Scuderi Group, the developer of a split-cycle and engine and air-hybrid variant, has opened a Japan office and hired a Director of Asian Operations, Deryk Langlais. The Japan office will operate as the Asian headquarters for the Scuderi Group, which is accelerating its efforts to meet the growing demand in the region for more advanced internal combustion engines.
The Japan office is located in Nagoya, the country’s automotive hub, and will serve as a regional base for the company to promote the viability of the Scuderi engine to address demands for improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. According to the Greater Nagoya Initiative Center, the area produces 44% of the country’s automobiles.
There are more than 43 million internal combustion engines produced in Asia every year, with a majority of these engines produced for automotive applications where automakers continue to struggle to achieve higher fuel economy targets. In Japan for example, the government introduced regulations in 2007 that require OEMs to improve the fuel efficiency of their new vehicles by more than 23% over 2004 levels by 2015— – an average of 39 mpg. These fuel economy regulations challenge Japanese automakers to achieve a gain of roughly 10% by 2015.
The Scuderi split cycle and Scuderi Air-Hybrid designs have the potential to provide significant gains in fuel economy. Recent simulation tests on a naturally aspirated Scuderi Air-Hybrid operating in a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier indicated that the engine consumes 36% less fuel. (Earlier post.)