Valeo, Ricardo Sign To Jointly Develop 42 Volt Diesel Vehicle

Autoparts Report, Oct 8, 2001

Valeo and Ricardo said that they have entered a technical and strategic partnership that combines Valeo's 42 Volt electrical energy and thermal management systems with Ricardo's diesel powertrain and vehicle engineering expertise in systems integration and control.

The two companies said they plan to jointly demonstrate technologies for a 42 Volt mild hybrid diesel vehicle that aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30 percent as well as beat future emissions legislation by 50 percent and still maintain high standards of performance, drivability and refinement.

Under the terms of the agreement, the jointly developed mild hybrid vehicle, called i-MoGen (Intelligent Motor Generator) will integrate a range of Valeo's 42 Volt systems, including the company's integrated starter-alternator its Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC), intelligent engine cooling and other electrical systems, the companies said.

A high output down-sized 1.2 liter diesel engine will constitute the core of the powertrain system together with a supervisory controller to co-ordinate system operation, both developed by Ricardo. Already the first tests show promising results and global customer demonstrations of i-MoGen are planned for 2002, the companies stated.

The Valeo and Ricardo systems will be installed on a "C" category standard production vehicle which is expected to be the practical demonstrator for future mass market powertrain technologies, they said.

I-MoGen promises numerous benefits for vehicle manufacturers by addressing the key areas of fuel consumption, emission control and vehicle performance facilitated by 42 Volt technology, according to the companies. The i-MoGen vehicle demonstrator is expected to be complete by the end of this year, they stated.