All future Porsches will be available with the option of petrol-electric drive, according to the German car maker.
A next-generation hybrid drive module, which combines an electric motor and clutches in one unit and was revealed at Porsche’s recent Panamera Hybrid technology workshop, has been designed to fit into all of the manufacturer’s future cars, including the Porsche 911.
The module will make its production debut in the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar.
The new Panamera S E-Hybrid is billed as an advance on the first-generation Panamera Hybrid. It run on pure battery power and the electric motor is more powerful. With both motors running, the E-Hybrid has a top speed of 168mph and an electric-only top speed of 84mph. Despite this, CO2 emissions are rated at 71g/km. It can travel between 11 and 23 miles on battery power alone.
The Panamera S E-Hybrid differs from the previous Panamera Hybrid, but Porsche has also outlined plans for the next-generation plug-in hybrid. The system will be integrated into a new rear/all-wheel drive platform, called MSB, which is also set to underpin other Panamera and Bentley models. That means the first Bentley hybrid - probably the new Flying Spur - should arrive in 2017.
The next-generation hybrid module will be more powerful than the 94bhp electric motor in the Panamera S E-Hybrid. It will be both water and air-cooled, and backed up by a more energy-dense battery pack and other improvements including a lighter wiring loom, which will use aluminium instead of copper wires.
Porsche is also working on an induction charger that can be installed in a domestic garage floor. The system allows the battery to be recharged simply by being in the proximity of the charger, eliminating the need for charging cables.
Porsche’s move is part of its plans to reduce fuel use during everyday driving. Porsche says its “new parameter” for fuel saving is reducing the engine’s “revolutions per kilometre”. In the first phase, exemplified by the plug-in Panamera, reducing engine revs per kilometre involves conventional stop-start, plus coasting, engine-off coasting and running on battery power.
In the next stage, due in 2016-2017, Porsches will interact intelligently with their surroundings using information from detailed maps, including accurately measured inclines and the radius of approaching corners. This data will allow the cars to select automatically the optimum driving mode (from Electric, Hybrid, Charging and Sport modes) for the situation.
In future, it seems, Porsche’s hybrid models will be making many of the driving decisions, including deciding the balance of power between the engine, battery and the effects of kinetic energy and gravity.
Hybrid module
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Porsche Hybrid Technology
America in the sights?
Seems like Porsche is pulling out all the stops - updating the hybrid within two years of introducing it in the Panamera range.
I look forward to seeing this high tech finding its way down to the VW's models that sell in their millions unlike the Panamera.
Wait and see!
When I thought that Porsche is the only sports car. I can `t imagine that all the time rastavit in its place and the company will launch a four-door cars and jeeps. in my mind there is no place to thoughts of Porsche hybrid, Porsche with an electric heart! For me, first of all - it's a sports car with classical. But as we can see, all rastavlyaet in its place. Wait and see!