Combustion engines may not only emit less CO2, but also less NOx and particulate matter. According to Porsche, the solution may lie in a somewhat different course change: not downsize but supersize.
At Porsche, Frank-Steffen Walliser, responsible for the 911, is busy with the question of how Porsche can meet environmental requirements and still maintain the sporty driving experience. Walliser does not want a hybrid 911 for the time being, although he now sees how electrification can also work to an advantage. Still, according to him, there is another way to respond to new environmental requirements and still continue with a pure combustion engine: supersize. Yes, making combustion engines bigger.
That sounds strange, but here lies the problem: the smaller an engine becomes while it must continue to deliver proportionally high performance; the higher the nitrogen and (with direct injection petrol engines) the particulate matter emissions. To overcome this, you can, for example, apply after-treatment to the exhaust gases, but that again costs power. The next generation of engines will fall under the Euro7 standard and there are mainly stricter requirements regarding nitrogen and particulate matter, so it will still have to be prevented. Otherwise, such a motor should not even be used. The idea of ​​Walliser: increase engines (in terms of cylinder capacity or number of cylinders) to keep nitrogen and particulate matter emissions under control as much as possible and of course also to keep good power.
Of course, another problem comes into play to which we owe the downsize trend: CO2 emissions. Of course it goes up again with larger engines. However, an internal combustion engine may simply be sold if CO2 emissions are high, whereas this is not the case if NOx emissions are too high. And those CO2 emissions do not have to be reduced in the car itself. Porsche has, for example, the Taycan in its range; this can help to reduce the average CO2 emissions of Porsche’s range and maintain the pleasure of a pure combustion engine in the 911, for example.
In Techzle 27 we went into more detail on the phenomenon of supersizing and how Porsche views it. Did you miss number 27, you can still order it here!