The market for turbo chargers in small engines is about to heat up. If Honeywell is to be believed the global market will grow from 17 million new turbo vehicles in 2009 to 35 million in 2015, while the U.S. market will see growth from 5 percent to 20 percent of the internal combustion engine market. With the tightening CAFE requirements and the growth in demand for smaller vehicles, these numbers are not too hard to believe. In fact, I might argue that the numbers for 2015 may be a bit on the conservative side assuming it includes diesels and Chinese manufacturers.

In many ways, turbo chargers are currently the best “off the shelf” technology available today to improve fuel economy. By reducing the size of the engine then adding a turbo to maintain vehicle performance, automakers are finding they improve vehicle fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent in gasoline and up to a whopping 40 percent in diesels. There are essentially four main competitors in the turbo market right now, Honeywell, Borgwarner, Mitsubishi, and IHI Corporation. Honeywell and Borgwarner are the dominate players in this market at the moment.

But the market for turbos appears to be headed for a shakeup. The large German auto supplier, Continental AG, is developing a turbo that they plan on offering in 2011 and have stated that they are going to aggressively pursue the turbo market with OEMs. Since purchasing Siemens VDO from Siemens AG in 2007, Continental AG has grown into a major supplier to the auto industry. Their goal is to reach 4 million turbo unit sales by 2015 (a little over 10 percent of the market predicted by Honeywell). They claim to already have a deal with a European OEM (they are not saying who), and since they have connection with most major automotive OEMs their goals can’t be considered too over the top.

However, since Honeywell is already supplying turbos for the Chevy Cruze Eco and Ford Ecoboost engines in the U.S. and Borgwarner is supplying turbos to BMW, VW, Ford, Nissan, and Hyundai’s diesels in Europe, Continental won’t have an easy path to market. It would not be surprising if during their bid to become a major player in the turbo market, the cost of turbo chargers in general fall (if only for a little while). In the end, assuming their product meets expectations, I expect Continental will be successful in becoming a major player in the turbo market.

With government pressure on to increase fuel economy and consumers still feeling the pinch of the recession in both here and Europe, auto makers are on the hunt for new solutions to improve fuel economy without substantial added cost to the vehicle. New technology such as dual spark and lighter weight materials will help, but it’s likely that technology like turbo chargers will provide a lot of bang for the buck without having a substantial impact on either consumer wallets or behavior.

Article by Dave Hurst, appearing courtesy Matter Network.

Related posts:

• Windation Promises Bird-Free Rooftop Wind Energy
• Internal Combustion Engine Remains King in Certain Segments
• A Better Nano Battery
• China Makes Green Cars a Priority; UK Firm Eyes Wireless Car-Charging
• New MIT Battery Design Could Double Range of Electric Cars

In October 2009, Skyline Solar announced that the company will employ an auto-manufacturing supplier, Cosma International, to manufacture and assemble large portions of its High Gain Solar (HGS) system. Over the past few years, we’ve seen other endeavors meant to stimulate the automobile manufacturing industry while accelerating energy independence. For example, the Cash for Clunkers program, encouraged new purchases of fuel-efficient cars, a way to reduce carbon emissions while stimulating the auto industry.

Another example, the V Vehicles plant in Louisiana, shows how existing factories can be used to generate renewable energy products: An out of operation auto plant in Monroe, Louisiana, will now be used to produce electric vehicles, providing about 1,400 local jobs.

Sustainability and scalability hand in hand

There are many benefits that can come from the mutually-beneficial relationship between the emerging green economy and the existing U.S manufacturing infrastructure. For Skyline, the benefits were simple: A greener, quicker and cheaper way to bring its HGS system to market.

As the U.S. moves full force toward renewable energy, we need to consider not only the products we use, but the manufacturing process behind the products. But building new solar manufacturing facilities is not the ideal ‘green’ method, especially when fully-developed plants are sitting idle across the country.

On top of the environmental concerns, utilizing existing plants can help move the process forward much quicker and with less capital. Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), for example, are complex and expensive bureaucratic processes often taking several years to complete. Alternatively, if companies use existing facilities and technology which have already been approved for manufacturing, we can move to production much quicker.

