Big Stellantis news. Entire van range restyled and updated

[Guigsy]

Actually, my car has a 80 KW (107 hp) electric motor and a 72 KW (96.5 hp) ICE engine so it is the other way round.

I'm glad your concept didn't contribute to the design, and the Honda engineers somehow managed to get it right.

I guess that still works because motorway cruising still only needs about 30bhp.

My point still remains. A truck needs a lot of power to maintain motorway speeds. The electric motor needs at least that output. You then need significantly more than that power from the combustion engine so it can both drive the wheels and charge at the same time. Existing truck combustion engines do not have much spare.

 

[1967bowesj]

The ZF8 is a totally different layout for longitudinal engines. There's no transmission tunnel in a van to house it.

That is true, and possibly why the front wheel drive nine speed has issues!
They will probably go back to the box from the Aisin family.

 

[SpeedyDux]

I guess that still works because motorway cruising still only needs about 30bhp.

My point still remains. A truck needs a lot of power to maintain motorway speeds. The electric motor needs at least that output. You then need significantly more than that power from the combustion engine so it can both drive the wheels and charge at the same time. Existing truck combustion engines do not have much spare.

Wrong again. Because the hybrid vehicle is an EV (or HEV), the combustion engine is not directly connected to any driven wheel(s). The electric traction motor(s) will be driving the truck wheels 100%, while the combustion engine only powers the generator from time to time, mainly to keep the (relatively small) HV battery charged. The combustion engine can be smaller and uses less fuel as a result.

The ECU switches mode so that the ICE-driven generator adds extra power to the BIG electric traction motor(s) when needed. A hybrid HGV might have multiple BIG electric traction motors, at least one and maybe two for each driven axle. These electric motors also act as part of the KERS and as an additional braking system. That's where significant fuel saving happens. Instead of turning kinetic energy into brake heat that will be lost it is used to recharge the HV battery. It is an additional retarder, if you prefer. You still have conventional brakes.

A lot of the time while the vehicle is moving as well as when it comes to a halt, the combustion engine will be switched off, also saving fuel.

The cumulative fuel saving gains add up to a 20% - 30% improvement in mpg. There is no inherent reason why that can't translate to HGVs.

Full hybrid EV technology is proven, reliable, and has been around in cars for years. It only needs to be scaled up for HGVs and big vans.

 

[Steve-N]

In the news today . . Shell are hinting they are pulling out of the UK forecourt hydrogen development program !!
It will be interesting if this technology actually takes off in the UK.

 

[Mzracer]

In the news today . . Shell are hinting they are pulling out of the UK forecourt hydrogen development program !!
It will be interesting if this technology actually takes off in the UK.

They also pulled LPG from the forecourts but that seemed to have little effect on the Gaslow users.

 

[jongood]

I think you may have the wrong word there? Overcome makes it sound like aero has zero effect below 50mph
This is not true. Below 50mph rolling resistance may have more effect than aero, but it doesn't mean aero has no effect.

Correct. But I'm still struggling with the best word to use, overtake?

 

[jongood]

I think it's because a car cruising at 70mph is only using about a quarter of it's power. It can use a relatively small electric motor to maintain that speed. And then run the combustion engine as a generator while driving the car at the same time whenever it's needed. But a truck driving at 60mph is using most of its power, there's not much to spare. You'd need a very powerful electric motor and large battery to run on electric alone. And an even more powerful engine than they currently use to do the part time on/off strategy that cars use. If they stuck to the existing engines, the electrics would only be any use when slowing or going downhill and then providing assistance for acceleration. The rest of the time it'd be dead weight that's reducing carrying capacity.

Not really true again. The reason that truck engines are larger and more powerful is because they needed to increase the hill climbing and acceleration to compensate for the effects of speed limiters. BTW Trucks are limited to 56mph.

My view is that this: typical artic engine these days is 12 litres 500hp. I reckon a 7 litre 300hp engine would be enough for level cruising and A roads etc. With a substantial motor backup to kick in on demand where we're more interested in Torque than Hp.

