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AUGUST 06, 02:29 EDT
Auto Industry Facing Revolution
By BRIAN S. AKRE
AP Auto Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The auto industry is less than a decade away from producing more efficient cars and trucks by replacing
many mechanical parts with electronics, Ford Motor Co.'s research chief says.
The changes will permit the broader use of vehicles with ''hybrid'' power systems, which combine an internal combustion engine with an
electric motor.
''Just as microcomputers proved to be the key in crossing the last hurdles, electronics is emerging as the automotive Grail of the next two
decades,'' Bill Powers, Ford vice president of research, told an industry conference Thursday.
Within just a few years, some accessories that now operate on engine power will run independently, Powers said. The result will be vehicles
that run far more efficiently and enhance engine performance.
A necessary change is upgrading the automotive electrical system from the 12-volt standard used since the 1950s to a 42-volt system,
Powers said. That will allow what's called a ''belt-less engine,'' in which major accessories now powered via belts connected to the engine
would be run instead by the supplemental electric motor and batteries.
The benefits for consumers will be improved fuel economy, a quieter, smoother-running vehicle, and better performance because fewer
accessories will be drawing power from the engine.
''With a 42-volt system in place, the air conditioning compressor, the power steering and even the water pump could run independently of
engine power,'' Powers said. A fully electronic engine-valve control system also would be possible, resulting in the elimination of some
mechanical parts that consume energy, he said.
The key is reducing the costs of high-tech batteries and power electronics. Powers said battery breakthroughs are most likely to come from
the computer industry, where the technology holds the promise for bigger profits.
''We want to get the electric motor in the loop, and we can't do it until we get better supporting batteries at reasonable costs,'' he said.
The power upgrade also is needed just to handle the growing demand on the average car's electrical system.
''From lights, horn and a starter, the automobile electrical system has grown to incorporate a huge, glowing Emerald City of functions,''
Powers said. ''Power demand is growing at 4 percent annually.''
First-generation hybrids arriving on the market use conventional 12-volt electrical systems and utilize the electric motor mainly to
supplement the engine.
Powers said the car's ''nervous system'' will continue to evolve, with ''drive-by-wire'' electronics eventually replacing the shafts and
cables used today to steer.
Powers spoke at the University of Michigan's annual automotive management conference in Traverse City.
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