The New Face of CAFE

All eyes turned to the powertrain community on Dec. 19, when President Bush signed new corporate average fuel economy legislation mandating 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) for all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. by 2020.

True, powertrain engineers occupy the front line when it comes to squeezing more energy from a gallon of gasoline or retooling vehicles to run on alternative fuels or in hybrid-electric configurations.

But even the brightest stars on any powertrain team are ...