BMW considering KERS for M Division?
Although BMW's Formula 1 team has had its fair share of troubles getting the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to work properly, those minor setbacks may not be enough to stop the Bavarian automaker from using a similar system for its line of high performance M Division vehicles. The sophisticated hybrid system uses a high-speed flywheel to store energy which would otherwise be lost while braking which is then fed back into the driveline when the vehicle next needs to speed up. Besides being more efficient than battery storage, the KERS system is significantly lighter, coming in at just fifty-five pounds in racing configuration. On a production car, the KERS system could be combined with a much smaller battery and electric motor for true full-hybrid operation.
If these rumors hold true, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) goal of letting racing perform the research and development for new car technology would be achieved. We'll just need to wait and see how effective the innovative hybrid system proves in Formula 1 before making any judgements.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport - translated]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tankd0g 12:23AM (7/31/2008)
More like they need to come up with some justification for the obscene amount of money the FIA forced them to spend on this.
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Ron Fischer 1:02AM (7/31/2008)
BMW has talked down electrics and hybrids. You might say they self-identify as "Kings of Mechanical Engineering". So here we have a hybrid architecture the company can get excited about, one that's (almost) all mechanical. We'll need to see what the maintenance costs are like for a KERS in daily use. I mean, bumping over potholes with your flywheel spinning at ten thousand RPM is likely to cause a little wear and tear eh?
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Nick 2:26AM (7/31/2008)
If it's purely mechanical, how come the mechanic got zapped by electricity?
More technical info please !
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jake 2:41AM (7/31/2008)
It is possible through static electricity + the carbon fiber shell. I'm not sure if BMW's system was electrical or mechanical.
CMiller 2:25PM (7/31/2008)
Kings of Mechanical Engineering hey? When is the last time you have been in a BMW? The parking brake is electric now. The only reason a key still exists is because they haven't figured out an effective way to get into your car if the battery dies. I think BMW is the far from the Kings of Mechanical Engineering.
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