Fueling The Diesel Boom

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2001 by Alex James

It will be launched in the new Ford Fiesta this December and will then appear in 23 distinct applications in the 18 months following launch.

"We've publicly committed not only to trippling our new product launch activities over the next five years, but also to introduce 30 diesel engine developments over the next 36 months," notes Bill Carnochan, manager for diesel engine development and integration for Ford of Europe. He adds that the TDGi is important "because it pioneers the introduction of state-of-the-art second-generation common rail technology across the heart of the Ford model range."

While the Ford-PSA and Renault engines use the same injection system, the Renault engine has an iron block, two valves per cylinder and is to be made in only one size.

The PSA/Ford engine has a linered alloy block, with interchangeable eight-valve and 16-valve heads. Power outputs for the 1.4L range from 110 pounds-feet to 147 pounds-feet depending on configuration, with over 100 hp expected from the 1.6L.

Both engines are "plug and play" units which can be built in modular fashion to suit different installations. Renault will use it in the Kangoo and almost certainly in the next generation Nissan Micra.

The diesel's growing popularity is surprising even the forecasters, offering even greater opportunities for systems suppliers to cash in. "Last year we said it would not be surprising to see (diesels take) 40 percent share over the next five to 10 years," notes Ricardo's Love. "We now see the possibility of diesel taking 50 percent of sales by the end of the decade."

Dr. Diesel himself would be pleased.

Diesel Share Reaches New Record
COUNTRY  INCREASE  NO. VEHICLES   SHARE
France   10.5%     1.046 million  49%
Germany  20%       1.03 million   30.4%
Italy    19%       814,000        33.7%
Spain    --        733,000        53.1%
U.K.     3%        313,000        14%
Gas VS. Diesel Fuel Prices [*]
(as of late July 2001)
COUNTRY      UNLEADED GASOLINE  DIESEL
Austria      3.22               2.68
Belgium      3.60               2.77
France       3.64               2.82
Germany      3.62               3.23
Netherlands  4.00               2.91
Italy        3.67               3.03
Spain        3.05               2.47
U.K.         4.32               4.29

U.S.         1.45               1.53
Source: European Road Information
Service (Geneva) and Automobile
Assoc.
(*)Prices in dollars per gallon.

Suppliers Face Off on New Systems

Both Delphi and Siemens joined lithe diesel-supply race through acquisition. Siemens' high-pressure diesel pump, operating at up to 1,500 bar (21,750 psi), was jointly developed with Mannesmann-Rextroth Fahrzeugtechnik, which it partially acquired in 1999.

Siemens spent some $70 million developing its piezo-hydraulic fuel injector, which is based on technology developed for ink jet printers and operates four times faster than traditional solenoid-driven injectors.

Siemens' system is fitted to the PSA Peugeot Citroen 2.0L 90 hp DW10 turbodiesel, to the 406,307 and Partner van and Citroen's C5, Picasso and Berlingo. Other applications will follow.