Marelli Launches Engine Control Units for Gasoline, Flex Fuel and CNG Markets

Marelli, a global automotive technology supplier, announced on March 10 the launch of a new generation of Port Fuel Injection Engine Control Units (PFI ECUs) compatible with gasoline, flex fuel — including ethanol, methanol and synthetic fuels — and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) applications. The product line is aimed at carmakers in Brazil, India and the EMEA region, three markets where internal combustion engine vehicles continue to represent a substantial share of new vehicle sales.

The company is offering three versions of the ECU, each differentiated by region-specific features and requirements. According to Marelli, each unit is designed, validated and produced locally in its target market, a structure the company says reduces costs, supports faster implementation and enables more direct engagement with regional automakers. The portfolio draws on what Marelli describes as 20 years of expertise and patented strategies in flex fuel and bi-fuel technologies, areas in which the company holds a number of proprietary technical approaches.

Giovanni Mastrangelo, Head of R&D for Marelli's Propulsion business, said the launch reflects the company's view that internal combustion engines remain commercially relevant in a number of markets, even as electric vehicle adoption accelerates in others. "As adoption speeds for propulsion technologies vary, Marelli continues to support customers across the powertrain spectrum," he said. "In markets where internal combustion engines remain relevant, our new engine control units enable greater efficiency, emissions reduction, and versatility." He described the product as an expression of the company's broader system-driven approach, which spans vehicle control, fuel injection technologies and transmission systems.

The Brazilian market is a particularly notable target for the flex fuel variant. Brazil has one of the most developed flex fuel vehicle ecosystems in the world, with ethanol — largely derived from sugarcane — accounting for a significant portion of fuel consumption. Indian and EMEA markets, meanwhile, present distinct regulatory and infrastructure environments, with CNG playing a more prominent role in urban transport in parts of India, and varying emissions frameworks shaping product requirements across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

On the technical side, the ECUs are built around Infineon's AURIX TC3x automotive microcontroller, a platform widely used in safety-critical automotive applications. Marelli says the chip enables fast processing, multitasking and compliance with ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety standards, with the ECU application reaching ASIL B/C. The units feature a high number of input and output channels, supporting precise control of injectors, valves, relays and actuators. They can accommodate up to eight gasoline injector drivers and four CNG injector drivers within the same hardware architecture.

From a software perspective, the ECUs use an open architecture that allows integration of third-party applications and supports calibration, homologation and customer-specific tuning. The inclusion of Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) update capability means that software can be revised after deployment without requiring physical intervention, a feature that is becoming increasingly standard in modern vehicle electronics.

The units also incorporate advanced diagnostics, including wide-range Universal Exhaust Gas Oxygen (UEGO) sensors for continuous monitoring of the air/fuel ratio, and OBDII pin-pointing diagnostics. Integrated combustion algorithms and emission control strategies are designed to ensure compliance with applicable regional regulations, which vary considerably across the three target markets.

Security features are also built into the platform. The company notes that the ECUs include anti-tuning protection, a measure intended to prevent unauthorised modifications to engine calibration — a concern for both regulatory compliance and vehicle warranty management.

The announcement comes as automotive suppliers navigate a fragmented global market in which electrification timelines and infrastructure development differ widely by region. While major automotive markets in Europe and parts of Asia are moving toward stricter zero-emission targets, countries such as Brazil and India have adopted more gradual transition timelines, maintaining demand for combustion and alternative-fuel technologies in the near to medium term. Marelli, which employs around 40,000 people across more than 150 sites globally, has positioned the new ECU line as part of a broader strategy to serve customers across what it describes as the full powertrain spectrum — rather than focusing exclusively on electrification.