Article: GETRAG Boosted Range Extender

[cfg83]

Hello -

Browsing in Green Car Congress and found this :

GETRAG to Exhibit Boosted Range Extender at METAV; Electric and Mechanical Drive - 18 February 2010

The GETRAG Corporate Group will present its newly developed Boosted Range Extender at this year’s METAV, the international trade fair for manufacturing technology and automation, in Düsseldorf.

The Boosted Range Extender combines a two-cylinder combustion engine with an electric motor, alternator and power-shiftable two-speed transmission. When driving, the electric drive takes over the major portion of the dynamic driving conditions so that the internal combustion engine is only used for a small portion of the total characteristics map. Optimization of the system is therefore possible with regard to degree of efficiency, costs and installation space.
...
The design of the Boosted Range Extender requires no revolutionary changes to the infrastructure and can go on the market for use with existing systems. So it should be possible to go for a fast market launch. It offers a solution that the market needs now and will be more than adequate to cope with tighter requirements in future. That has led to a great deal of interest in this product and we are currently in talks with a lot of interested potential customers. — Rolf Najork, Executive Vice President for Research & Development

CarloSW2

[Frank Lee]

THAT would plop right inta a Tempo!

[NeilBlanchard]

This is very interesting -- but the article does not say whether the ICE is a diesel or gasoline, or...?

I'd like to know how much it weighs, and other specific details...

[MetroMPG]

I find the target market a bit odd: presented at an "international trade fair for manufacturing technology and automation"

When I think of vehicles in manufacturing settings, I think of forklifts and smallish club car type equipment trucks. The worlds biggest EV fleets are in manufacturing and "campus" type settings because they're well suited to the range limits, plus they tend to be disciplined about keeping things plugged in for recharging.

In that scenario, is there much of a market for range extension?

[MetroMPG]

Never mind. I see they're aiming this at the urban road vehicle market:

The Boosted Range Extender would be particularly useful for vehicles driven mainly within city limits, GETRAG suggests. A plug-in function also provides for charging from the power grid.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

In that scenario, is there much of a market for range extension?

Chevy Volt.

[Ryland]

I think if they can make something that bolts in to an existing vehicle then they will have something.
but as it is it sounds like they have a design and want to find someone to build it.

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's more info and some new pictures:

Getrag wants to get into the range extender business — Autoblog Green

It's got spark plugs -- so it's not a diesel.