Even shaft seals are getting ecomodded...

[MetroMPG]

Attributing increasingly stringent US fuel economy (CAFE) rules as the motivation for the development...

...one of the largest suppliers of seals for rotating shafts, says it has developed a new design that reduces rotating friction by as much as 75%. If incorporated on all the seals on a typical OEM powertrain—including the engine, transmission, axle and bearing—the new design could improve fuel efficiency by about 2%, according to the supplier.

Source: Shaft Seal Design Boosts Fuel Economy | The Carlovers Magazine

The seal design also apparently:

• removes the need for a steel pressure ring
• reduces heat build up, extending life
• is being used in one un-named new engine

[RH77]

That shaft seal is a "bad mother- (shut your mouth!)"...

In all seriousness, it's encouraging to see manufacturers look at more areas of engineering to improve FE. I wonder when we'll find out who is using the new design (and if it's in the NA market)...

Plus, I can't resist bad 70's humor.

RH77

[moonmonkey]

look for the engine with the leaky shaft recall,,,,,,,,,,,,just kidding ,but new stuff scares me. just talkin bout shaft, good reference.