Katerina Swanson
The first fuel-injected engines for passenger cars became available in the late 1930s and early 1940s. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that fuel injection was introduced in passenger car petrol engines. The first commercially available electronic fuel injection (EFI) system was the Bendix Electrojector, which debuted in 1957. In the 1970s, fuel injection began to appear in mainstream cars, and by the early 1990s, it had largely replaced carburetors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries. Today, all newly introduced engines are fuel-injected, and electronic fuel injection has been in the mainstream of automotive engineering for about 20 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First electronic fuel injection system | Bendix Electrojector, introduced in 1957 |
| First cars to use the Electrojector system | 1958 Chrysler 300D, DeSoto Adventurer, Dodge D-500 and Plymouth Fury |
| First mass-produced system to use digital electronics | Bosch Motronic multi-point fuel injection system |
| First single-port fuel injection | Early 1980s |
| Common rail system introduced | 1997 Mitsubishi 6G74 V6 engine |
| Common-rail system for a passenger car diesel engine | 1999 Alfa Romeo 156 1.9 JTD model |
| First fuel-injected production sports car | 1954 300 SL, nicknamed the "Gullwing" |
| First mass-produced fuel-injected engines for passenger cars | Late 1930s and early 1940s |
| Fuel injection introduced in passenger car petrol engines | Early 1950s |
| Fuel injection replaced carburetors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries | Early 1990s |
| All newly introduced engines had to be fuel-injected in Europe | From 1992 |
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What You'll Learn
Early history of electronic fuel injectors
The history of fuel injection systems dates back to the early 20th century, with the first fuel-injected engines introduced in the late 1930s and early 1940s for diesel passenger cars, such as the Mercedes-Benz OM 138. During this period, most petrol engines relied on carburettors for fuel delivery. However, the concept of fuel injection itself emerged earlier and found applications in industrial engines and World War II aircraft.
In the 1950s, fuel injection technology transitioned to passenger car petrol engines, marking a significant shift in the automotive industry. This decade witnessed the introduction of the American Bendix Electrojector system in 1957, which utilised analogue electronics for control. While the system was intended for the Rambler Rebel mid-size car, reliability issues prevented its inclusion. The following year, in 1958, the Chrysler 300D, DeSoto Adventurer, Dodge D-500, and Plymouth Fury became the first cars known to adopt the Electrojector system, pioneering the use of electronic fuel injection (EFI).
The Electrojector patents were subsequently acquired by Bosch, who further developed the technology. Bosch introduced the D-Jetronic system, produced from 1967 to 1976, which utilised engine speed and intake manifold air density to calculate fuel injection amounts. In 1974, Bosch unveiled two additional injection systems: the K-Jetronic, a mechanical system employing a continuous flow of fuel, and the L-Jetronic, a pulsed flow system utilising an air flow meter to determine fuel requirements. The L-Jetronic, in particular, gained widespread adoption in European cars during the 1970s and 1980s, setting the stage for the broader implementation of electronic fuel injection.
The 1980s witnessed the growing popularity of electronic manifold injection systems, including port injection and throttle-body injection. During this decade, the Ford EEC-III single-point fuel injection system and Cadillac's digital injection debuted, marking significant advancements in the field. By the early 1990s, fuel injection technology had largely superseded carburettors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries, thanks to its improved fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
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The 1970s: a time of carburetor complexity
The 1970s were a challenging time for automakers, who struggled to design carburetor technology that could meet the stringent clean air demands being placed on vehicles. The carburetor, a device that mixes fuel and air using mechanical means, had served the automotive industry well for a hundred years. However, with the advent of the digital age, the simple carburetor could not keep up with the precision required for greater emissions control and fuel economy.
The result was an increase in carburetor complexity. Manufacturers tried to incorporate state-of-the-art computers into carburetor designs to meet government emissions standards. However, these designs became intricate and costly, with many mechanical parts that required regular maintenance and were prone to becoming gummy over time. The maintenance-intensive carburetor was falling out of favour, and manufacturers began to look for a more efficient alternative.
The solution was electronic fuel injection (EFI), which had been introduced in the late 1950s but had not yet gained widespread adoption. EFI systems use electronic monitoring and calibration to precisely control the air/fuel mixture, resulting in improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. By the mid-1970s, EFI was being touted as the solution to complex emissions problems, and automakers began to transition to this simpler and more efficient technology.
The first commercially available EFI system, the Bendix Electrojector, debuted in 1957 and was used in several American car models. By the 1970s, fuel injection was appearing in mainstream cars, and by the early 1990s, it had largely replaced carburetors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries. Today, all newly introduced engines are fuel-injected, and electronic control by a digital computer and fuel injectors have become the standard for automotive engines.
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The 1980s: electronic fuel injectors gain popularity
The 1980s saw the growing popularity of electronic fuel injectors in cars. This was driven by the need to meet emissions standards and improve fuel economy, which required more precise fuel metering than carburetors could provide.
The first electronic fuel injection systems appeared in the 1950s, and by the 1970s, they were becoming more common in mainstream cars. However, early EFI systems were unreliable and did not meet power or gas mileage goals. They also had a shorter lifespan than carbureted engines, often burning out before 100,000 miles.
