TECHNOLOGY
of internal combustion and electric
motors: hybrids. In this instance, the
electric motor will suffice for daily usage,
with the combustion engine used in
combination for the less frequent, longer
distances travelled. This is a far more
sensible and cleaner solution,”
says Kambouris.
“With a hybrid powertrain,
turbochargers will be used not only to
increase the efficiency of the smaller
combustion engine fitted, but also in
increasing the range of the battery
powered motor. With EU legislation only
pushing MTEE to innovate further, there
is a general feeling of excitement at
MTEE; whatever the future holds for the
industry, you can bet MTEE will be at the
centre of it all,” adds Kambouris.
In fact, analysts from Transparency
Market Research predict 10.1% market
growth in cars fitted with a turbocharger
by 2024.
Growth has been particularly strong
over the last two decades, thanks to
the vital role that turbochargers play in
saving energy and reducing emissions
from standard internal combustion
engines. According to a working paper
by The International Council on Clean
Transportation, the global market share
of turbocharged vehicles has been rising
by around 3% each year since 2010.
Projecting this rate of increase forward
would mean a third of the world’s
vehicles will be fitted with turbochargers
by 2020, rising to nearly half by 2025.
The combination of strict emission
legislation and rising fuel prices have
already led to heavy demand for
turbocharged vehicles in Europe, where
the market is now mature. But more
demand is expected from emerging
markets such as China where the number
of vehicles on the road is surging. This
is also combined with more stringent
environmental regulations in both the US
and Asia, cementing the trend of global
growth for turbochargers.
A Mitsubishi cut out turbo.
The future is bright for turbochargers.
Batteries are not a threat
Another supposed threat to the internal
combustion engine and the turbocharger
is the implementation of electrically
powered vehicles. It would not be silly
to question the place of the internal
combustion engine and the turbocharger
in a future populated by electric cars.
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“The reality is, however, that an electric
motor used on its own is not the solution.
Batteries in fully electric vehicles often
have ranges upwards of 500km. On a
daily basis we drive only a fraction of this
distance, so why the unnecessary range?
It is highly inefficient. What we are far
more likely to see is the perfect harmony
MTEE are part of the Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries (MHI) group,
specialising in the design,
manufacture and distribution of
turbochargers for the automotive
industry. The official agents in
Southern Africa is TurboDirect SA.
APRIL 2020
29