The 7 kWh battery pack is comprised of 63 large format, lithium iron phosphate cells (3.2V, 35Ah). LTC claims that such modules could support fuel economy of up to 125 miles per gallon in a converted Toyota Prius.
As public transit demonstrates the efficiency of kinetic energy reclamation, pick up and delivery fleets are likely to be the next major transportation segment to see the adoption of hybrid drives. Nevertheless, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Subaru, Ford and SsangYong already have displayed concepts or prototypes of diesel-hybrid passenger cars.
Volkswagen had been more recalcitrant to explore electric drive. Yet, as previously noted, even Volkswagen has been making provisions. Autoblog Green now reports that “Volkswagen is teaming up with other German companies to develop lithium ion battery systems.”
VW is teaming up with such companies as Bosch, Degussa, BASF and others and the group will invest €360 million over the next few years in battery research.
AG readers may recall that Bosch makes electric motors and power electronics for transportation applications. VW must want to remain in the European market, when global competitors offer biodiesel capable, plug-in hybrids capable of 65 all-electric kilometres before using internal combustion. They certainly have focused plenty of expertise upon reducing emissions of their diesel engines and, with increasing stricter EU standards, are thus in the position to make a reasonably clean range extender. It remains to be seen if the top engineers at VW / Audi actually can embrace the Frank axiom, forgoing the ICE paradigm.
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