Volvo Could Introduce KERS Hybrid System By 2020

Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, or KERS, have been used in Formula One since 2009, and Volvo hopes to bring these hybrid systems to production cars by 2020. Using a flywheel to recapture kinetic energy from braking, Volvo says these systems could boost the fuel economy of their vehicles by as much as 25%.

The British-designed KERS system Volvo is testing has been fitted to the rear axle of a Volvo S60 T5 sedan, and can be used to either increase performance or boost fuel economy. In sport mode, the KERS system adds an extra 80 horsepower to the Volvo, shaving 1.5 seconds off of the 0 to 60 MPH time for up to ten continuous seconds.

Meanwhile in economy mode, this type of KERS system can propel the S60 for up to a half-mile using only recovered kinetic energy, and can be fully “recharged” in just 8 seconds of standard braking. Using the KERS system to get the car going could save a lot of fuel, as at-speed even a large car like the S60 only needs about 30 horsepower to maintain a 70 MPH cruising speed.

While Volvo says this sort of rear-mounted KERS system is unlikely to make it to production, a system integrated into a front-drive model could be on the road as early as 2020. Since the whole system only weighs 60 kg, or about 130 pounds, it doesn’t add much extra mass to the vehicle either, as battery powered vehicles get rather heavy fairly quickly (though Volvo has some clever solutions for that as well). Pair this KERS system with Volvo’s new E-Drive engines, and you could have a car approach 75+ MPG.

From Formula One to production vehicles in little more than a decade, KERS hybrids aren’t far off now. Perhaps it will even arrive in a vehicle not unlike the excellent Volvo XC Concept. A boost of power, or better fuel economy. Red pill or blue pill. Which do you choose?

Source: AutoCar

Volvo S60 KERS Flywheel Hybrid Concept Gets Driven

Swedish automaker Volvo has been pushing the envelope of safety technology for decades, but the last few years have seen the company start pushing green technology. In addition to advanced research projects like Volvo’s XC60 Plug-in Hybrid concept, the C30 Electric coupe, and the company’s flywheel hybrid system, Volvo’s green initiatives have led to cars that are nearly 90% recycled or recyclable, and SUVs that run so clean they’ve earned Partial Zero-emission Vehicle (PZEV) status. It’s that flywheel hybrid system that I’m focusing on today, and on it’s first practical application in a 2013 S60.

As with Volvo’s original test mule, the flywheel is mounted to the rear axle and drives the rear wheels, while the turbocharged 5 cylinder “T5″ engine drives the fronts. The flywheel setup is good for up to 80 hp, and works in concert with the T5 for enhanced performance at the track and better MPG around town.

The result, Volvo says, is a 0-60 mph time of under 5.5 seconds, 1.5 seconds faster than the stock S60 T5. While Volvo’s tiny test track didn’t afford us much chance to test this, we can say the extra 80 horsepower boost from the KERS system gave the well-built Swede a sportier feel than its conventional S60 brothers. That “sportier feel” is something that the reporters at Green Car Reports got to experience firsthand – CLICK HERE to check out their test drive of the pre-production hybrid, which we may see in production applications as early as next year.

Source | Photos: Green Car Reports.

Ferrari Previews V12 Hybrid-KERS System For Upcoming Supercar

For fans of performance cars, there is nothing in the world quite like a Ferrari. You don’t even have to like cars at all to love the Ferrari, the epitome of European excess and luxury wrapped in a sleek supercar package. Yet unlike other European automakers, like Porsche, who has embraced hybrid and clean-diesel technology, Ferrari has only utilized green-tech on the race track for the performance advantage it confers. Until now.

Ferrari has now confirmed what many were speculating; a new V12 motor linked to a kinetic energy recovery system, also known as a KERS or flywheel hybrid. This engine is slated to be introduced in the next-generation successor to the popular (and wickedly expensive) Ferrari Enzo.

The prancing horse brand has utilized a KERS hybrid system in Formula 1, using the energy recovered from braking to spin a flywheel. The stored energy can then be dumped into electric motors, giving the cars a brief power boost. Ferrari had shown off a similar system back in their 599 HY-KERS Concept in 2010, and speculation has been swirling that the next mid-engine supercar would be a hybrid of one sort or another.
For a while now, Ferrari has managed to become a leader in efforts to curb individual automaker emissions (mostly because its emissions were so high to begin with) without going hybrid, electric, or diesel
Exciting news for greenies and gearheads alike. Ferrari now joins other supercar makers including Jaguar and McLaren in bringing high-powered green supercars to the table. This is the direction more green cars need to go. Almost everyone idolizes a Ferrari, and the wealth it embodies. Whether the new Ferrari gets a power boost button or not remains to be seen, but I can already tell you that a hybrid Ferrari will piss off some people, while being the envy of many, many more.

