In a heavier vehicle, regen braking adds up to a lot of savings in both fuel and brake maintenance. Using a battery that’s much smaller than used in a BEV will also reduce long term replacement cost. V8 driving a generator at relatively constant load is probably better for life so long as regularly serviced.
No tranny, no driveshaft, no transfer case, no differential. It’s a lot simpler and should be more durable. And it won’t run all the time. May only be needed intermittently.
So out of curiosity, how durable long term would this sort of powertrain setup be? It seems quite complex. I could see that being off-putting to super duty owners who routinely put their trucks through intense abuse and expect them to work flawlessly. Is this sort of thing more or less reliable than a conventional hybrid?
Ford is facing some serious challenges with this EREV project, the whole idea is to offer fleet buyers something that saves them money but can also help Ford replace some or all of its diesel sales (eventually).
OK, thinking about some things and this is not directed at Biker’s posts….
Recapping some thoughts,
- current 6.7 Powerstroke is very fuel efficient for what it does.
- current 6.8/7.3 gasoline V8 are about $10,000 less to buy but can’t match diesel tow haul.
- Gasoline engine under constant load needs big enough capacity to avoid needing rich mixtures,
an Ecoboost SD would drink fuel at an alarming rate under full load and thus not for fleets.
- a hybrid with regen braking offers good energy savings when speed varies a lot, not so much on flat running.
What is Ford offering,
In my mind, an EREV with gas engine offers freedom from diesel DPF/NOX issues while offering
give backs in reduced brake maintenance thanks to regen braking but does the
gasoline engine
A big difference,
One of the biggest fallacies is trying to apply learnings from a 4,000 lb passenger PHEV/EREV
to a SD with a GCWR of say 25,000 lbs - there’s immediately six times the weight to move and brake.
thinking that the solution is just double the 2.5 liter I-4 to 5.0 V8
and problem solved, no it’s not, far from it and this is probably
why Ford is having some big issues making its project live up to
the goals, so in the end, I think they will end up with a diesel
replacement, kinda sorta, everything is a compromise.