Proton - Lotus Hybrid
In the age of technology for motor vehicles, comes hybrid. To fully capitalise on this remarkable innovation, Proton Holdings Berhad together with Lotus Engineering have implemented a ready to run project that features hybrid solutions that can deliver up to 22% CO2 reduction.
At the the recent 77th Geneva Motor Show, Lotus Engineering demonstrated the EVE Hybrid (Efficient, Viable, Environmental) technology. Through a partnership like this it can show how OEM’s can lower emmissions variants without needing to develop expensive new dedicated platforms.
Proton will be able to offer the possibilty of adding a hybrid variant to their medium to high volume production cars. This at the end of the day would benefit the consumers who are eager to own vehicles as such. Through the solutions that Lotus Engineering provides to their OEM clients, will in no doubt, help them keep price premiums for hybrid vehicles at a minimum.
Working together on the researh and development program at Lotus Engineering’s Hethel headquarters and in Shah Alam, resulted in the evolution of the EVE Hybrid demonstrator, based on a 1.6L gasoline engine of Proton Gen2. This is broken down into three production-representative technologies; Micro-hybrid start-stop system, Full parallel hybrid drive and Continously variable transmission.
How the Micro hybrid start-stop system works is that a starter-alternator system is intergrated, meaning to say, when the vehicles stops, the engine will switch off. Immediately when the brake pedal is released, the engine would restart automatically. As a result of all this; noise, emissions and fuel consumption are reduced.
The hybrid vehicles would run on a 12volt eletrical system and combines both starter motor and alternator functionality. It was also noted that fuel savings of 5% have been demonstrated added with another 5% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Full parallel hybrid drive is a bespoke 30kw, 144V motor that is placed in between the engine and transmission. It is able to deliver electric drive or regenerative braking via an additional clutch linking the motor to the drivetrain. This additional benefit of electrical drive or drive assist will indefinitely boost the drivetrain performance by providing economy and emission benefits by operating as an electric vehicle.
Continously variable transmission is a intergration of a CVT gearbox that adds benefit to the fuel consumption and emission controls. This together with other incorporations of a hybrid electric drive will eventually provide a smoother acceleration and low transmission noise.
This are the types of vehicles we need more on the roads to eliminate constant bombarding of harmful pollution. Remember, a car that burns twice as much gas, adds twice as much CO2 (carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere.
