The east’s finest car makers are joining forces to help develop engines and push the boundaries of fuel efficiency. The alliance includes Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Daihatsu and will see the formation of AICE or Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines.
The group will be investing 1 billion yen into the joint venture that could see FE (fuel efficiency) boosted by up to 50 percent. The Japanese government is backing to project and is reportedly funding over half the cash.
The collaboration mens that the group can pool resources, technology and knowledge while cutting costs compared to going it alone. They aim to be revealing the fruits of their labour around 2020.
The group will be focusing on studying exhaust gas treatment from diesel engines and improving engine thermal efficiency. It’s hoped that they these improvements will see both petrol and diesel engines become more efficient and also much kinder to the environment.
The appointed head of the JV told reporters, “With gas-electric hybrid cars and fuel-cell vehicles being introduced, the range of technologies that car makers must develop are expanding, even though the number of researchers are not.”
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