From 1968 to 1972, Honda Motor Co. of Japan designed, tested, and massproduced a stratified charge engine, the CVCC, which was lower in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide emissions and higher in fuel economy than contemporary conventional engines of similar output. Honda developed the CVCC without government assistance or outside help. Honda's success came at a time when steadily increasing fuel costs and the various provisions of the Clean Air Act had forced U.S. automakers to consider possible alternatives to the conventional gasoline engine. While most major engine manufacturers had investigated some form of stratified charge engine, Honda's CVCC was the only one to find successful market application. This case study examines the circumstances surrounding the development of the CVCC engine and its introduction into the Japanese and American markets.
This report is a preliminary survey of the technological feasibility of reducing the fuel consumption of automobiles. The study uses as a reference in...
This report reviews stratified charge concepts and engines, with emphasis on the important issues of exhaust emissions, fuel economy, and performance....
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