Hybrid question: How does an electric car motor assist the gasoline motor?

General Discussion
1

I got to wondering how this actually works

  • Does the electric motor produce add’l force on the gasoline motor’s crankshaft?
  • Does the electric motor only power the rear wheels while the gasoline motor only the front wheels?
  • Do both the gasoline motor and the electric motor power work together to power a separate gadget, which in turns powers the wheels?
2

Hybrid Synergy Drive - Wikipedia.

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3

Both your first and second descriptions. But reverse front and rear. The motor goes on the front to alllow more energy capture from regenerative braking.

There are parallel and series hybrids meaning the motor generator can be in series with the engine or in parallel. The entire driveline is computer controlled to blend both systems to work as one.

4

Many are FWD only. Others have the gas engine power the front with two electric motors, one front and one rear. There are many different arrangements.

5

This is how Ford should have created the Mach-E Mustang, though no room for the electric drive unit in a front engine car.

George, the E-Ray would be a good candidate to replace your Corolla.

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6

That is how Toyota does it. Motor and engine both in the front of the car with FWD.

Or do you mean the Mach E should have been a hybrid real Mustang? Front engine, AWD hybrid?

7

Yes, a real Mustang GT, add the front e-drive unit to creat the Mach-E. Not the SUV Ford offers as the Mach-E.

I was not aware Toyota had such an arrangement.

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8

Pretty much the standard way to do FWD hybrids. But, it can be a bit of a packaging headache!

You really need the motor generator on the front wheels since they create 70+ % of the stopping power for regen capture. That is the primary way you get savings from hybrids in the city cycle. The stop-and-go cycle pushes charge back into the battery for later use to accelerate the car again. It makes adding AWD to a FWD car very easy by adding a motor to the rear but you don’t get much regen from it. Flip it around, like the mid-engine Corvette E-Ray and you get the best of both worlds… AWD and great regen braking.

Would have been a MAJOR packaging nightmare (and likely impossible) to make a hybrid AWD Mustang GT. But the Mach E is full EV (and NOT a Mustang!!) because Ford wanted to show they could do it.

9

That was my thought, just no room in the front end of a real Mustang. The E-Ray is around $115,000. Another car to add to my “if I win the Powerball” list.

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10

It appears my question was too general to really answer. How it works varies a lot design to design.

Maybe I should ask this more basic question: When the electric motor is helping the gasoline motor power the car down the road, what is the physical connection between the electric motor and the crankshaft?

  • Chain, Gears & clutch system between the electric motor shaft and the crankshaft, running in an oil bath? Like a timing chain?
  • An external rubber belt with pulley’s, tensioners, and clutches? Like a timing belt, only between the crankshaft and the electric motor shaft?
11

Did you read the article on the hybrid synergy drive?

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12

Not yet. Will read it later.

13

Watch several of these:
hybrid engine design - Search Videos (bing.com)

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