Fiat working on new hybrid system for small cars to share with Chrysler
Italian magazine Quattroroute is reporting that Fiat is hard at work on a new hybrid system for smaller cars and it is prepared to share the system with Chrysler. The system could appear in the tiny 500 and the upcoming Topolino paired up with Fiat's new 900cc two cylinder turbocharged engine. The hybrid transmission integrates the electric motor/generator and the system uses lithium ion batteries. Fiat is apparently also designing the system with the intent of adding plug-in capability.
While Fiat is by no means the first automaker to bring forth what appears to be a full hybrid system, they could be the first to add one to a car as small as the 500. So far, most automakers are sticking to just automatic start/stop systems on these little cars. If a Chrysler/Fiat deal does get consummated, Chrysler would also likely get this system in its Fiat-derived small and compact cars. Thanks to Cristian for the tip!
[Source: Quattroroute]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
shopa 12:56PM (4/24/2009)
The subchassis shown is perfect for my safer small car invention.
www.safersmallcars.com
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gorr 1:44PM (4/24/2009)
These electric hybrid systems don't work good for cars like this one and the prius and insight and volt. What it take for a hybrid is hydraulic- hybrid, that way you jump over 100 mpg with greater power.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hydraulic-hybrid1.htm
To be concise, hydraulic offer a direct transfert of power to the wheels for acceleration and offer great braking power to recapture almost 100 % of the energy contrary to battery that recapture 10 to 25% of the power. And the ice connected to a pressure pumps is more efficient this wat then the conventional architecture of be bolted to an inadapted transmission like it is in this exemple and each other cars before. They could have made this hydraulic hybrid in the 1920's era, it's not complicated. That's why the goverment have ban this method in the past and that's why they didn't accepted participants for the x-prize with this architecture, even if it cost one million for building 5 to 10 prototypes.
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Chris M 4:58PM (4/24/2009)
Several hundred thousand hybrid owners would beg to differ with you, Gorr, their gas-electric hybrids work very well for them, with excellent fuel economy and better than average reliability.
Hydraulic hybrids suffer from one problem - the low energy density of the hydraulic accumulator that stores the hydraulic energy by compressing air in a tank that is quite a bit larger than the equivalent energy storage battery. It is no problem finding enough room for that large tank on a garbage truck or delivery truck, but it is too large for successful use in a small car.
gorr 1:53PM (4/24/2009)
They prefer to give 25 billions of taxpayer money to gm and chryler and trillions to big oil instead, to continue to suffocate us as big as they can and cut as most forests as possible and burn for nothing as much natural gas as possible and pack money as much as possible in private middle east kingdom. This is facts.
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stas peterson 7:13AM (4/27/2009)
gorr,
Forests around the world are expanding in both acreages and density or volume of biomass per acre.
The Warmist information says forest are shrinking, but the scientific data reverse that. NA is rapidly re-foresting. The Amazon supposedly so threatened is expanding. And despite the easy to find photographs of de-forested or logged-over timberland, that is the exception to and not the rule. Silviculture has been practiced at least as long as agriculture; the period of time from one crop of timber land to another crop is not one season but a score or more of years, from seedling to harvest-able timber.
All due to that necessary plant food gas CO2, that mankind may be kindly adding to the present atmosphere, to feed the stunted and carbon-deprived plants.
Spreading parallel-series hybrids down the size scale will produce remarkable mileage figure approaching 100 mpg for tiny HEVs. The wil obviate the need for tiny diesels that may not be cost effective with T2B5 cleanup equipment added to them.
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Electricnick 4:06PM (4/24/2009)
We hope Chrysler can get a breath of fresh air from a European maker. They are eons ahead of us as far as small efficient cars are concerned. Of course, we still hope to see the Dodge Circuit out.
Electricnick.com
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3PeaceSweet 4:31PM (4/24/2009)
2 cylinder 900c turbo engine + Dodge circuit EV - about 2/3rds of the batteries and cost = lots of fun :)
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