A car's camshaft is like an annoying brother-in-law who moves in, eats your food, asks for loans and takes over your spare room. Problem is, he's the only one who knows how to open the windows or use the stove, so your helpless ass is pretty much stuck with him. But one company, Valeo, is working on a way to kick brother cam's energy-sucking buttocks out the door. The system uses electromagnetic actuators to open and close an engine's valves, an action typically done mechanically by, you guessed it, the camshaft. The system, currently being tested on Peugeot cars, promises to reduce gas engines' fuel consumption by 20%, putting them in line with diesels for fuel efficiency. The company says the cam's bags could be packed and a taxi called as early as 2008.
Valeo tests camless system for gas engines; supplier hopes to produce fuel-saving technology by '08 [AutoWeek]
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