Five years ago, it was thought that electric vehicles would quickly take over the market. Car manufacturers have announced ambitious plans to switch to electric power, and governments have set a deadline to ban the sale of new vehicles with conventional engines.
However, the situation has changed. Instead of putting internal combustion engines out of use completely, new investments and plans are being made to make them last longer.
PRECIOUS INVESTMENTS MADE IN AMERICA
General Motors invested $888 million in its Tonawanda plant in Buffalo, New York, to maintain V8 engine production. This is the company’s largest investment in a single factory for the production of SUS engines.
Chrysler plans to invest $13 billion in American manufacturing, including the development of new internal combustion engines. The company announced a new large SUV and a mid-length truck with SUS engines. The HEMI engine returned to the Ram 1500 lineup, while Dodge restarted V6 production for the Durango.
NEW ENGINES IN EUROPE AND ASIA
Geely-owned engine supplier Horse Powertrains introduced its compact C15 engine at the IAA Mobility show in Munich. The engine produces between 94 and 161 horsepower (with turbocharging) and can run on different fuels such as fuel oil, ethanol, methanol and synthetic fuels.
At the Japan Mobility Show, Mazda showed off a concept with a rotary engine that uses microalgae to capture carbon emissions. Mazda claims that they can extract oil from these algae and turn it into a “carbon-neutral fuel” that runs the hybrid system.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz are developing new V8 engines. Nissan is working on a fuel-fueled engine with fuel-saving technology. Honda is preparing a new V6 hybrid, and Toyota is preparing a new V8. In China, too, with the increase in thermal efficiency, new technologies for improved fuel oil engines are constantly emerging.
CHANGES IN POLITICS
US President Trump repealed the regulation aimed at a 50 percent increase in electric vehicle sales by 2030, set by the previous administration, and the $7,500 tax deduction provided for new electric vehicle purchases.
Following pressure from manufacturers, the European Union changed its stance. Instead of a complete ban on internal combustion engines from 2035, emissions targets have been reduced from 100 percent to 90 percent by 2021. This enables the production of hybrid vehicles even after 2035.
CURRENT MARKET SITUATION
Electric vehicle sales continue to rise globally and are projected to account for approximately 25 percent of the total new car market by the end of the year; This means sales of more than 20 million electric vehicles. While sales increased in Europe, a decrease was recorded in the USA following the removal of incentives.
Instead of a rapid transition to electric propulsion alone, automakers now plan to develop both electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles in parallel. While the transition to electric vehicles is still a long-term goal for many car manufacturers, diesel and especially fuel engines have been given a respite.
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