Ferrari 599 HY-KERS Hybrid

The hybrid is based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. They call the HY-KERS Hybrid a “ventura laboratorio,” or research vehicle, so don’t expect to see this particular car make it to production. It is more of a test bed for future technology that will be applied across the Ferrari product line.

“This sort of technological challenge has been in the Ferrari blood since forever,” Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s chairman, said in introducing the first “green” Ferrari. “We want to build a hybrid with huge power and huge performance. Within three to four years, every Ferrari in our lineup will offer some version of hybrid operation.”

Maranello promises the HY-KERS concept will offer stellar performance along with improved fuel economy and emissions. It makes that point clear in calling HY-KERS “an example of how Ferrari is approaching the development of hybrid technology without losing sight of the performance traits and driving involvement that have always exemplified its cars.”

An unnamed Ferrari spokesman told the Daily Mail, “Central to our objective is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of [Ferrari's] cars, despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight.”

Taking a look at the tech under that green bodywork-who knew a Ferrari would look good in bright green?-gives us no reason to doubt him.

Ferrari has put the motor, batteries and related electronics as low as possible in the car to keep the center of gravity low and to preserve interior space. It appears to have worked-Ferrari says the hybrid’s center of gravity is lower than the 599s, so the vehicle dynamics are unchanged.

The compact motor weights 40 kg (about 88 lb) and is mounted at the back of a seven-speed paddle-shifted transmission taken from the Ferrari 458 Italia parts bin. It works through one of the transmission’s two clutches and engages the gearbox shaft carrying the odd-numbered gears. Ferrari says the motor produces 107 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque, according to Automobile.

“Ferrari’s goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one horsepower,” the company said, and the power is coupled “seamlessly and instantaneously” with that of the 6.0-liter V-12 engine. Ferrari says the car runs under electric power under light loads or around town. Stomp the pedal and the gasoline engine takes over, with an assist from the electric motor to provide additional torque.

Electricity is stored in a three-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack said to be just an inch thick. It’s mounted under the floorboard and runs the length of the floor pan. It is air-cooled. Of course the HY-KERS has regenerative braking-hit the binders and the kinetic energy is returned to the battery.

The system was developed using Ferrari’s experience with kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in Formula One  racing. The same control module that manages the re-gen also manages the power supply and recharges the batteries. Ancillary systems like power steering and power-assisted brakes are also electric.

Ferrari didn’t say what the car weighs, but Automobile says 55 percent of the weight is carried by the rear wheels, up from 53 percent for the GTB.

The obvious question is why a company known for glorious internal combustion engines would go electric. Simple: The rules require it to. The HY-KERS concept is Ferrari’s first step toward meeting the new European Union fuel-economy and emissions regulations.

“This hybrid project is also aimed at ensuring that Ferrari will be in a position to comply with future CO2 emissions standards, particularly in terms of the urban cycle,” the company said. “City driving is traditionally where sports cars are most penalized, as their engines are designed for maximum efficiency and performance at high revs, whereas the urban cycle involves low revs and low engine loads.”

To that end, the HY-KERS system cuts the 599’s emissions by 35 percent to 270 grams per kilometer. Ferrari expects to see the car get as much as 25 mpg, a big improvement on the 16 mpg the conventional 599 gets.

Ferrari hopes to have HY-KERS technology in showrooms within three to five years. The system can be adapted to front-or mid-engine vehicles, according to Automobile, and the first production car to use it will be available only as a hybrid. According to the Daily Mail, Ferrari says the technology could double the cost of the 599, but Maranello hopes to bring those costs under control as it ramps up production.

Ferrari says the HY-KERS will do zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds and hit 125 mph in 10.5. Sounds like a real Ferrari.

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Press Release:

FERRARI DEBUTS AT GENEVA WITH THE HY-KERS, A ‘VETTURA LABORATORIO’

Geneva, 2 March 2010. Ferrari presents a vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle) at the 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show based on the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with an advanced new hybrid transmission.

Hybrid technology is one of the solutions examined by Ferrari in its on-going research and development into making its production cars ever more efficient. Experimenting with alternative technologies represents the company’s long-term strategy after the announcement in 2007 of a five-year plan to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across the range. With the launch of the Ferrari California (2008) and the 458 Italia (2009), in fact, Ferrari’s average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures have already been reduced by around 30 per cent compared to 2007.

The HY-KERS displayed at the Geneva Motor Show is an example of how Ferrari is studying the application of hybrid technology to high-performance sports cars. Central to Ferrari’s objectives is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of its cars despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight represented by applying hybrid solutions to existing models.

To this end Ferrari has employed its racing experience to adapt a lightweight hybrid drivetrain to the 599 GTB Fiorano with the aim of ensuring that vehicle dynamics are unaffected. This was achieved by the careful integration of all system components, positioning them below the centre of gravity and ensuring that interior and luggage space are entirely unaffected. Similarly the flat lithium-ion batteries are positioned below the floorpan of the car inside the aerodynamic underbody. The result is a centre of gravity that is even lower than in the standard car. In addition, a part of the weight gained by fitting the electric motor, generator and the batteries is offset by being able to do away with the traditional starter motor and battery.

Ferrari has also applied its F1 technology to the design, engineering and construction of a new kind of electric motor which also helps optimise the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the car, enhancing traction and brake balance. The motor cuts in during acceleration, providing instantaneous torque when moving away from a standstill and during overtaking manoeuvres, with torque control a function of grip, gear and accelerator pedal angle. Depending on vehicle speed and engine load – for example in town driving – the hybrid system can also function as a full-electric drivetrain. The result is a direct reduction in consumption and emissions. The motor also features a unique cooling and lubrication system for maximum efficiency under all operating temperatures and loads. The castings of the motor are made in the Ferrari foundry, complete with Prancing Horse motif.

Weighing about 40 kg, the compact, tri-phase, high-voltage electric motor of the HY-KERS is coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission. It operates through one of the transmission’s two clutches and engages one of the two gearbox primary shafts. Thus power is coupled seamlessly and instantaneously between the electric motor and the V12. The electric motor produces more than 100 hp as Ferrari’s goal was to offset every kilogram increase in weight by a gain of at least one hp.

Under braking the electric drive unit acts as a generator, using the kinetic energy from the negative torque generated to recharge the batteries. This phase is controlled by a dedicated electronics module which was developed applying experience gained in F1 and, as well as managing the power supply and recharging the batteries, the module also powers the engine’s ancillaries (power steering, power-assisted brakes, air conditioning, on-board systems) via a generator mounted on the V12 engine when running 100 per cent under electric drive. It also incorporates the hybrid system’s cooling pump.

In keeping with Ferrari’s 360-degree approach to efficiency and its commitment to environmental sustainability, new technologies for its road cars are matched by the considerable investments already made to reduce the environmental impact of the company’s production activities in Maranello.

After the inauguration of the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the Mechanical Machining facility in January 2009, which reduced the factory’s power requirements by over 210,000 kWh annually, 2009 also saw the opening of the trigeneration plant (the simultaneous production of power, heat and cooling from a single source) – the first of its kind to be implemented by a sports car manufacturer. This enabled Ferrari to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 per cent, with the goal of reaching a reduction of over 40 per cent by the end of 2010. Thanks to these ecological solutions, Ferrari is completely autonomous for its energy requirements.

Source: wired.com and wheels.blogs.nytimes.com