Here's a decent article with some good graphs.
You do love graphs, don't you?
http://blog.ucsusa.org/top-9-technol...-auto-show-731
Summary:
(1) Fuel economy improvements in all segments
(2) Gasoline direct injection, turbocharging and engine downsizing
(3) Hybrid improvements
With the efficiency gap closing between hybrids & non-hybrids, the case for going hybrid is getting harder to justify, especially when gas prices fall.
This graph (source: EPA) suprised me:
(4) Cylinder deactivation
Wonder if/when we're going to see a 4-to-2 system in North America.
VW has already quantified the MPG benefits.
(5) Start-stop systems
On non-hybrid vehicles, that is.
Quote:
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About 6% of vehicles in 2014 are expected to have start-stop technology.
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This is an obvious middle-hanging fruit, though average drivers (traditional gearheads especially) seem to hate them. Honda says it specifically omitted stop/start from the new U.S. Fit for "consumer acceptance" reasons.
(6) Transmissions
More gears, more CVT's, more automated dual clutch manuals, fewer conventional manuals?
Another telling graph:
(7) High strength, lightweight materials
(8) Electric vehicles
(9) Diesel vehicles
Quote:
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One trend that is apparent from EPA’s analysis is that manufacturers tend to get the most improvements out of diesel’s in the smaller vehicle segment
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See the full article: Top 9 Technology Trends to Watch at the 2014 LA Auto Show - The Equation