Volvo is on the right track with their latest concept vehicle. It's a plug-in hybrid and uses hub motors instead of traditional electrical motors. This provides greater efficiency because there are less transmititive loses because there are less moving parts because the traditional drivetrain is non-existent.
It definitely has taken a long time for someone to decide to use hub motors on a vehicle. The first time I have seen hub motors in use was when I worked on AN/AAQ-15 FLIR systems for Combat Talon II airplanes. The torquer motors in these were hub type, and they were very powerful. They are so powerful that I saw one break the frame that was designed to hold it. Volvo has made a very good choice in using these motors and teaming it up with a plug-in hybrid style vehicle. Hopefully the ReCharge will be on the market soon and that the price for it will be reasonable.
To see more information about this vehicle click here for the full article. The picture is copyrighted under "Volvo Cars of North America".
2 comments:
A "Hybrid" will be obsolete by the time this comes out. There should be no need for a internal combustion engine as a back-up.
I certainly hope you are right about hybrid's being obsolete soon, and we can move directly cars that use fuel cells.
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