XM1124 HE-HMMWV (aka Hummer Hybrid)
This Hummer pickup is powered by a lowly 2.2-liter direct-injected Peugeot diesel that spins a generator to recharge a 15-kilowatt-hour, 30-amp-hour lithium-ion battery that in turn powers a 75 kW (101-hp) permanent-magnet motor at each axle. When the battery pack is fully charged, the vehicle can travel up to six miles at up to 20 mph in silence -- a boon in hostile territory. When parked it can provide 15 kW of electrical power that's clean enough to run communications gear. This also eliminates the need to trailer a generator when setting up a tactical operations center (TOC). Preliminary field tests suggest it achieves a 10-15-percent improvement in fuel economy to boot.
Optrand Fiber-Optic Pressure Sensor
Many of the latest tricks for squeezing more performance from less fuel involve tricky combustion modes like homogeneous-charge compression ignition (HCCI), the control of which depends on careful real-time monitoring of conditions inside the cylinder. Optrand presented a tiny (1.1-1.7mm diameter) and affordable ($5) fiber-optic pressure sensor. A five-cent one-milliamp LED shines light down a 0.12mm fiber and reflects off an inconel alloy diaphragm and into a second fiber leading back to a semiconductor that interprets the motion. The devices can be incorporated in a head gasket, a spark plug or glow plug sized to measure from 100 to 30,000 psi and are said to be more reliable and far more accurate than piezo-type sensors. Expect to find the units in VW/Audi and GM/VM Motori diesels soon.
Mahindra Scorpio Diesel-Hybrid
India's Mahindra & Mahindra is the sub-continent's preeminent diesel-engine manufacturer and a utility-vehicle specialist. It plans to launch an SUV and pickup in the U.S. in March, 2009, powered by a 2.2-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder turbodiesel engine good for about 150 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque that's Tier-II Bin-5 compliant, developed with help from Bosch and AVL. A hybrid using the Indian-market version of this engine will go on sale in India at about the same time, developed with some help from FEV. It will be a parallel hybrid system with permanent-magnet motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission, capable of 15 kW continuous or 30 kW peak power (20/40 hp). A NiMH battery pack delivers 8.4 amp-hours, and the system boosts fuel economy by a reported 20 percent. Mahindra & Mahindra hopes to bring the system to the U.S. if the system performs as expected in India.