Germany as an example

Many European nations rapidly adopted solar energy by creating aggressive incentive programs. However, Germany was the only country that went the extra step and also sought to maintain and grow manufacturing jobs within its borders while other countries stop at tax incentives. Germany provided businesses with an aggressive 50-percent subsidy for companies that manufactured solar products domestically. Through this ambitious program, the German government promoted and maintained healthy manufacturing and engineering jobs.

While the U.S. has done a great job to promote solar adoption, it needs to put legislation in place to level the playing field between U.S. and overseas manufacturers. For example, when Chinese manufacturers can provide the same technology at the fraction of the cost, U.S. installers really have no choice, particularly in this economic climate.

A lesson we’ve all learned from the renewable energy movement is that being sustainable and being economical are one in the same. The auto industry presents a unique opportunity to the U.S. – a trained workforce and a wealth of underutilized facilities.

Author Bob MacDonald, CEO of Skyline Solar, is a solar industry veteran. Bob has worked closely with policy makers and helped draft legislation he believes can promote solar adoption while resuscitating the auto manufacturing industry.

[photo credit: kevindooley]

Related posts:

• Going Further with America’s Auto Industry
• LA Auto Show Crowns 2011 Green Car of the Year
• Cash for Clunkers Omits Ethanol Option & Downside of Recycling
• Toward a Generation of Green Vehicles: 60 MPG is Next Step
• China Readies 10 Million EV Parking Spots by 2020

Converting hybrid vehicles — particularly the Prius and Ford Escape — into plug-in hybrids has become a profitable niche industry for a few specialty companies. But the net impact of this new mini-industry has been much greater by influencing consumer and industry opinions.

Promoting the technical feasibility of PHEVs has been a significant factor in the auto manufacturers’ decision to develop the dozens of plug-in and all-electric vehicles now scheduled for delivery in the next five years.

But the earliest and strongest voice promoting PHEVs isn’t happy with that limited success. Felix Kramer, the founder of CalCars.org, says that getting to a million electrified vehicles by 2015 won’t do nearly enough to address climate change and energy independence, and now he’s setting his sights on electrifying internal combustion engine vehicles. He’s clearly on to something.

CalCar’s new “Big Fix” initiative wants to electrify some of the biggest emitters and gas-wasters — pickup trucks, SUVs and vans (PSVs). When used in delivery routes that are often well under 40 miles per day, they spend much of their time starting, stopping, and idling, and get among the worst MPG ratings around. Converting one of these vehicles to a PHEV or EV will reduce fuel consumption and emissions to a much greater degree than trading in a Sebring for a Prius.

SPVs, most notably the Ford F-150, have been among the top sellers for more than a decade, creating an inventory of millions of vehicles that could be converted. They also have much more space for battery packs, which makes for a simpler conversion than a compact car. Former Intel CEO Andy Grove and electric vehicle guru Andy Frank are fully on board, lending their considerable credibility to the idea.

The Japanese postal service has already begun converting its fleet of vehicles to EVs, and the U.S. Postal Service wants to do the same with more than 140,000 of its delivery vehicles. The cash-starved agency could save millions per year if the federal government decides to provide assistance, which would be more sustainable than a bailout.

The biggest impediments are the cost and potential resistance from the auto industry. The battery cost can be upwards of $20,000, making for a slow payback period if gasoline stays around $3 a gallon. The economics will improve over time, especially if conversion kits are produced in volume and battery manufacturing ramps up as the technology evolves.

But the harder sell will be convincing the auto industry that keeping vehicles on the road instead of buying new vehicles is a good thing, and that they should be a part of that business. Upgrading existing SPVs could be a multi-billion dollar business, extending the life of vehicles and preserving the energy cost sunk into building them. While Ford, GM and Chrylsler are best-suited to engineer conversions, this mass rethinking of the company would be an even bigger shift than the current change to becoming manufacturers of PHEVs and EVs.

Convincing fleet operators to convert will likely be easier than the consumers, legislators and car companies needed to make it happen. It’s not impossible, but it will take an extensive and well-orchestrated effort.

Appearing courtesy of Matter Network.

[photo credit: Flickr]

Related posts:

• Hybrid Tech Expands, but the Name Fades
• Ford to Spark Stop-Start Market in the U.S.
• Toyota to Launch Six New Hybrid Vehicles By End of 2012
• Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Help the Motor City Get Back in Charge
• Stimulus Update: Next Generation Electric Vehicles Funds Released