Lotus Unveils 'Range Extender'
New three-cylinder Lotus lump designed for hybrid car makers
It's rare that a three-cylnder 1.2-litre motor gets our juices flowing here at PH Towers, but Lotus Engineering's new 'Range Extender' engine is more interesting than most.
Have no fear, sports fans, as the Range Extender is unlikely to find its way into a Lotus-badged product any time soon - Lotus Engineering's primary focus is to develop technology for other manufacturers to use.
It's been designed as an off-the-shelf engine for any production series hybrid, and could be sold to any number of car companies. Okay, so that's not particularly exciting in itself, but it's surely a rather nice potential money spinner for Lotus - and that means more development cash for proper sports cars.
The Lotus Range Extender could even find its way into a Jaguar, as it's been developed with Jaguar as part of the UK Technology Strategy Board's 'Limo-Green' scheme, a project funded by Lotus Engineering, MIRA, Caparo and Jaguar. If the new engine does end up in a series production Jag, it could be part of the company's project to make an executive saloon with a CO2 output of less than 120g/km.
What's really clever about the new engine, says Lotus, is its design: the cylinder head, block and exhaust manifold are all integrated into one casting, creating what the boffins at Hethel call a 'monoblock'. This eliminates the need for a cylinder head gasket and around 17 other separate parts. The weight of the unit is also reduced, while durability and fuel consumption are both improved.
Technical specification
1.2 litre 3-cylinder with 2 valves per cylinder, SOHC
Belt driven
Construction
Monoblock with Integrated Exhaust Manifold
All aluminium
Balance shaft (optional)
Direct-coupled generator
Bore and Stroke: 75.0 mm x 90.0 mm
Compression ratio: 10:1
Maximum power: 35 kW (47 bhp) at 3500 rpm via integrated electrical generator
Peak torque: 107 Nm at 2500 rpm
Maximum BMEP: 11.2 bar
Maximum Engine Speed: 3500 rpm
Fuel System: Port fuel injection, Lotus EMS
Fuel: 95 RON ULG / ethanol / methanol
Dry weight:56 kg
It does seem to be rather a low power figure though. Maybe the idea is that they can have one on each wheel?
The Michelin thingy is featured in the current Practical Performance Car magazine.
Surely Caterham and Lotus are on cordial enough terms to allow this? Would certainly make for a spectacular showcase for the new engine if the journalists were taken to a track and told to have a good thrash to test the engine's limits, rather than poddle around town in a wheeled wardrobe that reprimands you for going over 20 and has a 'dead polar bears per mile' counter on the dashboard in place of a trip meter.
I am a bit surprised they went for something that powerful for a mobile generator although it does look highly sensible. may they sell a billion units and bring out the new elan!
engine > generator > battery > motor > wheels
If it was a parallel system it would need a gearbox
The Michelin thingy is featured in the current Practical Performance Car magazine.
The Lotus motor's 35kW isn't much power whatever way it's used to 'extend-a-range' though. And if several were to be used, even two creates a 'weight budget' that would enable a much more powerful engine to be used. kW/BHP-per-kg (noted, motor/generator included) doesn't look very impressive - maybe it's exceptionally cheap?
"The gasoline engine is a 70 hp (52 kW; 71 PS), 1-liter, ECA series 3-cylinder unit providing lean burn operation with an air fuel ratio that can reach 25.8 to 1.[10] The electrical motor assist adds in another 10 kW (13 hp) when called on, and similarly provides significant deceleration when used in regenerative mode for braking. (This both improves fuel efficiency and also dramatically extends the lifetime of brakes). When the car is not moving, for example, at a stop light, the engine shuts off. The digital displays on the dashboard display fuel consumption instantaneously. On the manual transmission up and down arrows suggest when to shift gears."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight
Best fuel efficient idea for a hybrid given the current state of electricity charge points and other infrastructure deficiencies for alternate fuels world wide.
Probably a design that will be mass sold for the next decade till proper infrastructure and cheap technological advances are made for alternate power source.
The Michelin thingy is featured in the current Practical Performance Car magazine.
The Lotus motor's 35kW isn't much power whatever way it's used to 'extend-a-range' though. And if several were to be used, even two creates a 'weight budget' that would enable a much more powerful engine to be used. kW/BHP-per-kg (noted, motor/generator included) doesn't look very impressive - maybe it's exceptionally cheap?
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