New Renault Engine

The world of diesel power is ever evolving, and we, recently, heard of a new small-displacement diesel that may soon be on the market. In the wake of FCA’s (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) incredible success with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine (available in its Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee) along with a number of car manufacturers introducing more diesel options over the past few years, the American market has begun to accept the idea of small diesel engines.

Never heard a 2 stroke diesel run? Check out this 16V71 (16 cylinder “V” style engine with 71 ci per cylinder) video

And why not? Diesel engines are much more efficient than gasoline engines (because of the higher compression ratios). With the amount of torque a diesel can produce, manufacturers are able to reduce the size even more than a small gas engine. This can result in a lighter engine and even better miles per gallon for the owner. But just how small is acceptable to the American market?

Ford tried a very small 2.0-liter diesel engine in one of its European cars years ago, but it really never did take off. However, another has popped its head up recently. Before we get into how small it is, one really cool aspect of the engine is, it is a 2 stroke. Generally when someone thinks of a 2 stroke diesel, they think of the old Detroit Diesel’s that were quite powerful engines.

If you are a hot rod guy, then Detroit Diesel should make you think of something else really cool that we have to thank the engineers for. (Not sure where we are going with this? Think 6-71 or 8-71.) That is right, blowers. Detroit Diesel’s introduced the primary roots type blower that is still extremely popular today. Why are we talking about blowers?

Detroit Diesel engines came in a wide range of different configurations. The first numbers represent the number of cylinders. The second set of numbers represents the displacement of each cylinder.

The 3.0L EcoDiesel in the Ram 1500 has done extremely well. Ram actually had to increase production due to its demand. While this 2 stroke engine is too small for a truck, the EcoDiesel shows that buyers aren’t afraid of purchasing a small displacement diesel if it can handle the work.

Well, this new small displacement engine is able to achieve approximately 50-percent fuel efficiency levels (gas engines are in the 35-percent range) with the help of a supercharger for low end performance and a turbocharger for mid to high end performance. Yes, we are seeing a brand new 2 stroke diesel engine with a supercharger and a turbocharger possibly going back into production as one of the most efficient engines around.

The new engine nicknamed the “Powerful,” is still an experimental engine, but being designed as a compact engine. Currently, it is less than a one-liter in displacement. Total displacement is currently only 730 cubic centimeters (44.5 ci), which is smaller than a single cylinder in any of the big three engines. The Powerful weighs less than 220 pounds. This little engine is estimated to make between 47 and 67 horsepower and 83 to 107 lb-ft of torque.

Fiat 500

Okay, so you’re saying to yourself right now, “that wouldn’t run my go-cart, much less a pickup truck.” It isn’t being designed for a truck. It would make a great engine for a small vehicle such as a compact car. This little gem was built and is being looked into by  Renault. Renault is rumored to be considering entering the US market and this may be an insight into the type of vehicle they are thinking about bringing in. Small economical vehicle like Fiat did with the 500.

One good thing is, that this is exactly the kind of thing that could make diesel-powered vehicles more acceptable to the general American marketplace. A lot of connected people who are very “green” drive these type of vehicles. These trend setters could actually be helping the big diesel guy they are fighting with. Unfortunately, the “Powerful” isn’t ready for release yet, as the manufacturer believes it can squeeze more power out of it through further development. Stay tuned!