Looking to the evolution of the road transportation sector, the UPGRADE project addresses the challenging objectives to answer the needs in reducing simultaneously CO2 emissions and, more generally, noxious compounds, including nanoparticles emissions, under Real Driving conditions: the UPGRADE project will see the development of next generation Spark Ignited gasoline engines, optimizing the Direct Injection process with regard to fuel consumption, the nanoparticles formation process and the after-treatment system control.

The project will consider the best combination of new engine technologies addressing in parallel two different combustion approaches: stoichiometric on a new 3-cyl 1.0 l engine and lean burn on a 4-cyl 2.0 l engine and, consequently, also the after-treatment system development will consider both the combustion approaches providing a complete overview and assessment of both technologies.

Two full demonstrator vehicles, equipped with the related technologies developed in the project, will be provided to demonstrate the achievement of the target of 15% improvement on CO2 emissions based on the WLTP cycle and the compliancy with the Euro 6 RDE standard.