 

[MichaelT]

We need longer summers. mpg always goes up when the weather is warmer, and gets worse in winter.

#speedupglobalwarming

Decamp to Spain, we are trying it in January see if you're right

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[Gromett]

Correct. But I'm still struggling with the best word to use, overtake?

At 50mph Aero becomes more significant than rolling resistance, but below it rolling resistance has more impact.
It is the cumulative total that needs to be reduced. So reducing both is good.

 

[jongood]

Toyota switches hydrogen FCEV focus to commercial vehicles | Autocar

Firm admits Mirai has “not been successful” but pledges to refine FCEV technology for passenger cars

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[PDrill]

God dammit build finally some !!! (see the sig)

 

[Mzracer]

God dammit build finally some !!! (see the sig)

Incredible, any clues to the delays?

 

[Tony50]

I have said for a long while Electric Cars are a Stop Gap, before hydrogen or something similar, already residues on electric cars are not looking and of they are going to be good. A electrician told me to many fast charged don't do the batteries any good.

 

[jongood]

I have said for a long while Electric Cars are a Stop Gap, before hydrogen or something similar, already residues on electric cars are not looking and of they are going to be good. A electrician told me to many fast charged don't do the batteries any good.

That is one of the worries; how do you assess the driveline of a used Bev? You can't listen to the motor when its stationary and a battery test is going to take some time and would it be conclusive?

 

[EuroTrotters]

The car to the left of the red vans appears to be an electric Citroen which, here in France, can be driven by 14-year-olds after basic training. If so, it can be charged overnight from a normal socket outlet and has a range of about 40 miles. Top speed is 30mph. Not much good for us wanting to visit family in the UK

John

Citroen Ami


They sell well in some continental countries where kids love them and don’t give a monkeys what they look like.

Nipping around to your girlfriend in a different department in France without getting soaked in the rain on your moto is cool.

In the UK, your not down with the kids when you are 17.

 

[Pilote87]

Citroen Ami


They sell well in some continental countries where kids love them and don’t give a monkeys what they look like.

Nipping around to your girlfriend in a different department in France without getting soaked in the rain on your moto is cool.

In the UK, your not down with the kids when you are 17.

Yes, the Ami. I've seen an ad for them on one of the British tv channels this week.

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[EuroTrotters]

Yes, the Ami. I've seen an ad for them on one of the British tv channels this week.

Don’t know why. In the summer, there were three unregistered outside our local karcher dealer ? Must be awash with them

 

[jongood]

Citroen Ami


They sell well in some continental countries where kids love them and don’t give a monkeys what they look like.

Nipping around to your girlfriend in a different department in France without getting soaked in the rain on your moto is cool.

In the UK, your not down with the kids when you are 17.

I'm not sure I would be happy to have my loved ones in in a plastic box thats limited to 28mph, especially on our busy roads.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I'm not sure I would be happy to have my loved ones in in a plastic box thats limited to 28mph, especially on our busy roads.

Yes, I understand that. But in some ways safer than a moped !

I worry about being in a fibreglass, wood an aluminium skinned A class motorhome with no airbags. Full of possible projectiles !

 

[beachwomble]

All the pictures so far were of the e-Ducato but here's one showing the interior of the diesel version with the new 8 speed automatic gearbox.

 

[beachwomble]

Toyota is launching its own version.

 

[beachwomble]

Off subject but Renault presented today the new Master and not just another facelift "à la Ducato & Co". 255 miles range electric version and a hydrogen powetrain coming soon too.

 

[PDrill]

Any news on the 8-speed type? My head will explode if it's anything else than a conventional auto. If I ever get one, that is.

 

[Guigsy]

Any news on the 8-speed type? My head will explode if it's anything else than a conventional auto. If I ever get one, that is.

The existing in-house 8 speed is a torque converter auto.

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[CAB96]

Toyota is launching its own version.View attachment 836205

That'll be the one to get!

No more FIAT worries!