Click above for more early images of the production Chevy Volt

It's no secret that we appreciate what General Motors has been able to do with just two-liters. The direct injected and turbocharged mill powering the rear-wheel drive Solstice GXP and Sky Redline along with the front-wheel drive HHR SS and Cobalt SS models is an excellent one. What's more, its 260 horsepower represents 130-horsepower per liter, the highest ever from a GM production engine and on par with the best from the world. Expect to see more of this kind of technology from new GM engines along with more six-speed transmissions. Also expect an ever-higher percentage of aluminum to appear in all engines from all manufacturers.

GM also has plans for diesels and hybrids. The upcoming 4.5-liter diesel for full-size trucks and SUVs manages to weigh about seventy-five pounds less than other diesels of similar size. On the hybrid front, Automotive News says that GM will offer one new hybrid per quarter for the next four years -- that's sixteen new hybrids. That number would not include the Volt, a car which GM considers fully electric with a range-extender, and is something we've heard for a while now.

GM is also hard at work on HCCI engines, which we have covered extensively and offer the promise of diesel-like economy with the ability to use gasoline. Fuel cells are still on the table, though we'd imagine that today's tough financial times could slow down the development of GM's hydrogen plans. We'll take the trade-off of an HCCI engine over a hydrogen fuel cell as it would likely have a much larger impact and be ready for primetime much sooner.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click on the HCCI equipped Opel Vectra for a high-res gallery

There are rumors floating around the interwebs today regarding the Opel Insignia being the first official product from General Motors using its highly-efficient homegeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI for short. We can't confirm these rumors at this point, as GM has made no official announcements at all regarding the future of its HCCI engines. We do, however, know that engineers in crisp white lab coats are currently hard at work perfecting the technology. Therefore, we'd expect their efforts to bear fruit sooner or later. Exactly what vehicle the HCCI engine will first appear in, though, remains a mystery.

While we're on the subject of the HCCI engine, why not go ahead and peruse our explanation of how the technology works. GM's FYI blog also has a bit of a primer on the technology that may be worth a look too. Because an HCCI engine can provide a fifteen percent boost in fuel economy to go along with reduced emissions, we're rather excited about the prospect of seeing this technology in production as soon as possible.

[Source: Motor Authority and Auto Express, thanks for the tip, gmcbob]

Last summer we had the chance to meet up with GM powertrain researcher Paul Najt and drive GM's prototype HCCI engines. Homegeneous charge compression ignition engines basically take some of the technical concepts behind diesel engines and combine it with a gasoline engine. The result is a new power system that achieves most of the benefit of diesel efficiency without the problems of soot and NOx emissions. As features like variable valve timing, direct fuel injection, cylinder pressure sensors and more powerful control systems have become available in engines, HCCI has become more practical. HCCI doesn't work well under all operating conditions, but engineers are learning how to blend HCCI and normal spark ignition operation seamlessly. The guys at Popular Mechanics had a chance to visit the GM research lab where the HCCI engines are being developed. There is a good interview with Najt and some explanation of how the engines work in a video on their site.


[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, or HCCI, holds out a great deal of hope for green automotive enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz has shown concept vehicles using the technology, which they refer to as DiesOtto, in their F700 concept vehicle pictured above. Like diesels, HCCI engines eschew spark-plugs in favor of compression ignition. Unlike diesels, HCCI burns gasoline, which could make them a popular choice in countries like the U.S. where gasoline is more widely available than diesel (and, currently in most areas, cheaper). HCCI engines could potentially allow for the emissions levels of gasoline with the efficiency of diesel and could be cheaper to produce than a comparably-powered diesel engine.

Over the hump to Number 5.