The power cylinder fires just after the piston has begun its downward motion ("after top dead center", or ATDC).
The Scuderi Group says ATDC eliminates a thermal efficiency shortcoming seen in previous split-cycle engine designs.
Firing ATDC in a split-cycle arrangement is claimed to eliminate the losses resulting from recompressing the gas.
[10] Laboratory tests of the prototype are said to match earlier predictions generated by computer models.
In the standard configuration conforming to the schematic above it could use actually one less valve per cylinder pair than an Otto engine.
[13] On March 13, 2015, Federal Judge Mark Mastroianni allowed Hino Motors to maintain a hold that they have on a $68,000 Scuderi Group bank account.
[17] In 2009, in The Wall Street Journal a Daimler AG scientist familiar with the matter said that the design "has potential".
Various manufacturers, including Honda, Daimler AG, Fiat, and PSA Peugeot Citroën, were said to have signed non-disclosure agreements with Scuderi Group.