AutoblogGreen

Those big yellow hub motors must do wonders for the unsprung masses. Makes you wonder why the didn't use smaller ones with planetary reduction gears.

Still, it appears to be a very interesting PHEV concept. 900 mile range is more than you would get from the standard diesel but perhaps more than anyone would ever need. You're probably also limited to 30-50mph once you're cruising on genset power alone.

The AI mumbo jumbo is actually not all that revolutionary. Some manufacturers have been putting small neural networks in their ICE controllers for some time, to fine-tune the engine to its current conditions.

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The video is missing alot of information such as:

-How many miles does it get one the battery alone?
-Why have four wheel motors when 2 would be more efficient due to weight?
-Wheel motors are not a new idea but have been criticised due to instability (they have to be synchronized or you flip your car just like other all-wheel drive systems). Have they solved that?
-Is the energy conversion from gas to electricity and then electricity to horsepower better than going from gas to horsepower? By how much?
-Are the wheel motors more efficient than a single electric motor driving both front wheels as per the Tesla roadster? In Tesla's case, the motor is sprung weight. Pretty sure Tesla didn't like the wheel motors.

What I do like, alot, is the idea of solving the range "problem". In the earlier linked article, the range appears to be about the same as the roadster on the battery so that is believable. Then add the gas to get you on a really long road trip. I suppose I would generally have that tank about 1/3 full so I wouldn't be wasting charge hauling the gas around on daily commutes.

Interesting stuff, but still needs gas. We really need to stop wasting money on ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells and invent a better battery.

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The range is about 15 miles on the battery alone. The complete wheel assembly, including the tire, is only 4.4 pounds (2 kilos) heavier than a regular Mini’s, so the effect on unsprung weight is pretty damn small.

Mounting motors on all 4 wheels was done because A: it was possible; B: it provided all-wheel drive; and C: it let them claim a "640HP Mini" in their press releases.

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The 900 mile range is theoretical, as they mentioned, this car hasn't been tested on the track yet.

I doubt Toyota would be interested in serial hybrids, their own split-path Hybrid Synergy Drive works very well, combining the best aspects of parallel and series hybrids. It can run in electric only mode, yet can route most of the power output from the IC engine to the wheels through an efficient mechanical link. Hybrid Synergy Drive could be modified to work with a wide variety of applications, including plug-ins, trucks, sedans, sports cars, even motor bikes and scooters.

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I think the headline should read: PML Mini Not Running Yet!

I've been hearing about this car for about a *year* now, and in every instance PML portrayed it as a finished and working technology demonstrator. Never once did they hint that it wasn't fully functional, that it hadn't already been tested, or that it hadn't already demonstrated all the performance numbers that they tossed out so confidently.

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Does "this summer" mean 2007? I sure hope so. This is the way electric cars should be done. Lightweight (so we don't need anymore discussion of unsprung weight, thank you) and powerful in-wheel motors with a decent battery and a i.c.e. for range. It would be nice, if, like the Volt, it's battery range was 40 miles so the i.c.e. would rarely be used.

Besides global warming, our cities are choking in unhealthy pollution. It has to stop.

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I doubt your limited to 30-50mpg once on genset power. It's simply a matter of sizing the engine correctly. You only need enough power to overcome drag and rolling friction, and a tiny bit extra to recharge the batteries while cruising. It requires *very* little power for a car to cruise in comparison to the power required to accelerate it to that speed. The best thing is power generated while the electric motors are operating can convert straight from engine mechanical->electrical->wheels mechanical, bypassing the battery, and increasing efficiency. Of course it makes little sense to have too big a battery pack in this case.

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Domenick, Yes, I think it may be on the track right now. I am watching the company's news page. So, Tony, your headline might be wrong. I personally don't mind that the numbers are probably paper calculations and it's parked. They are just making motors and things like that. I don't think they plan to sell cars. Even parked, I thought it was an interesting video. Some things you just can't tell from pictures... like the car is not moving :D

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They claim a 900 mile range, but at what speed? It's a bit theoretical, as they said it hadn't actually been out on the track yet.

I doubt Toyota would be interested in a series design, as their split path Hybrid Synergy drive works so well for them. It combines the best aspects of parallel and series designs, able to run on electricity only, yet also able to transmit most of the power from IC engine to wheels through a highly efficient mechanical link. The Hybrid Synergy Drive designs can be modified for a wide variety of applications, including mostly electric plug-ins, large trucks, small cars, even motorcycles and scooters. Even individual wheel motors could be incorporated.

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I look forward to seeing this technology applied to the ZAP-X.http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/electric-cars/zap-x
It will be awesome to see a vehicle using this technology put into production.

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