Fuel rules push Big 3 design changes Engineers must consider buyer needs, gas costs By Bryce G. Hoffman The Detroit News The new federal fuel economy and tailpipe emissions standards announced in May are spurring one of the most dramatic changes in vehicle design and powertrain development since the 1970s. Though many of these changes will not be apparent to consumers for several years, they are already well under way. Automakers are turning to high-strength steel, aluminum and composites as well as advanced technology transmissions and other components and systems to save fuel. Washington's decision to impose corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards following the first oil crisis dealt a fatal blow to the chrome-clad behemoths that had dominated America's highways. The vehicles that replaced them were dramatically smaller and often featured more compact, front-wheel drive configurations. Now, the standards are even more stringent -- passenger cars must average 39 miles per gallon and light trucks 30 mpg by 2016 -- forcing designers and engineers back to the drawing board . But with the easy cuts made three decades ago, Detroit's automakers must combine several approaches. 'In the 1970s, there was only one solution, which was to make everything smaller,' said analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP. 'It is a lot harder to do that this time. It's going to be a very different kind of change.' Automakers knew changes of this magnitude were inevitable, but it was concern about the future of fuel prices that prompted manufacturers to begin rethinking their product lineups. Last year, as gasoline prices skyrocketed to well above $4 a gallon, Ford Motor Co. announced that it would retool several of its North American truck and sport utility vehicle factories to produce smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and crossovers from Europe. General Motors Co. is reworking its future vehicle plans to include more small cars, including a new subcompact that will be built in Orion Township. And the need to develop small cars in a hurry was one of the primary factors that pushed Chrysler Group LLC into the arms of Italy's Fiat SpA. But even with the proliferation of smaller vehicles, some customers will continue to demand the space and flexibility of larger models afford. Derrick Kuzak, head of global product development at Ford, said they will not be forced to settle for less room -- or less power. 'Our strategy is to maintain the interior size of vehicles pretty much the way they are today,' he said. 'Our intent, in delivering better fuel economy, is not to compromise any of the attributes of the vehicle.' This time, most of the changes will take place under the hood. Engines get smaller Big V-8 motors will be relegated to niche cars and trucks as automakers combine technologies like direct fuel-injection and turbo-charging to coax more horsepower from fewer cylinders. 'In the engine business, the biggest lever you can pull to get fuel economy is to lower displacement,' said Barb Samardzich, vice president of powertrain engineering at Ford. 'Our EcoBoost strategy, with direct-injection and turbo-charging, enables us to pull that lever and lower that displacement but not sacrifice any performance or feel that customers are looking for.' GM and others are employing the same technologies, but Ford is the first American company to commit to offering four-cylinder motors on all of its passenger vehicles. That will include the next version of the Ford Explorer SUV, which is being reborn as a unibody crossover, rather than a traditional body-on-frame truck, said sources familiar with the company's plans. Samardzich said Ford will also offer three-cylinder engines on smaller vehicles in the future. Jon Lauckner, vice president of product development at GM, said smaller engines are just the beginning. The new standards have prompted automakers to accelerate efforts to introduce other fuel-saving technologies, such as 'stop-start' systems that will shut the engine off when the car stops moving and restart it when the gas pedal is pressed. 'Technology is a big piece of what we need to do to meet the new standards,' he said. 'We're not going to get there relying on just one single solution.' Cars get lighter That means finding ways to make vehicles lighter and more aerodynamic. The latter will be accomplished by adding what Lauckner calls 'belly pans' to the underbody to reduce drag, as well as more advanced approaches like electronically controlled grilles that close when operating under cooler conditions. Transmissions also are evolving. Engineers are adding more gears, making six speeds the norm, and adopting more advanced dual-clutch designs that combine the responsiveness and fuel-savings of a manual with the ease of an automatic. Already used in Europe, Ford's dual-clutch transmission will debut in the United States next year in the new Ford Fiesta, sources said. At the same time, Ford, GM and most other automakers are readying on a new generation of hybrids along with battery-powered electric vehicles. All of these technologies will be needed to give customers the flexibility and performance they want with the fuel savings Washington is demanding. Said Samardzich: 'It's an engineer's dream.' bhoffmandetnews.com 