Toyota has posted the hybrids racing schedule and updates. These cars were very impressive last year. Well, the one car. The other one crashed at LeMans. TOYOTA MOTOR SPORTS
Good stuff. I believe the Audi e-tron won the whole 24 LeMans and was using some sort of electrified scheme, obviously from the name.
Audi To Defend Le Mans Title With Three R18 e-tron quattros In 2013 Its a flywheel system for storing the energy, which can then supply power to motors at the front wheels. Toyota uses a super capacitor instead of a flywheel. Race regulations stop the companies from going to the more conventional lithium batteries that are now used in cars. The audi system looks like it might be a good one for mild hybrid trucks. A fly wheel could be used for regenerative braking, with a diesel powering the rear wheels and motors powering the front. Toyota's research into super caps, may help them create ultra batteries - combination of a battery and super cap - to use in small batteried phevs. That would allow them to recover more of the energy of regen braking, and accelerate faster on battery than current battery technology allows.
You don't hear "hybrid" and "racing" too often in the same sentence. I know, I've been told my Prius' racing stripes are the definition of irony That being said.....I wonder how this racing hybrid from Toyota compares to the upcoming Porsche 918? And whatever happened to the FT-HS? Also, a Lexus hybrid version of the LFA would be nice. I think it's time the racing world take notice that you can't keep throwing away braking energy and expect to keep winning races. Doesn't matter if that energy is stored in batteries, flywheels, or a supercapacitor....it's still a hybrid, as far as I'm concerned.
Both cars have v8 racing engines and electric motors/generators for regenerative braking and boost. That is where the similarity ends. The Toyota because it has to conform to racing rules uses a super capacitor instead of a lithium battery and this is electronically limited on when it can be used. The Porsche freed from race rules can use a battery and a plug which are much better, and the driver can decide whether to use the battery for efficiency, acceleration, or a combination of both. The Porsche body has some features that are required by law to be street legal. It is also a convertible tuned more to the aerodynamics of the autobahn instead of the race track. Porsche has a 911 hybrid with a flywheel that is legal for racing. In other words, for the real world the 918 is better than a race car. The racing world did notice the advantage regen brakes and electric torque, which is why they put major restrictions on them. PHEV looks to be a better sports car framework. It would be great if Porsche put some of the 918 electronics in the much lower priced boxter.
Didn't used to hear "hybrid" and "racing" together, but don't I remember hearing them recently in Indy cars too? Or is that a fantasy?
F1 Racing has been using KERS hybrid for 4-5 years now. It really makes sense with hybrids and LeMans cars. The hybrid system gets extra power from the hard braking. The brakes are not used as hard with regen braking system. Audi got scared of the Toyota Hybrid System that they made a hybrid race car, especially for a race team that hyped their diesel race cars for the last decade.
Its all about the rules. If they allow kers, then everyone will need to have them. The rules don't allow for a full hybrid system though, otherwise they would have something like the porsche 918. The new flagship ferrari is a hybrid.
