KERS
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About two years ago we told you that Volvo was about to commence testing of an innovative flywheel-based kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), not in motorsport but in the realm of production cars. The basic setup called for a flywheel KERS to be fitted to the free axle of a car. When approaching a red light, the driver would hit the brakes like normal.This would cause the flywheel to spool up and keep spinning until the lights turn green and the driver hits the accelerator. At this point, the flywheel's rotation is transferred to the rear wheels via a specially designed transmission, giving...
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Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ Could Get KERS Hybrid: Tetsuya TadaTurbocharged, supercharged, STI--we've seen and heard it all, and even done some of the speculation ourselves. But the chief engineer of the Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota GT-86, Tetsuya Tada thinks that's the wrong direction. Instead, he's talking about a KERS-type hybrid like that seen on the...
Nelson Ireson -
HSV Tests KERS Hybrid In Commodore Racer, Could Lead To Production Version
Holden’s performance division HSV is working on its own racing series together with motorsport firm Walkinshaw Racing, using the Holden Commodore-based ClubSport R8 as the basis for a new one-make series aimed at India and several other markets in Asia. HSV has now revealed that it is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hope Racing Bringing Flywheel-Based Hybrid To 24 Hours Of Le Mans
One of the most exciting races of the year will be taking place this weekend, the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe near the French town of Le Mans. While the race is typically dominated by the high-tech and super expensive prototype race cars of major automakers like Audi and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volvo Testing Flywheel KERS, Claims 20 Percent Fuel Consumption Drop
We’ve seen it in Formula 1 over the years, and Porsche has relatively successfully implanted one in its 911 GT3 R Hybrid race cars, but now Volvo is testing one with an aim to bring it to the world of production cars. We’re of course talking about a Kinetic Energy Recovery System...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: Red Bull Details 2011 F1 Rear Wing, KERS System
You probably already have a good idea how the rear wing and KERS systems will impact the 2011 season, but you may not have seen a good illustration of how, when, and why they work. This video fixes that. Narrated by Sebastian Vettel, the video gives a peek inside the strategy as well as the...
Nelson Ireson -
The use of hybrid drive systems, or Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) as they're known in Formula 1, has a relatively short history in racing. In F1, the history is about to become present once again, with KERS back on the grid for 2011. But it may not be all it's cracked up to be, if HRT chief engineer Tony Cuquerella is any indication. Calling KERS "inefficient," and little more than a marketing exercise in greenwashing (both the sport and the manufacturers involved), Cuquerella impugned the device and the motives for its use in a lecture given at the Polytechnic University of...
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2010 Paris Auto Show: 2015 Lotus Eterne Live Photos
Even Lotus couldn’t resist from entering the burgeoning four-door coupe market, revealing today a production intent concept set to go on sale around the middle of the decade. The concept is the new 2015 Lotus Eterne; a true four door, four seater sports GT. In fact, Lotus is quick to point...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 Paris Auto Show: 2013 Lotus Esprit
For Lotus fans, the next few years should prove to be very interesting as the company pushes ahead with its five-year plan to update its model lineup, including successors to the Elise and Esprit. Sales of the Evora are going strong, and at this week’s 2010 Paris Auto Show the company is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jaguar Testing KERS-Like Flywheel Hybrid For XF
Jaguar Land Rover's efforts in the green arena are well-documented, and this week the push got a bit stronger at the Low Carbon Vehicle event at Millbrook, U.K. Showing off a joint-developed "flywheel hybrid system for premium vehicles" (FHSPV) on a Jaguar XF prototype, the company claims a gain of...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Ferrari Planning Mild Hybrid 599 For Geneva
Ferrari’s management has maintained that any reduction of CO2 levels will not come at the cost of performance.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran
