Ricardo to Benefit From Greater Engineering Needs
Ward's AutoWorld, Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Stringent New Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards looming on the horizon are expected by some in the industry to spur auto makers and suppliers to turn more frequently to outside engineering firms for help in developing new vehicles and fuel-saving technologies.

To cope with an increase in demand and help its customers improve the cost-to-benefit ratio of introducing new vehicle systems, Ricardo Inc., the U.S. arm of U.K.-based Ricardo plc, is touting its new Total Vehicle Fuel Economy service as a way to fast track development efforts.

“TVFE addresses and resolves the difficult challenges created when individual fuel-saving technologies can actually work against each other if fuel economy is not approached from a total-vehicle perspective,” says Ricardo President Dean Harlow.

Sandy Stojkovski, director-vehicle engineering-TVFE, says the new program includes comprehensive system-level simulations, integration of separate systems into complete packages and validation of new concepts for strengthening business-case models.

Ricardo, which calls itself the “Eco-Innovation Technology Company,” has a long association with powertrain programs.

Past achievements include developing the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the 1,001-hp Bugatti Veyron supercar; massaging the '08 Dodge Viper's 8.4L V-10 to produce 600 hp; and tuning heavy-duty turbodiesels from JCB Excavators Ltd. for last year's 350-mph (563-km/h) land-speed record run by the JCB DieselMax streamliner.

However, the company is no stranger to total-vehicle engineering, Stojkovski says, noting BMW AG tasked Ricardo with nearly the entire development of the then-new '02 Mini Cooper. Ricardo also was key in outfitting the Jaguar X-Type sedan with the brand's first diesel engine.

Overall, about one-third of Ricardo's business currently is total-vehicle development, with additional applications including military, commercial and heavy-duty vehicles.

Looking forward, the new CAFE standards in the U.S. will require numerous new technologies to be brought to market in a short period of time, resulting in unprecedented pressure on vehicle engineers, Stojkovski says.

Plus, an expected shortage of engineers in the U.S., such as those with diesel and hybrid-electric-vehicle expertise, bolsters the need for third-party development.

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