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Toyota R&D shows off free piston engine linear generator for future EVs

We often hear how an electric vehicle powertrain architecture allows vehicle designers much more freedom than a traditional ICE powertrain does. With differently shaped battery modules and small electric motors, there are lots of way to put the pieces together. With today's plug-in hybrid technology, engineers still need to put a decent-sized ICE somewhere, but new technology from Toyota could free up the gas-electric vehicle designers of the future. Presented at the recent SAE World Congress in Detroit, the idea from Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. and involves what is called a Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG). Think of it as a sort of one-cylinder, two-stroke mini-engine that can work either as a generator (thank to magnets and a linear coil) or to directly drive a vehicle. The current prototype is a 10-kW unit that Toyota say would provide enough power to get a B- or C-segment electric vehicle up to highway speeds (75 miles per hour) when paired up to offer 20 kW. Pairing the FPEGs is also important to minimize vibrations. One system tested by Toyota had a 42 percent thermal efficiency, but the engineers are working to improve the overall efficiency even further. You can watch an animated video of the piston in action here (click on "Outline") and see the SAE papers here and here. More technical details are available at Green Car Congress. News Source: Toyota Labs via Green Car CongressTip: Thanks, Joe V. Green Misc. Auto Shows Toyota Technology Emerging Technologies Electric generator

Toyota unofficially teases TE-S800 plug-in hybrid roadster

We really want to party with the Toyota Engineering Society. With the mothership company showing a bunch of modifications at the Tokyo Auto Salon last month, that nutty engineering group used the event to unofficially show off its TE-S800 PHEV roadster, as you can see in the two-minute video below. The car is a plug-in hybrid that pairs the 115-horsepower gas engine that's standard issue on the Toyota Prius hybrid with a 102-horsepower electric motor. The right-hand-drive two-seat-vehicle also sits on the platform of the little-bitty MR2 (remember those?) so it weighs in at less than 2,000 lbs. And, as you can see, the car's also painted bright green (now there's a hint) and kind of cool-looking. Do the math of combining more than 200 horsepower with a featherweight car, and you've got a rather sporty vehicle that can sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds, all while getting outstanding fuel economy. Yippee! Engineering Society aside, the Japanese automaker brought more than 30 customized vehicles to the Salon. Those included the Harrier G Sports Concept, a modified version of the Toyota's new crossover, and the Vitz RS G Sports Concept, which is a sported-out Yaris. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Gas2Image Credit: YouTube (mikichan1984) Green Toyota Electric PHEV roadster

400-hp Toyota Hybrid-R Concept gets second teaser

Toyota has released a second teaser of its Hybrid-R Concept, along with an estimation of the show car's power output. Using technology that's "similar to that used by Toyota Racing's TS030 Hybrid race car," the concept is expected to deliver over 400 horsepower.
The press release also mentions that the new concept is based on a current production model. While it's difficult to tell from the sole teaser image of the car's body, rumors are flying that it's related to the Yaris. If that's the case, though, it's difficult to know what to make of this concept. The teaser image is quite dark, but we played around with the exposure and came up with an image that reveals more details about the new concept. Take a look at the related gallery, below, to see the high-exposure image. We'll find out for certain what the Hybrid-R is in a few weeks at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Let us know what you think Toyota's newest concept is in the comments.