David Johnson, Achates chief executive. (Photo: Achates)
A 37-mpg commercial pickup truck? Alternative engine developer Achates Power says it has one that will be ready for the market by the end of the decade.
Internal testing shows that in a light-duty pickup, its 2.7-liter, two-stroke, opposed-piston engine will be able to deliver fuel efficiency of 37 miles per gallon as measured by the EPA, with 270 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, executives of the San Diego company said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Wednesday.
As Trucks.com reported on Dec. 30, Achates expects to demonstrate the engine – and its fuel efficiency – in a drivable prototype in 2018.
Present federal fuel efficiency regulations have set a goal for full-size, light-duty pickups of 33 miles per gallon by 2025.
Because it has fewer parts than a conventional internal combustion engine, the Achates company’s engine can best that by 12 percent and do it for $1,000 less than the EPA has estimated that achieving the 33-mpg goal would add to the cost of each truck, the company said.
The “OP” engine demonstrates that “the technology needed to achieve these [federal] standards and deliver fuel economy and cost savings to customers is currently available,” said David Johnson, Achates chief executive.
Originally posted by John O’Dell on Trucks.com (January 12, 2017) (View Original Article)