Envision the Future: How Do We Improve the Vehicle?

Part of changing transportation is in changing the vehicle: its efficiency, its fuel and how we use it. This is a rich arena, allowing for incremental improvements or revolutionary “clean slate” approaches.

CALSTART and its industry partners focus much effort on changing the vehicle. What can be done? 

Clean and Efficient Technologies

Improving the efficiency of a vehicle reduces its fuel use, emissions and impact. There is no single way to achieve this. A multitude of technologies and approaches will help create cleaner, more efficient vehicles, including :

• Aerodynamic designs and systems

• Reduced rolling resistance

• Lightweight materials

• Improved powertrain efficiencies

• Advanced transmissions 
    o Automated manual, continuously variable; dual clutch

• Electric drive 
    o Battery-direct 
    o Hybrids 
    o Plug-in hybrids 
    o Fuel cells

• Hybrids 
    o Hybrid Electric 
    o Hybrid hydraulic 
    o Plug-in hybrids

• Higher combustion efficiency and fuel-optimized engines 
    o Digital valves
    o Variable valve timing 
    o Variable compression
    o Super and turbo-charging
    o Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) 
    o Fuel-optimized combustion

• High efficiency auxiliary systems 
    o Electrically or hydraulically driven water pumps, fans, brake systems 
    o High efficiency, electrically driven air conditioning systems

• Energy recovery 
    o Turbo-compounding 
    o Bottoming cycle 
    o Thermo-electric power generation

• Idle reduction technologies 
    o Auxiliary power units 
    o Batteries 
    o Thermal storage