ICE Explained As There Are Many People Still Confused What It Means
Once the term EV (electric vehicle) became well known in motoring circles, the term ‘petrol powered’ was superseded by the term ‘ICE’.
The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) which is an engine powered by petrol, diesel, natural gas (with some modifications) or even in some countries, kerosene will only phase out decades from now when petroleum runs out.
Meanwhile, we will still be seeing new petrol powered (ICE) vehicles coming from every car manufacturer, yes even Volvo, BMW and Mercedes are now saying that ICE engines are not going to be retired.
However, in recent years there has been strong movement from North America and EU nations for ICE to be replaced by zero-emission mobility solutions due to global clean air standards and efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the environment.
Meanwhile, advancements in ICE design have helped make these vehicles more powerful, more efficient and cleaner-burning than ever before, especially when integrated with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains (we will provide a detailed explanation on this very soon).
A Brief History of the ‘ICE’
It is essential to understand how the ICE came into existence. Here below are significant milestones showing the development of the ICE from early inception to application within automobiles:
- In 1791, John Barber developed the gas turbine. (England)
- In 1798, John Stevens built the first American internal combustion engine. (US)
- In 1807, François Issac de Rivaz built “the world’s first internal combustion powered automobile.” (Switzerland)
- In 1854, Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci obtained the certification: “Obtaining Motive Power by the Explosion of Gases.” (UK)
- In 1876, Nicolaus Otto, Gottlieb Daimler, and Wilhelm Maybach developed and patented the four-cycle, compressed-charge engine. (Germany)
So, petrol powered (ICE) engines will remain even after some manufacturers like Hyundai Motor Group made statements (in December 2021) previously that ICE research and development was to be retired and instead today they are reviving the ICE engine with hybrid technology to provide better driving distance and very low emissions.
The same is happening with Volvo as they made a surprising unveiling of their facelift XC90 with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
