Honeywell Turbo Technologies says it expects to launch more than 100 turbocharger applications involving more than 20 new technologies in 2014. These new applications will serve Honeywell’s global customer base with gasoline, diesel, natural gas and hybrid powertrains in both light vehicle passenger and commercial vehicles.
Honeywell states it has more than 500 current turbo programs in various stages of development in its customer pipeline, all of which are expected to come to market in the next few years. The company pioneered automotive turbocharging more than 60 years ago and has produced more than 100 million turbos in its history.
Honeywell recently announced Honeywell VNT turbo, which is helping to power the Fiat 500L and its 1.6L Multi Jet II diesel engine. According to the company, the new VNT turbo can make significant contributions to auto makers balancing improved fuel economy, lower emissions and enhanced performance.
“Our Honeywell technology roadmap is contributing to Fiat’s current and future engine strategies for fuel efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles. The consistently large number of turbo launches we have each year reflects the value downsizing and turbocharging brings to auto makers in response to global demands for improved fuel economy and emissions without compromising performance,” said Honeywell Transportation Systems President and CEO Terrence Hahn. “Honeywell is intent on delivering to Fiat and all of our customers the differentiated technology customers are seeking in exciting, fun-to-drive vehicles, which can also help put more time between trips to the fuel pump.”
Honeywell expects turbocharging to continue growing globally from 31 percent in 2013 to 38 percent by 2018. While Europe is by far the global leader in turbo penetration given the high percentage of diesel vehicles sold, the addition of gasoline turbocharging will increase its turbo penetration to nearly 67 percent by 2018. This compares to 2018 estimates of 31 percent of total sales in North America, 33 percent in China and 53 percent in India.
Turbochargers allow a smaller engine to achieve the similar if not improved power outputs of larger naturally aspirated engines while being between 20 to 40 percent more fuel efficient in gasoline and diesel engines respectively. The smaller engine size also makes turbos a technology that can help automakers meet stricter emissions standards.