.
 
Sure, but not for long. EVs will soon be cheaper and faster to make, and thus more profitable. Probably only certain markets where ICE will hang on for a while, like HD pickups.
 
Even Ford has said they plan
Electric tech isn’t ready for mainstream. I’d imagine we will continue to see further development of the ICE and transmissions.

I predict a news headline years from now that goes like this:

Mass power outages from Hurricane Fernando leaves 10K's of thousands of Floridians stranded along the Gold Coast not being able to charge their
vehicles.


There are more efficient gas engine designs but one hurdle has been our addiction to 87 octane. The auto makers have recently pushed to make a new high octane standard. Ford as an example was pushing for a 95 Ron octane standard back in 2018--91 octane in reality. The thought was, if we the auto maker can get the oil companies and legislatures on board for a new high octane standard, we can continue making gas powered vehicles well into the future and not need to invest as much money into electric vehicles.

Unfortunately, the auto makers are giving up on evolving the gas engine and Ford as an example just announced Blue Oval City in Tennessee.
Ford doesn't wanna be too loud at the moment to the right handed F150 gas buyers crowd, but I bet they don't see themselves making a gas powered F150 20 years from now.
I think gas powered vehicles will cease to be made and any fuel burning truck will have a diesel engine. I think trucks will become less popular
with consumers down the road anyways.

The above statements are just my opinions.
 
Asking this question here is like asking an 1880's wagon maker what he thinks of those new fangled horseless carriages.

The mindset here is generally tilted heavily toward established technologies with a good dose of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and dread) towards emerging technology.

Reality is that no one knows what technology will be invented in the next 20-30 years. So it's really hard to say what will or will not happen.
 
Stellantis, VW, and GM have all committed to EVs in a big way.

The issue for me personally with EVs in the current state is one of economics, and sustaining battery technology. I would say for most of us "older working stiffs" these are the two things that will have to get solved before wide spread blanket adoption of EVs happens.

The other is a non-motive consideration, which is the trend towards more urbanization. There appears to be a generation of people now that are content to live in an urban environment, and who also do not want to own a car. This "younger set" now makes up the larger potential target market for the OEMs. They are also content in living in a multi-family dwelling (Apartment, Condo, multi-use space) where retail, entertainment, and work space environments are within a reasonable walking or bike riding distance. The regularly use Uber and Lyft or other ride sharing modes of transportation. I have heard these people referred to as the "rent optional" set.

In my metro area, large apartment complexes are being built on land that once was occupied by multi-tenant retail space (read malls, strip malls). These complexes or typically mixed use in that they also have within the building corridors or adjacent space an amount of dedicated retail store, or on-site delivery allocation (dedicated Amazon, and BOD ((buy on-line delivery))). This also coincides with several of the larger rental car companies offering multi-month or short term lease rentals for specific vehicle use requirements that may be offered on a subscription basis. In the southern states, urban scooter sales are exploding...both electric and ICE. This seems to be because they are in climates where year round use is tolerable, and the need for a car is not required.

Let's face it, most of us were of a generation where the car meant freedom and individuality of expression. Many of the newer and younger generation no longer care about those things or do so in a diminished capacity. They care more about high speed internet connections, walk to coffee bars, entertainment districts, work from home occupations, and convenient / secure Amazon deliveries.
 
We are only driving gas vehicles for capitalisms sake. Just like crime in America can be cut to be just like every other 1rst world country but if you suddenly crack down what are you going to do with all the police, prosecutors, COs, POs, bail bond, fleet vehicle contracts, department gun and ammunition contracts, prisons and prison contracts and millions of other associated jobs and industry. You'd cripple the economy.
Don't expect any ground breaking developments in petroleum based drivetrains (do we need it anyway). The transition from petroleum to electric is artificially and intentionally slow as the oil and associated industries find ways to transition into something else...like electricity lol (we'll still need petroleum products but seeing how only 10% is used for lube and non gasoline products they'll definitely have to do something else). You really think Tesla is the only one who can. The majors would love to as they can barely sell anything but trucks anymore but they won't be allowed to behind closed doors.
 
What switch to all electric? There will be some on the market that are all electric, so some market share will switch to electric vehicles.
 
Given the fairly recent development of GM's 10 speed transmission for pickups, (up from 6 speeds in around 2008, to 8 speeds, now 10 speeds), I'm thinking they won't bother going above that but you never know. I'm thinking hybrids in pickups will become more common.
 
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Toyota is constantly improving their hybrid systems. A lot of that improvement is also in the software that runs everything.
 
yes, but it will be hybrid powertrains, and then on to plug in hybrids. there will always be a need for ice vehicles, it may just be a more niche market.
 
I think gas powered vehicles will cease to be made and any fuel burning truck will have a diesel engine. I think trucks will become less popular
with consumers down the road anyways.

The above statements are just my opinions.
I agree. Were are already seeing an increase in oil prices from a perceived lack of support for future development of the oil industry. With increased oil prices the urban cowboys will not be buying the number of pickups they currently do. This, with increased interest rates to tame inflation, and you have a recipe for a drop in pickup sales. Low interest rates on lease contracts were the reason your neighbor had that jacked up pickup in his driveway that he drove to work in every day. The upcoming electric Hummer will be a good test case in the abilities of electric trucks and if it pans out, that will also drop sales in ICE pickups.
 
65% efficient Ethanol and gasoline fuel cells (similar to hydrogen) have been teased in the lab, reduces pollution if you use less fuel to make the same power also reduces that packaging size to be a hybrid of sorts.

Nissan ebiofuelcell has been testing since 2015 in Brazil
 
I know, I know.....
After doing a few super long road trips lately I still firmly believe a small V6 hybrid is the ticket for the Interstate cruisers...
Like 2.7L or around there.
The 4 cylinders are phenomenal around town but are inefficient when the speeds get over 75 mph..

Many stories of old Buick V6's getting near 40 mpg hwy. in big boats with large V6's...
Four cylinders get course to me at higher speeds and it wears on you.

Of course some German rides do great with turbo fours on the hwy but i can get nearly 80 mpg rural driving with a 2L hybrid but at 75 mph plus they fail... Very low 30's
 
I've been thinking about the current crop of gasoline engines and transmissions currently on the market and the switch to all electric. Do you think any new powertrains will be developed or will the manufacturers sunset gasoline vehicles with the current engines and transmissions in production? It seems like we're at the point of diminishing returns for fuel economy and the switch to all electric is inevitable.
The 2022 2.7 turbo developed by GM would certainly qualified.

With the introduction of the 2022 Chevy Silverado, the pickup’s turbocharged 2.7L I4 L3B gasoline engine now produces 420 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm, a 72-pound-feet increase compared to the previous model’s 348 pound-feet. That’s 20 percent more than the 2021 model year. Meanwhile, horsepower remains unchanged at 310 ponies at 5,600 rpm. The motor was introduced last year-then tweaked to even more impressive numbers.
 
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Electric tech isn’t ready for mainstream. I’d imagine we will continue to see further development of the ICE and transmissions.
Audi has no plans to develop another ICE engine. I believe car makers will stretch their existing motors out and finish projects but doubt anyone is setting out to build a new design ground up ICE tomorrow.
 
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