Direct fuel injection

Vehicle manufacturers are using innovative technologies such as direct fuel injection to meet Canada’s increasingly stringent greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty vehicles.

Direct fuel injection increases your engine’s combustion efficiency and can lower fuel consumption by 1 to 3%. This saves you money and reduces your impact on the environment.

Precision leads to efficiency

As the name suggests, this technology injects fuel directly into the cylinder under high pressure. In a conventional, indirect system the fuel is injected into the intake air stream at a lower pressure.

Direct fuel injection gives greater fuel efficiency because of a higher level of precision over the amount of fuel injected into the cylinder, the timing of the injection and the spray pattern. This precision also gives the engine greater power, which allows for a smaller engine.

Direct fuel injection systems must withstand a harsh combustion environment and operate at high fuel pressures. This means they are more expensive and complex compared to conventional systems. But the greater cost can be offset by fuel savings.

How much direct fuel injection can save

Over 10 years, a vehicle with direct fuel injection can deliver fuel savings of $120 to $840, and lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 280 to 1,930 kg. At the high end, this is equivalent to

• about half an Olympic-sized swimming pool of CO₂
• nearly 10% of our annual per capita emissions in Canada, which is 22.1 tonnes

*Based on an annual driving distance of 20,000 km, a fuel price of $1.00/L and a CO₂ emissions factor of 2.3 kg/L of gasoline.

Be a knowledgeable buyer

Research before you buy. Estimate how much fuel your vehicle will consume over its lifetime.