Automotive designers at the UK research establishment, MIRA, have unveiled a retrofit plug-in hybrid conversion with a removable battery pack fitted to a Skoda Fabia as a demonstrator.
Dubbed Hybrid 4 wheel drive Vehicles (H4V) the project has received support through the Energy Saving Trust’s Low Carbon R&D programme which is funded by the Department for Transport.
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Derek Charters, MIRA’s advanced powertrain manager, said: “Despite advances in powertrain technology you can still obtain electricity from your domestic provider far cheaper and greener than you can produce it via an automotive combustion engine, so ‘plug-in’ hybrids make sense.
With this project we’ve removed the primary limitation of the ‘plug-in hybrid’ concept by allowing the battery pack to come to the mains, rather than having to park right next to a socket …which is more than a little difficult if you live in a terraced house or flat.”
“MIRA’s hybrid vision is to lower tailpipe emissions and deliver better fuel efficiency than an equivalent diesel,” added Charters.
The 50/50 hybrid derives power jointly from a 60Kw petrol engine at the front and two 35KW inboard motors powering the rear wheels though MIRA’s e-differential. Overall, the H4V differentiates itself from the standard model by returning 64mpg, as measured on the EU drive cycle. General levels of performance, such as top speed and acceleration are similar to the standard car.
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By GlobalDataThe car boasts a battery pack arranged in three portable cassettes, each capable of storing 1.5KWh, giving a range of around five miles each. These storage units could also power external devices, including a range of lifestyle accessory items. Nano-particle technology has been applied to increase the energy density of the lithium ion phosphate batteries. MIRA said this ensures the energy pack is as lightweight and compact as possible, whilst delivering superior voltage stability over the charge range.
The battery pack is one of the key ingredients of a modern hybrid. With so much effort and expense being invested in the battery pack it makes sense to use it in as many places as possible, not just the car itself. The ultimate aim of the project team is to see the power pack transferred from the car into a range of other devices, which could include camping equipment for SUV variants, or redeployed to power electric jet skis or quad bikes.
