Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.
Showing posts with label Dr Peter Mertens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr Peter Mertens. Show all posts

Friday, 1 May 2015

The New Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine is the world’s most powerful and cleanest SUV.

  • XC90 T8 Twin Engine is the world’s most powerful and cleanest SUV
  • Delivers 49 g/km CO2, combined 407 hp*, 640 Nm, 134.5mpg and up to 26 miles pure electric range
The XC90 T8 Twin Engine has exceeded all expectations when it comes to the no compromise equation of power and low fuel consumption, coupled with world class low emissions – and all in a 7-seat luxury SUV.

The improvement over the earlier announced figures were achieved thanks to the continuous innovation cycle at the Swedish company. The result of further tuning is a drop of 10 g/km from the initial prognosis, for up to 134.5mpg fuel economy, while also adding horsepower.

This makes the XC90 T8 Twin Engine the clear leader in its segment, with an exceptional combination of low fuel consumption, emissions and pure power.

“We have been working hard to earn our competitive edge and to give our customers the ultimate combination of performance and low fuel consumption. 

Our Twin Engine technology has enabled us to build on our heritage of efficient powertrain development in a completely new way. Thanks to our new scalable product architecture, and our world class four-cylinder engines, we have a clear and leading position,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

No other SUV in this class can deliver 26 miles of pure electric range, 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds and provide combined power of 407 hp – all in a 7 seat configuration.

The XC90 T8 Twin Engine will be available later this spring in Volvo showrooms.

All figures are based on the NEDC driving cycle for hybrids.
* 320hp + 87 hp power and 400 + 240 Nm torque - combined 407hp and 640 Nm.

A driving mode for every need

The XC90 T8 Twin Engine can go from 0 to 62mph in 5.6 seconds, delivering all the driving pleasure customers have come to expect from a Volvo SUV. But driving pleasure is only a fraction of what the XC90 T8 offers: the car has five different driving modes that deliver a range of performance and efficiency-enhancing characteristics. Using either a scroll wheel on the centre console or a touchscreen on the dashboard, drivers can choose from:

Hybrid: 

This is the default mode, suitable for everyday use. Here, the vehicle will automatically alternate between drawing power from the 2-litre, 4-cylinder Drive-E engine and the electric motor to deliver the best overall fuel consumption.

Pure electric: 

In this mode, when the high-voltage battery is fully charged, it serves as the car’s sole energy source, powering the electric motor over the rear axle. The XC90 T8 has a range of up to 26 miles using just electricity, which covers the total distance many people drive in one day. And thanks to the regenerative braking system, this mode is super-efficient in the stop-and-go traffic of city environments. If more power is needed, the Drive-E combustion engine starts up automatically.

Power mode: 

Here, drivers get the combined performance of the combustion engine and the electric motor. On start-up, the SUV takes advantage of the electric motor’s superior response and instant torque curve, while the combustion engine gets up to speed. This combination offers better torque at lower revs, equivalent to that of a large displacement engine like the V8.

AWD: 

This mode offers constant all-wheel drive on demand. The advantage of being able to select AWD manually is that the driver can use it when needed, or choose to save energy for later.

Save: 

If the battery is charged, this mode allows the driver to “freeze” the battery level and save it for later use with Pure Electric drive. On the other hand, if the battery is low, the driver can use the combustion engine to charge the battery to a certain level for later use with Pure Electric drive.

Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Volvo reveals latest Drive-E Powertrain concept capable of 450hp.

  • Triple Boost Technology takes Volvo’s four-cylinder Drive-E Powertrain petrol engine to 450 BHP
  • Further proof of Volvo’s commitment to delivering driving pleasure through down-sizing
Volvo delivers a unique combination of performance and efficiency with the High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept - a triple boost 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with no less than 450 hp.
Following the successful introduction of Volvo’s Drive-E Powertrain range in 2013, Volvo’s powertrain team once again demonstrates its technological leadership in emission-reducing turbo technology.
“When we launched the Drive-E powertrain family, our aim was to deliver the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in the industry based on emissions and fuel consumption relative to performance and drivability. We knew that 320 hp in our petrol configuration was just a starting point. The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept demonstrates this ambition and the versatility of the Drive-E Powertrains,” says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.

The 450 hp High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept is based on a set of technologies not usually found in a four cylinder engine. The engine utilises two parallel turbochargers, which are fed by an electrically powered turbo-compressor. The compressed air from this unit, rather than being fed to the cylinders, is instead used to spool up the two parallel turbochargers. Fuel is fed by a dual fuel pump working at 250 bar pressure. With this kind of power density, this triple boost installation and unique fuel system enables a very dynamic drivability without any turbo lag, compared to a mono-turbo.
“There are several high power small size applications where one large turbo is used to create a high level of power available from other manufacturers, but the driving experience suffers due to slow engine response. We felt that with our heritage of being among the first car companies to embrace and offer a broad range of turbo technology since 1981, that we could improve this,” says Michael Fleiss, Vice President of Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Car Group.
The High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept attracted the attention and involvement of Volvo Cars suppliers AVL, Denso and Volvo Polestar Racing at an early stage, which allowed theories and technologies from racing applications to be infused in the development process.
“This was a very exciting project as we pioneered a combination of technologies in the same application, and the result is a quite unique engine with its high power yet quick response. Above all, its compact size improves weight distribution between the front and rear axle and lowers the centre of gravity - two factors that have a significant effect on the handling, whether it is a race car or a street car,” said Mattias Evensson, Race Engine Director at Volvo Polestar Racing.
“It may sound odd, but this 450 hp powertrain concept is an important part of the Drive-E development program. Down-sizing must offer customers attractive and usable power for broad scale emissions reduction to work. Compact powertrains free up space and weight in the structure of the car, which can be used for electrification and even further emissions reduction. And that is our ultimate ambition,” concludes Dr. Mertens.