EPA and Chrysler to Jointly
Design and Evaluate a Hydraulic
Hybrid Minivan
EPA and Chrysler have
formed a partnership to explore applying
EPA's Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle (HHV) technology to light-duty
vehicles. A joint EPA and Chrysler engineering team are designing
a series HHV drivetrain, for evaluation and demonstration in a
Chrysler minivan.
Partnership Details
The partnership is a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
in which both organizations will closely collaborate on design and evaluation of the
demonstration vehicle. EPA will focus on incorporating its HHV technology into the
prototype development vehicle. Chrysler will focus on controls, packaging and driver
sensitivities for smooth and quiet hybrid operation.
Partnership Goals:
• Assess HHV technology potential in a light-duty passenger vehicle
- Reduce Greenhouse Gases by 25% (30-35% overall fuel economy
improvement)
- Improve city fuel economy by up to 60%
- Similar performance from the project's 4cyl HHV as the current V-6
production minivan
• Characterize and solve the challenges unique to applying HHV technology
to personal vehicles
- Fit the hybrid system within the tight confines of a minivan platform
- Identify enablers to meet driver expectations for car levels of safety,
smoothness and refinement
• Demonstrate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
EPA-420-F-11-002
January 2011
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Advantages of Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles (HHVs):
• Hybridization with potential for faster payback due to low cost, and greater
regenerative efficiency than Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
• Applicable to many popular vehicles in the marketplace
Engine Pump/Motor V Drive Pump/Motor
High Pressure Accumulator
Low Pressure Accumulator
• Simple & effective American-made technology
Project Vehicle Development Timeline:
• Completion of design and build is scheduled for November 2011
• Completion of evaluation and testing is scheduled for July 2012
The technical organizations that contributed to the development of the
hydraulic hybrid minivan are:
FE¥
SERA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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