Reimagining the Gasoline Engine

A super-efficient internal combustion engine that weighs only 22 pounds could prove to be a more practical solution for cutting emissions than the all-electric vehicles currently being developed and sold. The free-piston linear engine has only one moving part (as compared to at least 20 that are found in a typical gas engine) and weighs about one-tenth as much. It takes 20 percent less fuel than the average car engine, although that could be increased to 30 percent with adjustments to the fuel injection system. The new engine also produces electricity as it burns fuel, making it ideal as a backup charger for a battery-powered car.

Although regulators insist that internal combustion is not a long-term answer to reducing emissions, the new engine could make a significant difference in the shorter term. Currently, electric vehicles account for less than 5 percent of vehicles being sold. By 2030, it’s been estimated that 40 percent of cars will still rely on internal combustion engines, and an additional 23 percent will be hybrid vehicles. For this reason alone, the company believes there will still be a market for an integrated power train design that would reduce cost and increase driving range.

The free-piston engine is expected to be ready for market in less than two years. Since car manufacturers will not be able to adapt designs in such a short period of time, the engine will initially be launched in stand-alone power generators to replace the heavy, bulky and inefficient systems currently in use.