In the 1980s, EFI systems began to improve in terms of gas mileage, power, and reliability. For example, the 1984 Corvette featured cross-fire injection and achieved 205 hp and 20 MPG, a significant improvement over carbureted cars from the previous decade. The EFI components also lasted longer, with some systems surpassing 100,000 miles.
During this time, single-port fuel injection debuted, which looked similar to a carburetor but contained fuel injectors inside its enclosure. This design allowed for precise injection of liquid fuel into a shared cavity for mixing with air. Multi-port injection further improved efficiency by splitting up the injectors and positioning the spray before the intake valve.
By the early 1990s, fuel injection systems had largely replaced carburetors in new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries. This shift was made possible by the advancements and growing popularity of electronic fuel injectors in the 1980s.
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The 1990s: electronic fuel injectors become standard
The 1990s marked a significant shift in the automotive industry, with electronic fuel injectors becoming the standard in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries. This transition had been years in the making, with the first electronic fuel injection systems introduced in the late 1950s and gradually gaining prevalence over the following decades.
In the early days of electronic fuel injection (EFI), the technology faced challenges with reliability and performance. The first commercially available EFI system, the Bendix Electrojector, debuted in 1957, but reliability issues meant it was not widely adopted. However, by the 1970s, companies like Bosch and Mercedes-Benz were making advancements, and fuel injection started appearing in mainstream cars.
The 1980s saw further improvements in gas mileage, power, and reliability, with EFI components lasting over 100,000 miles. Single-port fuel injection, which resembled a carburetor with an air filter on top, was introduced during this decade. This design included fuel injectors inside the enclosure, injecting fuel into a shared cavity for mixing with air. By the early 1990s, electronic fuel injection systems had largely replaced carburetors in new petrol-engined cars in developed countries.
The standardisation of electronic fuel injectors brought several benefits. Firstly, they offered greater precision in fuel metering, meeting the increasing demands for emissions control and fuel economy. Secondly, they reduced maintenance requirements compared to carburetors, which had many mechanical parts that could become gummy and require regular servicing.
While electronic fuel injectors became the norm in the 1990s, advancements continued to be made in the following decades. Multi-port injection, which positions the spray of fuel right before the intake valve, further maximised efficiency and allowed for longer-lasting engines. Today, all cars are fitted with electronically controlled fuel injection systems, utilising a wide array of data sent to the control unit from various sensors.
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How electronic fuel injectors work
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel into an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by means of a fuel injector. All compression-ignition engines (e.g. diesel engines) and many spark-ignition engines (i.e. petrol (gasoline) engines) use fuel injection of one kind or another.
The first examples of fuel injection in cars started to appear in the 1950s. By the 1970s, fuel injection was appearing in mainstream cars. Since the mid-1990s, it has been impossible to buy a new car without fuel injection in Europe.
The first commercially available electronic fuel injection (EFI) system was the Bendix Electrojector, which debuted in several models made by the American brands AMC and Rambler. In 1958, it also appeared in the Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, and Plymouth cars. The Electrojector patents were subsequently sold to Bosch, who developed the Electrojector into the Bosch D-Jetronic. The D-Jetronic was produced from 1967-1976 and first used on the VW 1600TL/E. The system was a speed/density system, using engine speed and intake manifold air density to calculate the amount of fuel to be injected.
In 1974, Bosch introduced the K-Jetronic system, which used a continuous flow of fuel from the injectors (rather than the pulsed flow of the D-Jetronic system). K-Jetronic was a mechanical injection system, using a plunger actuated by the intake manifold pressure which then controlled the fuel flow to the injectors. Also in 1974, Bosch introduced the L-Jetronic system, a pulsed flow system that used an air flow meter to calculate the amount of fuel required. L-Jetronic was widely adopted on European cars during the 1970s and 1980s. As a system that uses electronically-controlled fuel injectors that open and close to control the amount of fuel entering the engine, the L-Jetronic system uses the same basic principles as modern EFI systems.
The Ford EEC-III single-point fuel injection system, introduced in 1980, was another early digital fuel injection system. These and other electronic manifold injection systems (using either port injection or throttle-body injection) became more widespread through the 1980s, and by the early 1990s, they had replaced carburettors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries.
The fuel injector is nothing but an electronically controlled valve. Like other direct injection systems, it is supplied with pressurized fuel by the fuel pump in your car, and it is capable of opening and closing many times per second. When the injector is energized, an electromagnet moves a plunger that opens the valve, allowing the pressurized fuel to squirt out through a tiny nozzle. The nozzle is designed to atomize the fuel—to make as fine a mist as possible so that it can burn easily. The amount of fuel supplied to the engine is determined by the amount of time the fuel injector stays open. This is called the pulse width, and it is controlled by the ECU (engine control unit). The fuel injectors are mounted in the intake manifold so that they spray fuel directly at the intake valves. A pipe called the fuel rail supplies pressurized fuel to all of the injectors.
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Frequently asked questions
Electronic fuel injectors became common in the early 1990s. They were introduced in the late 1950s and gradually gained popularity until they replaced carburetors in most new petrol-engined cars sold in developed countries.
The first car known to use an electronic fuel injection (EFI) system was the 1958 Chrysler 300D.
Fuel injection uses electronic monitoring and calibration to precisely control the air/fuel mixture.
Electronic fuel injection provides greater precision in fuel metering, which helps meet requirements for greater emissions control and fuel economy.
