Vienna Motor Symposium Shows Off FEV LiiON Vehicle With Wankel Range Extender

The FEV Li Ion Drive Plug-in Hybrid

FEV Motorentechnik GmbH (FEV) featured its LiiOn Drive with Wankel Range Extender Vehicle at this year’s Vienna Motor Symposium, 29-30 April, where it was one of the most popular Ride & Drive vehicles. Earlier, at the SAE 2009 World Congress, FEV had displayed a 295 cc Wankel genset for extended range electric vehicles.

The FEV LiiON Drive is based on a Fiat 500, equipped with a 12 kWh battery pack mounted under the floor and a permanent magnet synchronous motor with 60 kW peak power. The vehicle can accelerate to 60 km/h (37 mph) in less than 6 seconds, and top speed is higher than 120 km/h (75 mph). Urban use of the vehicle results in an almost emission-free operation with a range of 50 miles. The 20 kW Wankel Range Extender provides up to 190 miles (306 km) of extended range, with 80 g/mile of CO₂ emissions.

Powertrain elements. Click to enlarge.		Power electronics. Click to enlarge.

While the vehicle shown in Vienna is a concept, the electric vehicle LiiON Drive with Wankel Range Extender is licensed for public road traffic.

FEV developed the Wankel Range Extender in cooperation with the Wankel engine production supplier AIXRO. The basic powertrain has been comprehensively revised for automotive use. Modern engine management with electronic throttle, inlet pipe injection and three-way catalyst ensure that the exhaust gas emission limits will be met. The heating and temperature preservation strategy of the catalyst has been specifically adapted.

An FEV assessment of the properties of different range extender modules. Click to enlarge.

The partially encapsulated Wankel Range Extender was mounted in the position of the fuel tank, which had been reduced to a capacity of 12L. The engine, which is inertia force-free by design, together with careful tuning of the thermodynamics, yields an excellent, previously unparalleled NVH behavior. All test drivers acknowledged this feature specifically.

The positive response to the FEV concept, which was chosen for the first E-Car Tech Award in 2009, provides further validation among the international powertrain community of the vehicle’s potential, FEV says.

We definitely want one of these great commuters!

Source: Green Car Congress