Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car - Jalopnik Comments

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Abid Khan-India — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:28:16 EST

I was just wondering about the weight it needs to carry with this concept of series hybrid. However, the fuel economy is astonishing with the concept of rechargeable battery back-up hybrid.

What about the parallel-hybrid designs or concept of fuel-stack where such large batteries can be stacked together to achieve less weight and portability offering the same recharge concept? Aren't any OEMs working towards this goal to achieve? May be time-to-market lapse is of major concern to design. Is it so?

Abid Khan-India

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

jstack6 — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:45:35 EDT

This concept car says it has a back up motor that runs on biofuel, then you can never get low on a charge and stuck. Just like most hybrids you always have a back up of some type of fuel and most of the time you don't have to use it.
The new altairnano lithium batteries are very large capacity yet light and can be recharged in 10 minutes if you have the power to charge that fgast. I would hope that only happens off peak times so it won't starin the grid.
The Tesla has a range of over 200 miles. Even further if you go down long grades where you can capture regenerative braking and save brake wera by generating power. These are new Electrics with much better capacity and lower wieght than EVs of the past.

jstack6

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

EMPM, Esq. — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:53:58 EDT

@Snark21883: Ha!

EMPM, Esq.

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

bdillahu — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:34:23 EDT

I'm looking for this technology to "make it" in the automotive world both for its use there and for the "trickle down" effect into the marine industry. There is a surprising movement of using electric power on boats (not ski boats, but slower craft). Having "polished" engineering that we could steal from would make this much easier and cheaper :-)

[www.craftacraft.com]

bdillahu

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Electroguy — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:57:30 EDT

@Retiree - Probably both. It's main purpose would be supplying electricity directly to the wheel motors, but on downhill grades or whenever there is surplus power, it probably charges the battery, too (much as the present Prius does when the engine has excess power above direct drive needs).

I wonder about using motors to entirely replace physical brakes. It may take some fancy footwork to get that concept approved, especially in the hyper-conservative U.S. market.

Electroguy

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

TrackpediaCow — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:59:22 EDT

If they beef up the electric motors and get 0-60 under 5 seconds, then I'll be interested... in the meantime I'll stick with my S60R...

TrackpediaCow

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Snark21883 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:57:15 EDT

@scraejtp:

Hardly. The concept of the series hybrid has been around for years. Or do you think the Volt is a ripoff of a GE locomotive?

Snark21883

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Snark21883 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:55:54 EDT

"Wheelmotors?!? Did the Volvo engineers miss the class in school covering the effects of unsprung weight?"

Yes. An entire team of automotive engineers and design staff utterly forgot that incredibly basic fact of car design, and you, some ordinary guy posting on an internet forum, remembered it for them. Good job.

If you'd bothered to do a little Googling before pretending that you knew more than they did, you've have found information on PML Flightlink's Mini conversion - specifically, the datum that the (much larger and more powerful) hub motors on that car were only a few kilograms more weighty than the OEM wheel and tire combo. These motors are clearly smaller and lighter than those, and while it's not made explicit in the press release it's not unreasonable to conclude that the hubmotors on the Volvo are roughly equal to the weight of the original wheel and tire.

Snark21883

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

FЯeeMan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:08:57 EDT

@Big Ron: True dat, but you can still run in gas/electric mode to get yourself to the fixit shop. Assuming it's a minor fender bender.

FЯeeMan

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Shaler — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:23:24 EDT

@JOEL47: The motors they are using replace the brakes, so the net increase of weight is minimal. The company that makes the motors did a conversion of a Mini and they explain it in some of their literature.

Shaler

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Automanic — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:19:53 EDT

@Retiree: I'm convinced this would be a little more expensive to replace than a glorified extension cord. If you're only in a little fender bender that happens to render your receptacle useless, there goes your primary source of power until its fixed.

Automanic

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

FЯeeMan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:41:28 EDT

Now that I've read the press release, I'm confused. When the engine kicks in, does it produce electricity to drive the wheels only, or to charge the battery?

I could see a long distance road trip - drive an hour on the initial charge, then engine on 1 hr (quick charge), off 30 minutes, on 1 hr, off 60 minutes. Would be unique.

FЯeeMan

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

milo_carrera — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:31:26 EDT

I'm a perfect candidate for a car like this. And I'm a fast car fanatic. But the daily run to lunch, the bank, the post office, etc, never exceeds 60 miles. Would certainly make for guilt-free motoring on the weekends!

This stuff should actually come to market pretty quick here, like in the next 5 years certainly we'll have several choices like this. Exciting times. Horsepower wars and the rise of practical electric cars. Pinch me!

milo_carrera

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Joel47 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:05:02 EDT

Wheelmotors?!? Did the Volvo engineers miss the class in school covering the effects of unsprung weight? Move them inboard, with CV joints and short driveshafts. Sure it weighs a little more and puts takes up a little more interior space, but at least you don't have a heavy electric motor hanging off the end of your suspension.

Joel47

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

FЯeeMan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:59:39 EDT

@Big Ron: that's where core heater plugs hang to prevent the fluids from freezing up in them thar Arctic winters. They seem to do OK. Besides, if you hit someone, I think the plug's gonna be the least of your worries.

FЯeeMan

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

le_on — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:32:25 EDT

I love the idea...but why do they feel the need to make hybrid/electric cars look stupid? This thing looks like someone went to an auto parts store and bought a bunch of cheesy over the counter DIY mod parts...where are the illuminated washer jets? Just do something tasteful for god's sake and trust that people don't need overly obvious design cues to know that it's something special.

le_on

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Daga — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:53:36 EDT

That doesn't look like a "Magnus Jonsson" to me. Look at the picture of the guy holding the plug and imagine the bubble "I will shove this up someone before we are beaten to the plug in market" thinks random Toyota corporate spy.

Daga

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

AtomikB — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:45:42 EDT

The individual wheel motors are pretty awesome. I bet this drivetrain is a lot cheaper than the Prius' because it has so many fewer parts. Also, the gas engine running a generator instead of driving the wheels directly means the engine can always run at max efficiency. I would totally buy this.

AtomikB

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

scraejtp — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:39:11 EDT

Sounds like a rip of the Chevrolet Volt.

scraejtp

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

KVHnik — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:36:02 EDT

I like that it is "sufficiently powerful to supply an entire villa with electricity". Damn...where did I leave the keys to my villa?

I do think that hub motors (hence, no driveshafts, etc.) are pretty cool.

KVHnik

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

Automanic — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:12:02 EDT

I am all for this type of technology, but I have to wonder about the placement of the charge receptacle and its susceptibility to damage from an accident or otherwise.

Automanic

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

SVERIGE — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:12:50 EDT

Hey, Volvos are from Germany aren't they? And isn't Swede the capital of Ukraine? And what is IKEA. Dude you are talking gobbledigook!

SVERIGE

Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car

3wheeler — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:00:56 EDT

Next, there'll be the IKEA edition which is made from cardboard and recyclable into a childrens toy at the end of its (very short) life cycle. Next months environmental colour will be black instead of green, and the fuel of choice will be Vegetable Oil. This cars so lame, its more a Turnip than a Swede.

3wheeler