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smart Shows Diesel and Gasoline Hybrids,

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Hornhonker, Dec 15, 2005.

  1. Hornhonker

    Hornhonker New Member

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    12 December 2005

    The smart ev.
    DaimlerChrysler’s smart division has developed a series of concept test cars that incorporate a range of advanced and alternative-fuel technologies: gasoline and diesel hybrids, cng-fueled, and electric.

    These follow on the premiere of the crosstown hybrid showcar concept presented at the Frankfurt auto show in September.

    The crosstown hybrid. The crosstown smart car prototype combines an electric motor (with an output of up to 23 kW) with the 45 kW (61 hp) gasoline engine from the smart fortwo.

    The result is a 15% reduction in fuel consumption to 4.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (55 mpg US). The smart crosstown furthermore offers approximately 10% better acceleration (the production car requires 15.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h).

    The mild hybrid system offers start-stop capability as well as assistance during acceleration and during gear changes.

    Instead of using a conventional automatic transmission and torque converter, the smart crosstown works with a manual transmission mechanism including friction-disc clutch. The advantages of this compared with a fully automatic transmission lie in the much higher efficiency, lower weight, more compact dimensions and lower production costs.

    However, unlike an automatic transmission, this principle causes traction interruptions between opening and closing the clutch for gear shifting. In the smart crosstown these are bridged by the electric motor. For a few tenths of a second it supplies the propulsion power needed, enabling harmonious, steady acceleration over the whole gear spectrum.

    Regenerative braking recharges the battery.


    The smart test prototype vehicles.
    smart fortwo micro hybrid. A micro hybrid version of the smart fortwo uses a belt-driven starter generator in combination with the 45 kW (61 hp) gasoline engine to reduce fuel consumption by 5%.

    The micro hybrid version offers no regenerative braking, nor any tractive assist. It does provide start-stop functionality.

    With the micro hybrid the standard fuel consumption level of 4.7 litres per 100 kilometers (50 mpg US) is reduced by 0.25 litres to less than 4.5 liters (52 mpg US). In urban traffic, the smart fortwo micro hybrid uses a 13% less gasoline.

    smart fortwo cdi hybrid. The diesel hybrid version of the smart car consumes just 2.9 liters of fuel/100 km (81 mpg US).

    The diesel hybrid combines a 20 kW electric motor with the 30 kW (40 hp) diesel engine. The design is much the same as crosstown hybrid, with the electric motor providing start-stop functionality, drive assistance, shift delay bridging and regenerative braking.

    Because the car’s shift delays are bridged by the electric motor, it only needs 17.8 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h. That’s ten percent—two seconds—better than with a conventional diesel drive.

    smart fortwo ev. The smart fortwo electric vehicle is driven solely by its electric motor with an output of up to 30 kW (41 hp). With a consumption of 12 kWh per 100 kilometers, the car has a range of 110 kilometers (62 miles).

    A full recharge takes 8 hours; charing from 20% to 80% capacity takes four hours.

    smart created the electric drive in cooperation with Zytek, a British company that focuses on developing hybrid and electric drives.

    smart fortwo cng. The bi-fuel version of the smart allows drivers to choose between gasoline or natural gas drive. The modular design of the fuel system means that the entire high-pressure natural gas tank (2 x 16 litres) and the petrol tank (12 litres) fit in the car’s underbody. The volume of the car’s interior and luggage compartment remain, as in the case of the electric drive model, unimpaired.

    The car consumes approximately 3.2 kilograms of natural gas (or 4.7 liter of petrol) per 100 kilometers, giving it a range of 385 kilometers (239 miles)—138 km with natural gas, and 255 km with gasoline. The gasoline model, with a tank volume of 33 litres, can, on a purely calculative basis, travel some 700 kilometers without a fuel stop.

    From Greencarcongress.com
     
    #1 Hornhonker, Dec 15, 2005
  2. morreya

    morreya New Member

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    Awesome!

    This gives me hope that my dreams of a diesel hybrid may someday become a reality, although I don't believe Smart cars have historically been available in the US.

    A hybrid vehicle running on B100 Biodiesel would change the world.
     
    #2 morreya, Dec 16, 2005
  3. Tempus

    Tempus Senior Member

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    #3 Tempus, Dec 16, 2005
  4. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Morreya,
    Welcome to Priuschat!

    While I'm stoked about the possiblity of the smaller, more efficient vehicles, I'm thrown off by the MPG numbers.

    The crosstown hybrid
    The result is a 15% reduction in fuel consumption to 4.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (55 mpg US).

    smart fortwo micro hybrid
    With the micro hybrid the standard fuel consumption level of 4.7 litres per 100 kilometers (50 mpg US) is reduced by 0.25 litres to less than 4.5 liters (52 mpg US). In urban traffic, the smart fortwo micro hybrid uses a 13% less gasoline.

