Low carbon technology firm, Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) has announced it is to build an super efficient hybrid version of the Volkswagen Passat.
Teaming up with Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC), the organisations are to install ‘micro-mild’ hybrid technology into the family saloon model to prove the significant CO2 reductions possible at relatively low cost compared to full hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles, without compromising on drive performance.
CPT released initial details of the project this week at an engine downsizing conference organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers at its headquarters in London, where CPT engineering director and chief technical officer Guy Morris delivered a technical presentation on the company’s technology.
“Aggressively downsized and turbo-boosted gasoline engines offer a cost-effective route to CO2 reduction, but typically suffer from poor torque response,” says Morris. “However, when combined with low-voltage electric supercharging, a high-power integrated starter generator and low-cost energy storage, the industry can deliver a highly competitive micro-mild hybrid vehicle.”
“The CPT/ALABC concept approaches full hybrid CO2 reduction potential, but at much lower cost and without compromising dynamic performance,” he added. “Essentially, the new demonstrator will achieve better fuel economy than the VW Passat BlueMotion model on which it is based, the current benchmark for this class of vehicle, but with more performance and competitive component costs.”
The CPT/ALABC ‘LC Super Hybrid’ project, which provides the low voltage equivalent of a more expensive mild hybrid vehicle, is expected to deliver between 15 and 25 per cent CO2 reduction. The additional cost to the vehicle manufacturer is estimated between €750 and €1,500.
By comparison, a full hybrid typically delivers between 15 and 20 per cent CO2 reduction, but incurs an additional manufacturing cost of between €3,000 and €5,000. A plug-in hybrid EV meanwhile can deliver better than 20 per cent CO2 reduction, but the additional manufacturing cost increases to between €6,000 and €10,000 – hence the need for government subsidies so these vehicles are affordable for early adopters of EV technology.
