Schaeffler will be presenting a plug-in hybrid concept based on a CVT (continuously variable transmission) at the VDI Transmission Conference in Friedrichshafen.
The combination of a hybrid drive with a CVT is not entirely new but, in the plug-in hybrid variation that Schaeffler is now presenting, it offers even more efficiency and reduced fuel consumption values. What is special about Schaeffler’s solution is the parallel arrangement of the variator and the direct gear stage for the electric drive.
These features are important criteria for automobile manufacturers and drivers because, to put it simply, the further a vehicle can be driven on purely electric energy, the less fuel it consumes and the lower its emissions are.
The electric motor used in the plug-in hybrid concept provides 80 kW of power, while the turbocharged 1.4-liter internal combustion engine provides a further 110 kW. When installed in this C-segment vehicle, Schaeffler’s plug-in hybrid concept makes it possible to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds. And in all-electric mode, it can cover 56 kilometers (35 miles) when combined with an 8.7 kWh battery, while the continuously variable transmission ensures excellent ride comfort.
In hybrid mode (combined operation of the internal combustion engine and electric motor), compact vehicles achieve an NEDC consumption of 1.6 l per 100 km (147 mpg US) – the equivalent of just 39 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
Schaeffer has designed this plug-in hybrid concept on the basis of a CVT, i.e. for B and C-segment vehicles. “It is of immense importance that these segments be catered to if the topic of hybrid vehicles is to gain universal acceptance”, explains Dr. Hartmut Faust, Vice President of Research and Development for Transmission Systems at Schaeffler. “Legal regulations governing CO2 emissions are becoming increasingly stringent worldwide, and this means that consumers need to change their way of thinking and accept new solutions.”
