Protean Electric’s retrofitted through-the-road plug-in hybrid van showing significant fuel economy gains

Protean Electric’s through-the-road hybrid van. Click to enlarge.

A European-based Vauxhall Vivaro van retrofitted with Protean Electric’s electric wheel motors applied in a through-the-road plug-in hybrid system (TTRH) has shown a more than three-fold improvement in fuel economy in hybrid mode over a conventional Vivaro on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Protean Electric and Millbrook Proving Ground partnered to produce the Vivaro diesel hybrid. The vehicle is being shown for the first time in North America at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminar, 1–4 Aug. in Traverse City, Mich. The retrofitted Vivaro has been shown at the 2011 Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin and the eCarTec show in Munich, Germany.

This Vivaro through-the-road hybrid vehicle demonstrates a practical, cost-effective and efficient way to retrofit a commercial vehicle into a plug-in parallel hybrid by simply adding two in-wheel motors and a battery. Our technology is uniquely designed for high-output, high-efficiency operations. Our in-wheel motors are unique in that they have the rotor on the outside and each motor’s electronics on the inside. That simplicity of design creates more power density per motor and much simpler vehicle integration. It’s the closest thing to a bolt-on hybrid system.

—Protean Chairman and CEO Bob Purcell

Protean Electric outfitted the front-wheel-drive Vivaro with a through-the-road hybrid conversion kit of two Protean Electric PD-18 motors attached to the rear axle. The two motors together provide torque assist of up to 1,180 lb-ft (1,650 N·m) peak and 740 lb-ft (1,000 N·m) continuous at the rear wheels.

Each motor has a built-in inverter, control electronics and software. Protean’s in-wheel motors are based on a modular redundant architecture, in which individual autonomous submotors are controlled by associated micro-inverters and work cooperatively to deliver the total power and torque or the motor as a whole.

In addition, Protean added a 21 kWh battery pack, giving the vehicle more than 55 miles (90 km) of electric propulsion range and plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle capabilities. While operating in hybrid mode, the Vivaro measured 114 mpg (2.4 liters/100 km) operating over the NEDC, more than three times the fuel economy of the conventional vehicle, Protean said.

The system can also deliver regenerative braking on the rear wheels with no

modifications needed to the existing front brakes while retaining the vehicle’s original engine and drive system. This high level of regenerative braking allows manufacturers to use a smaller battery size or extend the range with the same battery size.

The Vivaro retrofit also allows the driver the advantage of being able to switch between multiple operating modes: two- or four-wheel drive operation, IC engine-only drive, electric-only drive, or an electric torque assist Through-The-Road-Hybrid.

The vehicle underwent a testing regime jointly conducted by Millbrook and Protean Electric. Work is now underway to build a Vivaro Plug-In Parallel Through-The-Road-Hybrid test fleet for select fleet customers.

Fleet operators should be lining up for a vehicle such as this that will provide more than a 65 percent reduction in fuel usage and CO₂ emissions in a typical urban drive-cycle, while enabling electric-only operation for in-city low-emission zones such as London.

—

Bob Purcell



Source: Green Car Congress

Debut: Vivaro e-Concept Study Adds New Impulses Opel Premiere at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2010

OPEL Vivaro e-concept







This is a cool looking van, electric or not. But then, aren't most concept cars?

PRESS RELEASE:

• Electric-van concept, seen with more than 400 km extended range
• Clean advanced technology perfect for congested urban areas
• Capacity with more than 5 m3 cargo space and 750 kg payload target

Hannover/Rüsselsheim. Opel is sending new impulses to electric mobility: At the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover (September 23 to 30, 2010) the brand debuts a research project on a Vivaro e-Concept, an electric van with up to 400 kilometers extended range. With this concept, Opel imagines that environmentally friendly e-mobility could also be intriguing for commercial vehicle operators.

“We would like to test the acceptance of our advanced propulsion technology by showing the Vivaro e-Concept to the commercial vehicle specialists attending the show,” says Chris Lacey, Executive Director, International Operations Opel/Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles. “We are convinced that we will get a fantastic reaction from the people who use such vehicles on a daily basis: Electric mobility will allow them to travel in city areas which are now off-limits to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles and the range-extender technology makes it possible to use an electric van for normal routine business.”

The Vivaro e-Concept aims to prove that operators do not have to make great concessions to practicality when they choose intelligent propulsion. The e-Concept is conceived to have 5.0 cubic meter storage capacity able to carry 750 kilograms of load, making it an excellent value for urban delivery drivers.

The e-Concept is envisioned to be capable of meeting the typical daily needs of inner city delivery transport fully electrically and therefore completely emission-free. The vehicle would be extremely quiet and clean – with respect to the environment and reduced traffic zones in the inner city.

The 111 kW electric motor in the Vivaro e-Concept propulsion system delivers 370Nm of torque and would offer 100 kilometers pure electric driving range. On longer, regional hauls or shuttle services, range-extender switches on, extending the total driving range to more than 400 kilometers. Thanks to Opel’s extended range propulsion concept, engineers foresee the Vivaro e-Concept as capable of driving permanently with engine and electric motor propulsion, enabling drivers to reach distant destinations with the confidence and peace of mind that a depleted battery will not strand them.

Intelligently stowed energy

Opel engineers have mounted the batteries, which can be re-charged on a standard household 230-volt outlet under the floor of the Vivaro e-Concept. There, the lithium ion battery modules are protected from the weather. At the same time the modules provide a low center of gravity for good handling characteristics, protecting especially from crosswind influence.