Chrysler has just signed an agreement with the American federal agency EPA to test a minivan with a hydraulic hybrid system developed by it.
The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) is already testing this technology with the manufacturer Eaton on several Federal Express trucks and on garbage collection trucks. When braking, kinetic energy activates a pump which transfers oil from a reservoir to a high-pressure accumulator.
For acceleration, the system works in reverse, and the pump becomes a motor that drives the transmission shaft. Two operating modes are possible, economy or performance. As with electric full-hybrids, the hydraulic motor can alone propel the vehicle without the input of the internal combustion engine. The EPA announces a consumption gain of 30 to 35%.
Chrysler plans to install this hydraulic system on a minivan associated with a traditional 4-cylinder engine of 2.4 liters of displacement, and to test it during 2012. Mr. Marchionne having already announced the release of a hybrid minivan for 2013, Will Chrysler surprise everyone with a hydraulic hybrid?
No comments