Future of the Internal Combustion Engine in Sustainable Road Mobility
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "I2: Energy and Combustion Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 266
Editors
Interests: automotive engineering; internal combustion engines; computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: automotive engineering; internal combustion engines; fuel and lubricants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: automotive engineering; internal combustion engines; modeling & simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Road mobility has played a central role in shaping human civilization, contributing to economic development, social interaction, and cultural exchange. Although the internal combustion (IC) engine is still the most widespread energy source used in road mobility, it faces several environmental issues.
In the context of ever-growing environmental concerns, fossil fuel resource depletion, and increasingly strict emissions regulations, researchers’ focus must be on ensuring sustainable road mobility. Transitioning to cleaner energy sources and more efficient transportation technologies is essential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve air quality, and promote healthier urban environments.
Hence, now more than ever, the need to strike a balance between increasing global road mobility and environmental protection is obvious, and any potential road mobility energy source must be impartially (i.e., free of any scientific and/or political bias) discussed from the perspective of sustainable road mobility.
Consequently, this Special Issue aims to gather scientific results on the latest findings regarding the future of IC engines in road mobility. More specifically, in the context of a planned transition to a zero-carbon future, we aim to underline that the IC engine will still have a role to play. With this in mind, we seek contributions addressing the following generic topics: (1) “how-to-burn” a fuel in order to achieve highly efficient and clean internal combustion engine functioning suitable for sustainable road mobility, and (2) “what-to-burn” inside an engine, i.e., sustainable fuels produced from renewable energy sources.
Finally, as Guest Editors coming from academia, we also hope to clearly and impartially show students and young engineers why embracing a research career in IC engines is still worthwhile.
Thus, papers addressing (but not necessarily limited to) any of the following topics are encouraged. Submissions investigating topics not explicitly quoted below but nonetheless of interest to this Special Issue will be taken into consideration.
- Near-zero-emission/impact IC engines: Clean engine technologies including advanced combustion and aftertreatment systems aiming to achieve near-zero environmental impact.
- IC engine efficiency and CO2
- Dedicated hybrid engines (IC engines in the context of hybridization/electrification): Stakes, challenges, and results; modelling and control strategies; and energy management.
- Alternative and renewable fuels (H2, CNG, LNG, LPG, biofuels, synthetic fuels—PTG, PTL).
- Retrofit applications.
- Policy pathways for sustainable road mobility:
- Impact of future regulations on IC engine development;
- Real driving emissions (RDEs);
- Environmental impact assessment of IC engine vehicles via Total Life Cycle Analysis (TLCA).
- Progress in IC engine lubricants, materials, and manufacturing (aiming at durability, low friction, lightweighting, and low TLCA environmental impact).
Prof. Dr. Adrian Clenci
Prof. Dr. Rodica Niculescu
Dr. Plamen Punov
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- internal combustion engine
- combustion
- efficiency improvement
- fuels
- aftertreatment
- sustainable road mobility
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