Continental has teamed up with Schaeffler to introduce a compact module comprising of a 48 V belt starter generator (BSG) and an integrated belt drive to integrate a BSG between the internal combustion engine and transmission.
By adding a second clutch in front of the BSG, the company expects that the internal combustion engine will not be used and it can be driven by the belt in recovery phase, which will offer more power to the vehicle to adopt fuel-saving driving strategies.
Continental Powertrain Division head José Avila said: "The major benefit of BSG integration between the internal combustion engine and transmission is that recuperation becomes more efficient as a crucial source of energy for the 48 V side.
"Consequently, we estimate that a mild hybrid with a 48 V Eco Drive using the side-mounted architecture will be capable of saving an additional 5% of CO2."
Continental said that it would be launching series production of the 48 V Eco Drive for numerous customers next year, and the initial applications will involve integrating the BSG in the belt drive on the front side of the engine.
It highlighted that the integration will require minor modification of the vehicle.
The 48 V belt is expected to enter series production at Continental next year and is likely to be the highlight of P2-BSG.
The BSG is the new prototype module for side-mounting which is similar to the version for integration in the engine belt drive.
Schaeffler is also testing the capabilities of 48 volt hybridization system in a Gasoline Technology Car (GTC) which the company co-developed with Ford and Continental.
Schaeffler and Continental also collaborated to introduce a new chassis technology which is capable of effectively prevent any yawing of the vehicle.
The design helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, which is designed to make vehicle assembly more straightforward, and Continental helped develop the technology by providing sophisticated control solutions for the system.
