(27 Feb 04)

Using a Ford Transit as the research vehicle, a £1.2 million Government-funded HyTrans project has been launched to develop Europe’s first medium-sized commercial vehicle with hybrid diesel/electric technology. All other major projects of this kind, of course, use petrol/electric powertrains.

The partners are Ford itself, which is supplying the Southampton-built Transit and providing facilities at its test centre in Aachen; Valeo and Gates which will contribute various components; and Ricardo, which is the project leader and will carry out most of the development work at its headquarters in Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex.

Ricardo classifies the HyTrans as a "micro hybrid". In other words, the additional electric system is used only for applications like the stop/start arrangement which cuts the engine at halts in traffic - and, in the case of a van, during deliveries - and regenerative braking.

It doesn’t contribute additional power or torque, as in the case of cars like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic IMA. However, the partners anticipate that real-life fuel consumption could be reduced by something between 15 and 25%.

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