New hybrid vehicle White Paper released as part of NEXCEL’s technology drive

New White Paper outlines hybrid development opportunities using Nexcel technology

Testing of conventional powertrains demonstrates Nexcel potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by 2 g/km

2018 Toyota Prius development vehicle demonstrates Nexcel packaging flexibility

Castrol’s innovation business, Nexcel has released its new white paper on hybrid development. ‘Challenges and Opportunities for the Development of Hybrid Electric Vehicles: a Unique Perspective from Nexcel’ outlines the future landscape for CO₂-reducing technologies and systems integration and provides insights into how Nexcel technology can add value to future hybrid designs. At the recent Cenex-LCV event 2018, the company displayed its 2018 Toyota Prius plug-in, which is fitted with a Nexcel oil cell and dock to showcase the modular packaging benefits of its innovative active oil management system, which during recent testing demonstrated its potential to reduce CO₂emissions by 2 g/km, for a wide range of conventional powertrain configurations.

“Nexcel is committed to reducing vehicle emissions, for which hybrid technology is a crucial enabler,” says Nexcel sustainability director, John Ward-Zinski. “Our 2018 Toyota Prius demonstration vehicle is the first hybrid to be adapted for use with our active oil management system, demonstrating that even the most restrictive packaging limitations are not a barrier to adoption of this technology. The benefits offered by Nexcel perfectly complement the environmental performance of existing and emerging powertrain technologies, and there was a great deal of interest shown in what we are doing at Cenex-LCV. The Nexcel stand was constantly busy”.

Tests of Nexcel’s proprietary technology, which were conducted across three different conventional engine types, demonstrated the system’s potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by 2 g/km. This is delivered by ensuring precise oil-engine match, accelerating the engine warm-up procedure and promoting enhanced efficiency of the engine’s inherent design.

The anticipated cost for each gram of CO₂ saved with Nexcel is around €42⁽¹⁾, similar to the cost per gram of CO₂ for a micro hybrid (stop-start plus regenerative braking) and approximately half the cost per gram for one of the most popular new technology strategies, a mild hybrid system⁽²⁾.

“Using data from the European Commission’s 2017 Impact Assessment of Upcoming CO₂ Regulations,⁽²⁾ we have established that Nexcel is one of the most affordable routes to CO₂ reduction which will help passenger cars meet the Commission’s demanding 2021 European fleet average target of 95 grams of CO₂ per kilometre,” states Nexcel business development director, Ben Russell. “Nexcel will be able to offer significant CO₂ reduction at a price that is broadly equivalent to the adoption of electric power assisted steering (EPAS), which a few years ago was considered a radical evolution of the proven system, yet today it is almost ubiquitous.”

“Challenges and Opportunities for the Development of Hybrid Electric Vehicles: A Unique Perspective from Nexcel” is available on request from Nexcel’s website (Nexcel.co.uk).