In an automotive world increasingly focussed on mobility, autonomous driving and electrification, pick-up trucks and diesel engines took centre stage at the opening of the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). With crossovers, SUVs and pick-ups accounting for more than 60% of the US market in 2017, and with pick-up sales up 6% in an overall market that was down 2%, automakers returned the focus to profit-making trucks at the NAIAS. This focus was lead by Ford, GM and Ram, who accounted for 2.2 million of the 2.4 million pick-ups sold in 2017, with all three promoting new diesel engine options for the three best-selling vehicles in North America.
The Ford F-150 pick-up, America’s best-selling truck for 41 consecutive years and the 2018 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, became the first full size pick-up to offer 30 mpg fuel economy (7.8 litres / 100 km) with the new SinterCast-CGI 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel. Ford confirmed that diesel sales will begin in the model year 2019 F-150 during the Spring of 2018. Also in the Ford F-150, the SinterCast-CGI 2.7 litre V6 petrol engine won a coveted Wards 10 Best Engines award – the only pick-up engine to receive a Wards 10 Best award in 2018. At the awards ceremony on 17 January, Wards referred to the 2.7 litre V6 as “the most popular engine in America’s most popular pick-up truck.”
The Ford F-150 diesel fuel economy of 30 mpg eclipses the previous best fuel economy of 29 mpg set by the 2018 Ram 1500. In introducing the all-new 2019 Ram 1500, Ram stated that the 3.0 litre V6 SinterCast-CGI diesel engine currently offered in the model year 2018 pick-up will be available in the model year 2019 vehicle in early 2019 and vowed that it’s diesel would regain the pick-up titles for fuel economy, performance, payload, towing and driving range. General Motors also introduced a 3.0 litre diesel engine for America’s second-best selling vehicle, the Silverado pick-up, on the opening day of the auto show. Although GM opted for an in-line diesel based on an aluminium cylinder block, the diesel offering reinforces the need for diesel to meet fuel economy targets in the most popular and most profitable sector in the North American auto industry.
Also at NAIAS, Achates Power revealed its opposed-piston gasoline compression ignition engine based on a compacted graphite iron cylinder block. Installed in a Ford F-150 demonstration pick-up truck, the engine is estimated to achieve 37 mpg, nearly five miles per gallon above the 2025 requirements for full-size pick-ups. Achates stated that the 2.7 litre opposed-piston engine is 30-50% more fuel efficient than comparable gasoline or diesel engines and that the technology will be available for customers in the near future.
“SinterCast identified diesel engines as an important contributor to fuel economy and driveability in the North American pick-up sector more than ten years ago. Today, diesel engines are available in four of the five full size pick-ups in the American market, confirming our initial outlook and confirming the role for modern clean diesel engines as an important part of the solution for improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions” said Dr. Steve Dawson, President & CEO of SinterCast. “We also congratulate Achates on their positive progress with the opposed-piston demonstrator pick-up. We are pleased to have supported the initial development at Achates and we look forward to continuing to support their market development.”