Dutch Invention Uses Electric Engines For Wheels

Makarand writes "A Dutch invention is promising to make vehicles atleast 50% more efficient and also bring down the soot and carbon dioxide emissions. This is made possible by replacing the conventional wheels by 'in-wheel' electric engines which are normal electric engines turned inside out. No transmission is necessary as the in-wheel engines are powered by battery-packs installed on the vehicle. A diesel-powered generator which replaces the original engine on the vehicle charges the battery-pack continuously. The Dutch company E-Traction has built a bus using this technology that will undergo testing for the next six months."

Comments

Will it stand the test of time?

[earthforce_1]

Interesting idea, but the real test will be with long term cost of operation. The cost of diesel fuel may be insignificant if this thing spends significantly more time in the garage, or costs more to build.

Not that I want to be a naysayer. I hope it pans out, but don't be too surprised if it quietly goes away never to be heard from again lot a lot of other great ideas. (I remember a british high speed train that leaned into curves, that was quietly taken out of service after much initial fanfare)

Re:Just an improvement of standard hybrid technolo

[bennomatic]

You're right; it is just a natural progression. But they also took the next step (another "natural progression") from thinking about it, and actually built the darn thing, so I say kudos to them.

I, for one, will welcome the results of the real-world tests of this thing. If it works as well as they claim, they could put those wheel-gines in all sorts of vehicles. And based on the size of them, I'd say they're going in large vehicles first. Can you imagine the Hummer ad campaign when the release a vehicle that is more fuel efficient than a Toyota Echo?

Unsprung mass as proportion of vehicle mass

[Porag_Spliffing]

All I can say is flat flat flat, not the tire the Netherlands ;-). Unsprung weight is not to important in a low performance vehicle running on good roads (Apeldoorn has well maintained roads, you should see the taxes here). In a bus the unsprung mass will still be rather a small proportion of the total mass even for rather massive wheel motors. The big bastard springs that carry all that bus will not have to much trouble holding the wheels on the road.

Nadolig llawen,
R.