T-Fighting U.S. Turbocharger Manufacturer Accelerates Technology Upgrade

According to the new standards for fuel economy (CAFE) released by the United States this year, the average fuel economy of 2016 light vehicles sold in the United States is about 30% higher than that of the 2011 model. Automotive manufacturers involved in market competition urgently need a mature technology that can be directly applied, and turbocharging technology becomes their first choice.

"Compared with hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, turbocharged technology has significant cost advantages." D. Michael Omertoso, an expert in powertrain analysis at Power Corporation, said. It is predicted that by 2015, the US's ratio of turbochargers for light-duty vehicles will increase from 8% this year to around 25%.

The turbocharger market in the United States has just started, while the technology penetration rate in Europe is high. It is understood that about half of the passenger cars in Europe are diesel vehicles, and almost all diesel engines are equipped with turbochargers.

Currently, the world's leading turbocharger suppliers include BorgWarner, Honeywell, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, which have 41% and 34% share of light vehicle turbocharger markets in Europe and North America respectively. 15% and 57%, 30%, 4%. In addition, the German auto parts giant Continental Group also hopes to make breakthroughs in the turbocharger field and is actively exploring this market.

Among the vehicle companies, Ford is an active advocate of turbocharged technology. The company said that in the next 1 to 2 years, it will strive to achieve 90% of North America's sales of automotive Ecoboost turbocharged engines. Ford predicts that in 2013, the company's global sales of Ecoboost turbocharged engines will reach 1.5 million.

The turbocharged engine is smaller and more fuel-efficient than a naturally-aspirated engine of the same displacement. For example, the 2011 Ford Explorer equipped a 2.0L turbocharged engine with a power of 174kW, and its 100km fuel consumption was about 30% lower than that of the V6 engine fitted with the old model.

It is worth mentioning that, at this year's Beijing International Auto Show, Ford developed a 1.0L three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with the Start concept car debut. The company said it will take the lead in introducing a three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine to Europe. Coincidentally, Continental Group also announced recently that some customers have already ordered three-cylinder gasoline turbochargers. The batch of products is planned to be produced next year.

"Ford's application of turbochargers is indeed at the forefront," said Roger Wood, president and general manager of BorgWarner Turbo Systems. "But I believe other vehicle companies are also paying close attention to turbo technology. ”

It is reported that the new Chevrolet Cruze introduced by General Motors with Honeywell turbocharger engine; Volkswagen, BMW, Hyundai and other companies will also be equipped with turbocharged engine to their different models.

With the growth of the North American market, major turbocharger manufacturers are accelerating their technology upgrades. For example, the two-cylinder diesel engine of India's Tata nano adopts Honeywell's micro-turbocharger. In contrast, the Continental Group is working on the development of a more difficult gasoline engine turbocharger. "The company is embarking on a business expansion of 1.5L and 2.0L turbochargers for the engine," said Craig Wiggins, senior manager of power transmission at Continental North America.

Like Continental, Honeywell and BorgWarner also developed turbochargers for three-cylinder gasoline engines. "Gas engine turbocharging technology is developing very fast and we have only just begun." David Paga, vice president of global marketing for Honeywell Turbo Systems, is confident in the future.