Raising the octane in gasoline -- seen as a way to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in today’s high-tech turbocharged, direct-injected engines -- looks like it will get some attention from the EPA.
That’s the good news.
Now for the bad: It’s going to take a while.
Higher octane gasoline likely won’t be available until the next set of fuel economy and emissions standards take effect after 2025. The deliberations about how high to raise octane are still probably a few years off. But the lobbying is starting to gain traction.
Dan Nicholson, General Motors’ vice president of global propulsion systems, told me recently he could boost fuel economy in most engines by about 5 percent if America had the same higher octane gasoline as Europe. Nicholson has raised the issue at industry events as have his counterparts at Ford, Fiat Chrysler and other automakers.
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