60% of the energy of a heat engine is lost along the way according to this study

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The issue of consumption has always been a concern in the automotive world. If the main reason for this interest of the general public is economic, the ecological question is also at stake. The less a car consumes, the better it is for our wallet and the planet.

In order to reduce the environmental footprint of our travel, the European Union has decided to ban the production of thermal cars from 2035. A historic choice, criticized by some, but which has the merit of shaking things up and calls into question the single model of the car: thermal and polluting.

What is gasoline used for in a car ?

Especially since the consumption of a car is not optimal, quite the contrary. Internal combustion engines, like those present in our cars, actually only use 30% of the energy produced to move the vehicle. The remaining 70% are lost throughout the energy production process.

To fully understand these figures, which may seem counterintuitive, we must look at how a heat engine works. The latter will produce combustion by mixing pressurized gasoline with air. Around 40 to 50% of the energy produced at this time will be transformed into mechanical energy, via the rotation of the pistons.

The other half of the energy generated by the combustion of our air-fuel mixture is lost, particularly in the exhaust gases. But we are not there yet. Indeed, thermal cars also lose energy, by transforming it into heat. The combustion of air and gasoline will heat up the engine.

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Friction everywhere, all the time

Finally, the last point that makes us lose energy is friction. The energy transmitted by the pistons to the crankshaft does not go directly to the road. It first passes through the gearbox, then the drive shaft and finally the wheels. A recent study estimates that 45% of energy losses due to friction were located around the pistons.

Faced with such figures, a question arises: how can we improve the energy efficiency of our thermal car ? In reality, the answer is quite simple. We must limit friction around the engine block as much as possible.

How to improve these figures ?

Manufacturers are already working on designing better lubricants. For your part, as an individual, you can check the oil level in your car. A surplus will create unnecessary friction. If the levels are too low, the result will be the same. The wear of the parts will also be greater, creating avoidable mechanical problems.

A scientific study, conducted at the University of Poitiers, also estimates that infrastructure has a role to play in the efficiency of our thermal cars. Indeed, by using the right construction tools, researchers have shown that it is possible to reduce the friction forces between the wheels and the road by 50%.

Such an economy could significantly reduce our consumption, especially on long motorway journeys. However, scientists say that the best way to reduce a car's consumption is to reduce its size and weight.

The bigger a car, the more it consumes. The same applies to its weight. In other words, the supremacy of SUVs in the current car market is anything but good news for the planet.

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