Low-voltage hybrid drive to be introduced in the Renault Scenic by the end of 2016.
Continental has begun volume production of what it claims is the world’s first low-voltage hybrid drive based on 48-volt technology. The 48-volt hybrid modular system will make its first appearance in the Renault Scenic Hybrid Assist by the end of 2016.
48-Volt Hybrid Drive
Continental’s technology combines a water-cooled induction motor with an integrated inverter in an arrangement known as P0 topology. In this arrangement, the electric motor transmits power via a belt drive directly to the crankshaft of the combustion engine. Up to 150Nm of torque can be transmitted to the crankshaft.
The integrated inverter is packaged in the housing lid in order to save space and, depending on the version, the entire system can fit within the installation space of a conventional starter alternator. The water-cooled induction motor can also be connected directly to the engine’s cooling circuit. The modular system includes a DC/DC converter in order to connect the 48-volt system to the vehicle’s on-board power supply.
According to Continental, the 48-volt drive starts the combustion engine in half the time of conventional starters, at 0.2 seconds. At speeds below 13 mph (21 km/h), the combustion engine can be turned off when the vehicle approaches traffic lights to reduce idling.
Low Voltage Hybrids
According to the company, the relatively low-voltage of the 48-volt hybrid drive enables considerable fuel savings at a moderate additional cost. Test vehicles equipped with Continental’s P0 concept demonstrated fuel savings of 13 percent in the New European Driving Cycle assessment.
Continental claims this figure could climb as high as 21 percent in city driving conditions, due to longer energy recuperation phases while driving. The company has also stated that an alternate arrangement known as P2 could offer savings up to 25 percent—with the electric motor between the engine and the transmission, P2 allows for fully-electric driving at speeds up to 31 mph (50 km/h).
Continental expects a rapid adoption of the low-voltage technology, anticipating four million low-voltage hybrid drive vehicles to be produced globally in 2020. “In 2025, approximately one in five new vehicles across the world will be equipped with a 48-volt drive,” said Continental’s Juergen Wiesenberger. By 2030, Continental forecasts as many as 25 million low-voltage hybrid drives will be produced.
For more automotive manufacturing news, read Nexteer Manufactures Its 40 Millionth Electric Power Steering System.
