Ford Delivers First Hybrid Electric Vehicle to DOE
20 September 1999
Ford Delivers First Hybrid Electric Vehicle to DOE FORD P2000 LSR HYBRID Ford Motor Company researchers put the final touches on the P2000 LSR Hybrid at the Hybrid Development Laboratory in Dearborn, Mich. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] DEARBORN, MI USA 09/20/1999 FORD HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE Ford Motor Company will deliver the first "no-compromise" family-oriented hybrid electric vehicle to the Department of Energy early next month.(PRNewsFoto)[DM] DEARBORN, MI USA 09/20/1999 * Ford P2000 LSR Hybrid first to offer no-compromise performance in a
family sedan
* Low Storage Requirement (LSR) system offers fuel efficiency benefits
with less cost and complexity
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 20 -- Ford Motor Company
will deliver the first "no compromise" family-oriented hybrid electric vehicle
(HEV) to the Department of Energy early next month. In doing so, Ford also
will become the first auto maker to deliver an extremely fuel-efficient mid-
sized family sedan under a DOE hybrid contract.
(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990920/DEM007-a
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990920/DEM007-b )
At the Hybrid Development Laboratory in Dearborn, Mich., Ford research
engineers are putting final touches on the P2000 LSR hybrid vehicle. It will
be delivered to the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. in early October.
The P2000 LSR can achieve more than 60 miles per gallon -- extremely fuel
efficient for a five-passenger mid-size sedan. This gives the P2000 LSR a
driving range of 420 miles on a tank of fuel. Ford engineers call it the "no-
compromise" hybrid because consumers would not have to compromise comfort or
performance for fuel efficiency.
"Ford plans to lead the industry in developing practical next generation
family vehicles that deliver satisfying performance with significantly
improved fuel efficiency and very low emissions," said Bill Powers, vice
president of Research. "The P2000 LSR along with Ford's hydrogen fuel cell
research vehicle are important stepping stones to delivering on that promise."
Ford's hybrid electric vehicle is the result of a six-year research and
development program to build, test and demonstrate a production-feasible
hybrid propulsion system for use in a vehicle that provides high energy
efficiency and low emissions. This project is closely related to Ford's
participation in the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles.
"The goal of the program is to double the fuel economy in a mid-sized
sedan in city driving," said Wayne Johnson, manager, Vehicle Electronic
Systems. "After looking at several advanced technologies for hybridization,
such as flywheels, ultracapacitors and turbogenerators, we realized that we
couldn't meet our program goals unless we took a total systems approach, which
includes both the engine and the vehicle structure."
The vehicle is built on the P2000 platform, which includes creative
packaging to maximize interior space, extensive use of lightweight materials
and low-rolling-resistance tires. Each component in the vehicle is designed
to minimize weight while delivering safety, strength, stiffness and
durability. Engineers also maximized secondary weight savings. For example,
the lighter P2000 achieves good ride characteristics with smaller and lighter
springs and shocks than a traditional vehicle of its size.
Aluminum has been used extensively for major components such as engine and
body. Additionally, carbon fiber, magnesium and titanium have been used in a
variety of parts for further weight savings. The end result is a vehicle
platform that is 40 percent lighter than today's Ford Taurus sedan, delivering
comparable roominess.
"Once we optimized the vehicle platform, the next step was to design and
build an extremely fuel-efficient hybrid propulsion system," said Johnson.
"We initially researched then rejected several types of hybrid systems such as
full-electric parallel and series hybrid vehicles before selecting the low
storage requirement hybrid."
Ford's Low Storage Requirement hybrid system uses an aluminum DIATA
engine, starter/alternator, automatically shifted manual transmission and
high-power battery.
The DIATA (Direct Injection, Aluminum Through Bolt Assembly) engine is
about 35 percent more efficient than conventional gasoline engines. It is a
four cylinder, 1.2-liter compression-ignition, direct-injection engine that
generates 55 kilowatts, or 74 horsepower at 4,100 rpm. This small engine
powers the extremely lightweight P2000 to comparable performance measures as
today's Taurus.
The starter/alternator is a small high-power electric motor that is
packaged between the transmission and the engine. When used in combination
with the vehicle's small nickel metal hydride battery and power electronics
module, the P2000 LSR engine can be restarted in less than 0.2 seconds,
literally the blink of an eye.
The automatically shifted transmission combines the operating ease of an
automatic transmission with the efficiency of a manual transmission. It is 20
percent more efficient than a typical automatic transmission.
The fuel economy of hybrid electric vehicles in city driving can be
enhanced four ways:
* The fuel to the engine can be turned off when no propulsion power is
needed (for example, when coasting down a hill or stopped at a traffic light)
and the engine can be restarted instantly on demand.
* The engine size can be decreased to improve efficiency, with electric
power used to augment power demand when necessary.
* Regenerative braking can be used to recapture and re-use energy that
otherwise would be lost to heat when braking. The alternator transforms this
braking energy into electrical energy, which is stored in the battery for
later use.
* Electric propulsion can be used with the engine off. (To maximize
value, the LSR does not include the feature.)
Ford engineers determined that a hybrid with the first three capabilities
could deliver fuel economy nearly equivalent to a more complex and heavier
hybrid with all four capabilities. In fact, they found that the LSR design
requires only very modest energy storage -- less than half that of a
conventional starter battery. The end result is that with its lower cost and
reduced complexity, the LSR hybrid offers far better customer value, and
brings closer the day when hybrid electric vehicles will be viable high-volume
alternatives for family transportation.
This hybrid vehicle research is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's
(DOE) Hybrid Propulsion Systems Development Program being conducted under a
cost-shared subcontract funded equally by Ford and the DOE through the Midwest
Research Institute, which manages and operates DOE's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.
