Developed in house, engine boosts performance while increasing fuel economy

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- FEV Engine Technology,
Inc. (FEV) today announced that it will display a developmental
gasoline/E85 turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) engine that also features
variable compression ratio (VCR) at the 2007 SAE World Congress. The engine
is being developed in-house, in tandem with several other DI engine
projects that FEV is working on with various automakers. The engine boasts
power similar to a larger engine while delivering the fuel economy of a
smaller engine, and avoids many of the traditional drawbacks associated
with the use of alternative fuels that typically have lower energy
densities.
    "This engine is a look at the future evolution of spark ignition
engines as manufacturers seek to set a new standard for power and fuel
efficiency, yet face increasingly stiffer emissions requirements" said
Robert Last, vice president of operations and communications for FEV. "And
by mating the GTDI with variable compression ratio capability, it will
allow customization of the engine control strategy to adjust for the use of
alternative fuels such as E85 that tolerate combustion without knocking at
higher compression ratios."
    While offering the potential to generate high output power from a small
engine, this concept also provides a roughly 20 - 25 percent improvement in
fuel consumption.
    Operation of the engine with a sensor or other means to identify the
alcohol content in the fuel stream enables an optimal control strategy for
VCR operation. During E85 operation, the engine can be operated at
significantly higher compression ratios, with dramatic improvements in
either performance or fuel economy, depending how the advantage is employed
in the control strategy.
    "While it's still a developmental tool, we believe that we can achieve
diesel-like fuel efficiency with a gasoline engine," said Last. "The
GTDI/VCR engine is just one example of advanced technologies that FEV is
developing together with its customers that could ultimately reduce our
dependence on imported oil."
    About FEV
    FEV is an independent engine and powertrain systems research, design
and development company headquartered in Aachen, Germany. Globally, it
provides complete concept-to-production (C2P(TM)) support to the
transportation industry, commercial engine manufacturers and the emerging
fuel-cell industry. The company designs, prototypes and develops advanced
gasoline-, diesel- and alternative-fueled engines, as well as advanced
vehicle powertrain concepts, electronic control systems and hybrid-electric
vehicles. FEV also is a global supplier of advanced test cell,
instrumentation and test equipment.
    Contact:  FEV Engine Technology, Inc.
              Leah Heidt / heidt@fev-et.com
              248.373.6000, or

              Rohatynski-Harlow Public Relations
              Marc Harlow/ marc@harlowpr.com
              810-599-2558 (cell) or
              Joe Rohatynski/ joe@joepr.com
              313-378-6570 (cell)

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