I don’t care how much you hate hybrids, I doubt that any of you would turn down a ride in a Ferrari hybrid. 

Source: Gas2.0

Ferrari Finally Unveils HY-KERS 599 Hybrid Concept at Geneva Auto Show

The Ferrari HY-KERS 599 Hybrid Concept









This year's edition of the Geneva Auto Show is generating quite a buzz, as we have seen the past few days. Here we see Ferrari joining the green fray with a concept called the HY-KERS. KERS is an acronym for Kinetic Energy Recovery System which is another way of saying regenerative braking. The Toyota Prius has had this functionality from the outset as do the majority of electric autos. Our concern is, "Where is the plug?" We wanna have the ability to use our electricity to charge the battery pack and the ability to drive in EV mode for certain trips.

PRESS RELEASE

FERRARI DEBUTS AT GENEVA WITH THE HY-KERS, A 'VETTURA LABORATORIO'

Geneva, 2 March 2010. Ferrari presents a vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle) at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show based on the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with an advanced new hybrid transmission.

Hybrid technology is one of the solutions examined by Ferrari in its on-going research and development into making its production cars ever more efficient. Experimenting with alternative technologies represents the company's long-term strategy after the announcement in 2007 of a five-year plan to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across the range. With the launch of the Ferrari California (2008) and the 458 Italia (2009), in fact, Ferrari's average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures have already been reduced by around 30 per cent compared to 2007.

The HY-KERS displayed at the Geneva Motor Show is an example of how Ferrari is studying the application of hybrid technology to high-performance sports cars. Central to Ferrari's objectives is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of its cars despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight represented by applying hybrid solutions to existing models.

To this end Ferrari has employed its racing experience to adapt a lightweight hybrid drivetrain to the 599 GTB Fiorano with the aim of ensuring that vehicle dynamics are unaffected. This was achieved by the careful integration of all system components, positioning them below the centre of gravity and ensuring that interior and luggage space are entirely unaffected. Similarly the flat lithium-ion batteries are positioned below the floorpan of the car inside the aerodynamic underbody. The result is a centre of gravity that is even lower than in the standard car. In addition, a part of the weight gained by fitting the electric motor, generator and the batteries is offset by being able to do away with the traditional starter motor and battery.

Ferrari has also applied its F1 technology to the design, engineering and construction of a new kind of electric motor which also helps optimise the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the car, enhancing traction and brake balance. The motor cuts in during acceleration, providing instantaneous torque when moving away from a standstill and during overtaking manoeuvres, with torque control a function of grip, gear and accelerator pedal angle. Depending on vehicle speed and engine load – for example in town driving – the hybrid system can also function as a full-electric drivetrain. The result is a direct reduction in consumption and emissions. The motor also features a unique cooling and lubrication system for maximum efficiency under all operating temperatures and loads. The castings of the motor are made in the Ferrari foundry, complete with Prancing Horse motif.

Weighing about 40 kg, the compact, tri-phase, high-voltage electric motor of the HY-KERS is coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission. It operates through one of the transmission's two clutches and engages one of the two gearbox primary shafts. Thus power is coupled seamlessly and instantaneously between the electric motor and the V12. The electric motor produces more than 100 hp as Ferrari's goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one hp.

Under braking the electric drive unit acts as a generator, using the kinetic energy from the negative torque generated to recharge the batteries. This phase is controlled by a dedicated electronics module which was developed applying experience gained in F1 and, as well as managing the power supply and recharging the batteries, the module also powers the engine's ancillaries (power steering, power-assisted brakes, air conditioning, on-board systems) via a generator mounted on the V12 engine when running 100 per cent under electric drive. It also incorporates the hybrid system's cooling pump.

In keeping with Ferrari's 360-degree approach to efficiency and its commitment to environmental sustainability, new technologies for its road cars are matched by the considerable investments already made to reduce the environmental impact of the company's production activities in Maranello.

After the inauguration of the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Mechanical Machining facility in January 2009, which reduced the factory's power requirements by over 210,000 kWh annually, 2009 also saw the opening of the trigeneration plant (the simultaneous production of power, heat and cooling from a single source) – the first of its kind to be implemented by a sports car manufacturer. This enabled Ferrari to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent, with the goal of reaching a reduction of over 40 per cent by the end of 2010. Thanks to these ecological solutions, Ferrari is completely autonomous for its energy requirements.