Ferrari isn’t a name we feature too often here at TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk but even the esteemed motor racing giant can’t resist getting in on the green act.
The Italian carmaker presented a hybrid experimental vehicle known as the HY-KERS at the Geneva Motor Show. The car, based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, boasts a lightweight hybrid drivetrain with its system components located below the centre of gravity so as not to impact the interior and luggage space.
Remarkably, the vehicle maintains the performance characteristics of typical Ferraris while also reducing CO2 emissions by around 35 per cent.
The Ferrari HY-KERS boasts F1 technology and the construction of a brand new electric motor that helps to optimise the lateral dynamics of the car while enhancing traction and brake balance. The motor weighs a mere 40kg and is coupled to the rear of the seven-speed F1 transmission. It uses one of the transmission’s two clutches and one of the two gearbox primary shafts to allow power to be coupled seamlessly and instantaneously from both the motor and the V12 engine.
Depending on the vehicle’s speed, the Ferrari HY-KERS can operate as a full electric vehicle with the electric drive unit acting as a generator during braking by taking the kinetic energy from the negative torque and using it to recharge the batteries.
Indeed hybrid technology is only one element of Ferrari’s plans to go green. The company has also introduced a stop and start system on the Ferrari California that reduces fuel consumption and emissions by around six per cent. It has also looked into reducing friction within the engine to tackle fuel consumption – the Ferrari California has eliminated pumping losses by making changes in the pressure below the pistons.
