Abstract
With the increasing pressure on the automotive industry due to energy consumption, environmental pollution and climate change, internal combustion engines, which occupy a dominant position in traditional automotive powertrains, are facing considerable challenges from battery electric powertrains. This paper presents an in-depth analysis and objective interpretation of the challenges, potential and opportunities for internal combustion engines in this point. Specifically, the global automotive industry is approaching the “Power 2.0 era”, and multiple powertrains will coexist for a long time. The relationships between the various powertrains are complementary rather than simply competitive in China. Only by optimizing the product and technology combination can the best solution be obtained to meet the increasingly stringent regulations and the escalating needs for mobility. At the same time, internal combustion engines will continue to play an important role in the development of the automotive industry, and they have the potential for further improvement in plenty of areas, such as thermal efficiency, emissions and electrification. Internal combustion engines will undergo an important evolution toward high efficiency through fixed-point operation, system simplification and cost reduction. In addition, the electrification of powertrains, the upgrading and diversification of fuel designs, and the development of intelligent and connected technologies will bring unprecedented opportunities for making the internal combustion engine more efficient, green and clean to better serve society in the near future.
Highlights
With the increasing pressure of energy consumption, environmental pollution and climate change on the automotive industry [1,2], the internal combustion engine (ICE), which occupies a dominant position in traditional automotive powertrains, is facing increasing challenges [3]
It has been reported that some countries and regions are introducing policies to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), and some automakers have proposed plans to stop the production of pure ICEVs at some point [5]
Our analysis suggests that they are facing severe challenges, internal combustion engines still have great potential and opportunities in the future
Summary
With the increasing pressure of energy consumption, environmental pollution and climate change on the automotive industry [1,2], the internal combustion engine (ICE), which occupies a dominant position in traditional automotive powertrains, is facing increasing challenges [3]. It has been reported that some countries and regions are introducing policies to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), and some automakers have proposed plans to stop the production of pure ICEVs at some point [5] Some of this information interpreted by the media is inaccurate, the impact on the internal combustion engine industry is obvious. Liu et al compared the main technology pathways in China and illustrated that ICEs will be simpler in the future as a result of electric motor coupling, and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are still faced with multiple challenges [4]. To fill these research gaps, this paper attempts to present a thorough analysis and objective interpretation of the challenges, potential, advantages and opportunities for internal combustion engines considering complex factors and the relationships between diversified powertrains during this historic period of industrial transformation.
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