Volvo’s clean air act
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Another term has made it into the automotive lexicon -- micro-hybrid. This is the brainchild of Volvo and it has a start-stop function that goes further than just switching off the combustion engine when the vehicle is at a standstill.
The micro-hybrid (anticipated in early 2011) can be used in combination with either a manual or an automatic transmission. On-board computers monitor the car and determine when the engine can be switched off, and it does so automatically. Yet the driver also has the option of restarting the engine by pressing the accelerator. This might occur where power is required to take advantage of a gap in traffic. Think of it as a micro-managed hybrid.
“A micro-hybrid gives fuel savings of 4% to 5% in a mixed driving cycle,” says Magnus Jonsson, Volvo’s senior VP of R&D. “However, the actual effect is considerably greater when driving in the city with its frequent stop-go traffic. Our system also has the benefit of being able to be adapted to most of our drivelines.”
Volvo isn’t content to leave it there. The micro-hybrid is just one strategy in the company’s bid to kick some serious carbon dioxide butt. We’ve already seen its DRIVe system for Europe, utilizing a low-emissions diesel drivetrain. But gasoline gets some attention too. In 2009, Volvo will start rolling out a new generation of four-cylinder turbocharged engines with direct injection, a technology known as GTDi (Gas Turbo Direct injection).
“GTDi technology makes it possible to step down one engine size from five to four cylinders without affecting performance, but with 20% to 30% lower fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions,” says Jonsson.
A now-obligatory plug-in hybrid is also promised for 2012. The Volvo ReCharge Concept (shown at the Paris Motor Show and pictured here) is a specially adapted Volvo C30 with an electric motor in each wheel and batteries that can be charged from a regular household socket. The ReCharge Concept can cover approximately 62 miles just on battery power before its four-cylinder combustion engine kicks in. Volvo claims an acceleration time of under nine seconds in the dash to 60 mph and a top speed of 100 mph.
‘This is a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable transportation,” enthuses Jonsson. “This plug-in hybrid, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available today. Emissions may be even lower if most of the electricity comes from sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear power. A person driving less than 60 miles a day will rarely need to visit a filling station.”
Operating costs are estimated to be about 80% lower than those of a similar gasoline-powered car. Volvo sees this vehicle as best suited for drivers with short daily commutes, but even someone who covers longer distances can benefit. A trip of 93 miles that starts with a fully charged battery should use less than a gallon of gas.
And here’s another neat trick. While driving, the combustion engine starts up automatically as battery power falls below 30%. But a button in the cabin also allows the driver to start the engine at will, such as when on an open road, to save battery capacity for driving through the next town.
If we can just make it through these next two years...