    I really must be missing something here. The Prius is EPA-estimated higher than that. Of course, we all know that the Prius very rarely maintains MPG averages in the high 50s*. So does this mean that the fortwo would suffer similar lower-than-estimated realities? And this car is tiny. Something that small, with hybrid technology, should be considerably higher than mid-50s.

    I am not an engineer or a mechanic. So like I said, I must really be missing something fundamental.

    *Yes, I am aware of the "I Beat the EPA" thread and applaude those rare few who maintain high 50s MPG. I said 'rarely', not 'never'.
     
    #4 TonyPSchaefer, Dec 16, 2005
  5. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

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    Well, Mercedes makes a diesel hybrid and the place where I work is working on diesel hybrids for buses.
     
    #5 aaf709, Dec 16, 2005
  6. kinghuang

    kinghuang Member

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    The smart fortwo coupé in Canada is rated at 3.8L/100km to 4.6L/100km (highway and city). I think that just goes to show how effective the hybrid system in the Prius is at bringing down fuel consumption. Either that, or the coupé's engine isn't that efficient?
     
    #6 kinghuang, Dec 16, 2005
  7. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i have to agree with Tony... at first glance, i would expect the hybrid to get at least 80 mpg...
     
    #7 DaveinOlyWA, Dec 16, 2005
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The diesel one is attractive and so is the ev.

    However, the micro hybrid is a misnomer. The start/stop function for the engine is NOT a hybrid feature. If it doesn't have an electric motor coupled with an engine and provides assist, it's not a hybrid.
     
    #8 Tideland Prius, Dec 16, 2005
  9. LaughingMan

    LaughingMan Active Member

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    I think it's important to point out that this hybrid is an assist type hybrid much in the same vein as the 1st generation Honda Civic and the Honda Accord, and not a full hybrid like in the Prius.

    From what I can glean from the article, it sounds like the non-hybrid version of this smart car gets about 50 MPG. A mild assist hybrid version gets 55 MPG while a simple start-stop hybrid gets 52 MPG.

    The non-hybrid version getting 50 MPG sounds about right for such a small car with a tiny engine. That's at best a 10% improvement in fuel economy, however, with the addition of the hybrid system. That's not so great.

    Compare this technology to what Honda has been developing for their hybrids, and it's pretty much put to shame. Honda uses similar assist hybrid technology, but with bigger vehicles like the 2006 Civic Sedan Hybrid. Heck... I bet the Smart car is smaller than the Insight, yet the Insight probably gets better mileage.

    I would probably chaulk that up to Honda having superior engines and better valve timing technologies.

    What test cycle are those figures based on i wonder? are they more or less accurate compared to EPA?

    However, even if the Prius or the Civic beats this car in mileage, the Smart cars probably have the price advantage.
     
    #9 LaughingMan, Dec 17, 2005
  10. morreya

    morreya New Member

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    (Thanks for the welcome. I've been reading avidly for weeks, but had nothing meaningful to add.)

    I agree, the mileage #'s don't make sense. And Smarts are miniscule!

    I'm just looking for any real momentum on diesel/hybrid combos. Is the Mercedes available in the US as listed? Probably pretty pricey? My conundrum this year was between biodiesel and hybrid. I put my deposit down on an '06, Barcelona Red, Package 8, after I had exhausted my options re:biodiesel. Homebrew B100 is too complicated for my life, even with a biochemistry background, and seriously meaningful blends (20% or greater) are still scarce here in the Midwest. The diesel new car options are fairly limited, as well. VW's and a high-end Mercedes, plus some trucks. I'm driving through Atlanta next week to pick up 20 gallons of B100 for my sailboat in Florida. Not optimal, but worth it.

    I'll drive my '06 Prius until the next generation comes along. There are lots of soybean fields out here in the Heartland, and no one has to go to war to protect them (right now).
     
    #10 morreya, Dec 17, 2005
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    True, it may mean little but that 5mpg can help. Besides, if it helps people try out the hybrid system without shelling out money for a Prius or an HCH, then why not? They try it, they like it, they move on to a more sophisticated system that they can afford and try to eke out more mpg.

    I really hope Toyota extends the EV range on the next Prius. I know it's not an EV car with a gas engine but I really like going around neighbourhoods knowing I'm not spewing out emissions right in their face. Yeah I know, wind carries particles but it'll be dissipated by the time it reaches them if I pollute outside of their neighbourhood.
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Dec 17, 2005
  12. EricGo

    EricGo New Member

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    What do you do with B100 to a sailboat ?

    Do the sails require grease ?
     
    #12 EricGo, Dec 17, 2005
  13. NotFuelish

    NotFuelish New Member

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    #13 NotFuelish, Dec 18, 2005
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