innovation
Purpose-designed motors extending range of electric vehicles By: Nick Palmen
Lack-luster sales of all-electric passenger vehicles around the world have sent a clear signal to the industry – motorists are not able to overcome their“ range anxiety”. The development of range extenders designed from the drawing board for the purpose is showing promise.
KSPG is currently successfully testing its electric-car range extender developed together with FEV. FEV is an internationally recognized leader in the design and development of internal combustion engines, conventional, electric, and alternative vehicle drive systems, energy technology, and a major supplier of advanced testing and instrumentation products and services to some of the world’ s largest powertrain OEMs.
The Range Extender, as a modular component of a serial hybrid drive concept, offers the technical potential to pave the way as a bridging technology for electromobility. It compensates the known deficiencies of battery-powered propulsion, lowers the drive cost, effectively limits CO 2 emissions and does not considerably affect the positive consumer’ s impression of the low-noise electric drive, according to Dr Stefan Pischinger, President and CEO of FEV.
The ready-to-run test vehicle based on the FIAT 500 was recently officially handed over to KSPG AG where over the coming months it will undergo further testing. The new power unit consists of a two-cylinder, V-type gasoline engine with a vertically positioned crankshaft and two generators with gear wheel drive. Except for the fuel tank and the radiator, all components are mounted on a support frame. The vertical crank shaft requires only a short construction height, such that the module can be integrated beneath the floor of a small passenger vehicle and, for example, be placed comfortably within a spare wheel recess. This installation option offers the easiest and least expensive modification procedure relative to conventional vehicle construction and leaves room for interesting compact vehicle packaging and styling options.
Following the joint development of the KSPG Range extender FEV hands over the test car to KSPG:( from left) Frank Nysten and Dr Eugen Schäfer of FEV, and Dr. Hans-Joachim Esch and Prof Dr. Eduard Köhler of KSPG.
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