http://www.plugincars.com/ford-prototype-offers-intriguing-possibilities-future-electric-cars-127085.html [images] First Drive: Ford Prototype Electric Car with In-Wheel Motors By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Apr 26 2013
[images http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/ford-inwheel-detail-wheel-620.jpg Ford In-Wheel Motor Prototype Vehicle http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/ford-inwheel-pullingout-620.jpg http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/ford-inwheel-detail-under-hood-620.jpg http://www.plugincars.com/sites/default/files/ford-inwheel-back-road-620.jpg ] For many years, in-wheel electric motors have been used in electric bicycles. Even some electric motorcycles use hub motors to reduce mechanical complexity, improve efficiency and save space. But except for a few prototypes, in-wheel motor technology has been generally absent from the automotive world. That started to change with the showing of the $500,000 Mercedes-Benz quad-wheel drive SLS AMG e-cell at last year’s Paris Motor Show. That fantasy, of using motors in wheels, became much more real yesterday at Ford’s top-secret test facility in Lommel, Belgium, when I sat behind the wheel of a standard-looking Ford Fiesta, a prototype equipped with in-wheel motors. Specifications Under the hood, a 17 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack sits where the engine would normally be. At the rear, each wheel hides a fully integrated, water-cooled AC motor and inverter package, designed and built by German engineering specialists Schaeffler. On paper, each motor has a continuous power rating of 33 kilowatts, and a peak power rating of 40 kilowatts. Meanwhile, maximum torque is rated at 516 foot-pounds, or 258 foot pounds continuous. Taking continuous, combined ratings across the axle, which equates to 66 kilowatts of power, and 516 foot pounds of torque—not bad considering they are powering a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The car itself is a joint project between Schaeffler and Ford. While the motor is the domain of Schaeffler, Ford has provided the donor car, along with suspension tweaks and handling expertise. Behind the Wheel As I pull onto one of Lommel’s many test tracks, I notice some significant motor judder. My chaperone makes no bones about the fact that the Fiesta I’m driving is a design prototype. “There’s still some work to be done here,” he said. Once we’ve reached double-digit speed, however, the judder vanishes and the twin motor emits an intoxicating, all-encompassing whine. It reminds me a little of an electric train and I bury my right foot to the floor along the first straight. As a prototype, both Ford and Schaeffler are vague about performance figures, but indicate 0-60 happens in “about ten seconds.” Sadly, the windy test track and the other drivers on the track—high speed track professionals pushing regular gasoline cars to their absolute limit—made it difficult to put that figure to the test. Entering the first corner, the Fiesta prototype handles like any rear-wheel drive car. There’s no under steer and its nose tucks neatly into the corner. That said, with the unsprang mass of a 90-pound electric motor on each rear wheel, and the 17 kilowatt-hour battery pack tucked under the hood, the tiny Fiesta feels a little on the heavy side. The real surprise of the test drive comes on a tight left hand bend half way around the course. Almost a mountain-pass hairpin, I enter the corner slowly and then check my mirror before taking the racing line through the curve, pushing the throttle hard past the apex. There’s the tiny hint of a squeal from left wheel, then nothing, as the rear wheels obediently follow the front ones. In a conventional car, I might be dialing in some counter-steering about now. My chaperone laughs. “You’ve discovered the torque vectoring then,” he chuckled. With no physical connection between the rear wheels, each can operate independently to provide exactly the right amount of torque to keep the car pointing in the right direction at any given time. Moreover, Ford tells me, the torque vectoring developed by Schaeffler is almost instantaneous, providing better traction control than conventional stability systems. The result is a car that is extremely difficult to throw off-course. A Long Way to Go The prototype developed by Ford and Schaeffler is a promising start, but neither company expects in-wheel motors to be available on production cars any time soon. Neither company will commit to any firm figures on price comparisons. When pushed further, our hosts—Dr. Raphel Fischer from Schaeffler and Dr. Pim Van de Jagt from Ford—said that if we ignore the cost of the battery pack, the in-wheel powertrain costs more than a conventional electric drivetrain but less than a gasoline one. Based on a very short test drive, there’s little to suggest the in-wheel motor system being worked on at Ford’s European technical center is ready for prime time. But if it does eventually come to market—some time between 2016 and 2020, said Schaeffler—it could open up a whole new world of possibilities for the next generation of spacious yet compact electric city cars. Ford provided travel and accommodation to make this report possible. [© PluginCars.com ] http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-220727.html Ford Fiesta With 'Ewheeldrive': Ford And Demonstrate Schaeffler-Wheel-Drive Electric Vehicle. • When Ford introduced a driving event in cooperation with ... 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