Question

An internal combustion engine has an efficiency of 22.3%. This engine is used to deliver 6.25 x 104 J of work to drive the motion of the train. What is the total energy that needs to be put into the engine.

Answer 1

Only about 12%–30% of the energy from the fuel you put in a conventional vehicle is used to move it down the road, depending on the drive cycle. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies or used to power accessories. Therefore, the potential to improve fuel efficiency with advanced technologies is enormous.