British automotive maker Ricardo has launched a new project, Advanced Diesel Electric Powertrain (ADEPT), to bring low voltage concept intelligent electrification to diesel vehicle.
The company has collaborated with Ford Motor, Control Power Technologies (CPT) and the European Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (EALABC), Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies UK and University of Nottingham for this new project.
All the partners will contribute equal share of investments for the project. The Technology Strategy Board of UK will also support the project through findings.
The partners will collaboratively explore the advantages of using 48V architecture with synergistic electrical ancillaries and advanced thermal systems and waste heat recovery technologies.
To increase engine performance, they will use belt starter generator (BSG) to provide required torque to the engine.
The aim of this project is to develop a powertrain with high performance and less CO2 emissions, 70 g/km at a projected production cost less than the cost of a full hybrid electric vehicle.
Ricardo chief technology and innovation officer Neville Jackson said that Intelligent electrification offers extremely promising benefits in terms of the cost-effective reduction of vehicle CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy with uncompromised performance.
"By focusing on the implementation of an extremely pragmatic and synergistic mix of powertrain electrification using available and near-market technologies, we have already shown in the HyBoost project the very significant and cost-effective benefits that can be achieved in a gasoline powertrain and 12+X volt electrification," Jackson added.
"If successful, we expect that this will deliver the performance, fuel economy and CO2 emissions benefits of a fuel diesel hybrid, but at a fraction of the cost premium over that of the baseline diesel."
