舍弗勒北美未來高效車型的測試車展示，通過運用該公司多項成熟的技術，獲得了顯著的CO2減排效果。
技術專業人員運用舍弗勒的技術改進了MY2013福特翼虎(Escape)，改進款SUV與原款相比，在相同情況下，燃油經濟性達到了兩位數的提升。
在2014年1月13日的底特律北美車展上，舍弗勒集團北美區副總裁兼首席技術官Jeff Hemphill告訴《汽車工程》的記者說：“我們在第一階段目標是達到：每一個燃油經濟性的百分比提升，其成本控制在40美元以下，同時滿足2020企業平均燃料經濟性(CAFE)法規要求。而現在我們幾乎完全符合最初模擬時作出的推測，節省了超過15%的燃油。”
Hemphill介紹道，舍弗勒的這款SUV測試車自2013年9月就開始進行實地道路測試，經過長時間的測試獲得的結果是燃油經濟性得到15%以上的提升，而CO2排放量也相應減少了近15%，這一結果獲得了美國俄亥俄州一家獨立測試機構的核實確認。
該款四驅SUV測試車（被認為是“北美未來的高效車型”）配有2.0L 4缸EcoBoost發動機，加上6速自動變速器，同時汽車皮帶傳動、氣門機件和平衡軸進行了減少摩擦的調整設計，并配有低滾動阻力輪胎以及其他燃油節省技術。
熱量管理模塊則與奧迪某些車型和使用的舍弗勒組件類似，使測試車很快就達到了最佳發動機溫度。該模塊還為其他集成組件提供精確控制的溫度平衡，在城市道路及高速公路工況下駕駛可以節省1%的燃油。
根據不同的駕駛工況，舍弗勒北美開發的全輪驅動（AWD）分離式離合器從動力傳輸單元(PTU)的后軸中將傳動系統分離，后軸上的第二分離點可以防止扭矩通過后輪旋轉而被轉移至傳動系統上。AWD分離式離合系統由液壓操控的整合在PTU輸入軸上的同步離合器以及由電子操控的后軸的齒式離合器組成，它能夠在城市工況及高速駕駛的情況下最多節省2%~6%的燃油。
Hemphill還介紹道，舍弗勒永久嚙合式起動馬達使用了彈簧單向離合器，連接起動馬達和扭矩轉換器的外殼，在城市工況下駕駛可節省6%的油耗。與啟停系統相配合的是來自舍弗勒的閉鎖閥，內存有液壓使變速器能夠保持在第一檔。
他指出該AWD分離式離合器、永久嚙合式起動馬達和閉鎖閥都是第二代技術，“將在2017產品年投入生產”。
當前配置測試車的設計目標是，不通過增添額外的動力總成電氣設備使其達到2020 CAFE要求，同時該車型還將會被持續改進。
Hemphill 說道：“第二階段通過運用48伏中量級混合動力系統的改進項目已經啟動，同時還會有其他的技術不斷會被運用，不過我們還沒有決定最終的組合。我們的計劃是讓這個車型符合2025年的CAFE要求。”
Schaeffler's Efficient Future Mobility North America demonstration vehicle shows how the company's various production-ready technologies can combine for impressive CO2 reduction.
Technical specialists retrofitted a MY2013 Ford Escape with Schaeffler technologies, and the payback is a double-digit-percentage fuel-economy improvement compared to the production SUV’s original mpg ratings.
“Our target in phase one was to get under $40 per percent of fuel-economy improvement and meet the 2020 CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) regulation requirements," Jeff Hemphill, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Schaeffler Group North America, told Automotive Engineering Jan. 13 at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. "We almost exactly matched our initial simulation projections, which are more than a 15% improvement in fuel economy.”
Schaeffler’s SUV demonstrator has been accumulating real-world miles since September 2013. Fuel-economy improvements of more than 15% and CO2emissions reductions of approximately 15% as determined by Schaeffler testing were later confirmed by an independent testing institute in Ohio, Hemphill said.
Powered by a 2.0-L EcoBoost four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the demonstration 4WD SUV (known as the Efficient Future Mobility North America) received friction-reducing modifications to the belt drive, valvetrain, and balance shaft. It also was equipped with low-rolling-resistance tires and other fuel-conserving technologies.
A thermal-management module, similar to a Schaeffler unit used by Audi on certain production vehicles, enables the demonstration vehicle to reach optimal engine temperature quickly. The module also provides a precisely controlled temperature balance for other integrated components and delivers a 1% reduction in fuel consumption for city and highway driving.
Depending on the driving situation, Schaeffler’s North American-developed AWD disconnect clutch decouples the drivetrain from the rear axle at the power transfer unit (PTU). A second disconnection point in the rear axle prevents torque from being transferred by the rotating rear wheels to the drivetrain. Consisting of a hydraulically operated synchronizer clutch integrated in the PTU’s input shaft and electronically operated rear-axle dog clutches, the AWD disconnect clutch system can generate fuel savings of up to 2% in city driving and up to 6% in highway driving.
Schaeffler’s permanently engaged starter, which uses a wrap spring one-way clutch for connecting the starter to the torque converter’s housing, can provide up to 6% fuel savings in city traffic, Hemphill said. Complementing the stop-start system is Schaeffler’s latching valve, which stores hydraulic pressure to keep the transmission in first gear.
The AWD disconnect clutch, the permanently engaged starter, and the latching valve are all second-generation technologies that "will be production-ready for the 2017 model year," he noted.
The currently configured demonstration vehicle was designed to meet 2020 CAFE requirements without additional electrification of the powertrain. The same vehicle will undergo further modifications.
“Phase two has already started with a 48-volt mild hybrid system," said Hemphill. "There will be other technologies as well, but we haven’t determined the final package yet. The plan is to bring the vehicle in line with the 2025 CAFE requirements."
