DR FRANK MILLARD, IVT INTERNATIONAL
The best
of both
worlds
WHILE THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS SPEEDING AHEAD WITH
HYBRIDISATION OPTIONS IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SEGMENT,
OFF-HIGHWAY HAS BEEN SLOWER TO ADOPT. BUT NOW, WITH KEY
POWERTRAIN MANUFACTURERS DEVELOPING NEW SOLUTIONS,
THE DAYS OF PURE DIESEL REALLY COULD BE NUMBERED
Hybrid engines for offhighway
vehicles are a work in
progress. The technology is still yet
to find widespread adoption, the
industry generally being more
comfortable with pure diesel, with
which it is familiar, while pure
electric technology is only being
tentatively embraced for a limited
number of compact machines.
It is a wonder how few offhighway
hybrid engines there are in
the marketplace considering their
advantages over their diesel and
electric. Indeed, when the
advantages are outlined, what’s not
to like? Fuel consumption and
emissions reduction, operational
cost reduction, and increased
productivity levels, without the
restrictions of pure electric
solutions. While also delivering
improved working environments for
industrial workers and a reduction
of noise at construction sites.
However, the first OEMs to
supply hybrid technology– such as
Komatsu – faced an uphill struggle
with a market that needed
convincing of the benefits and
reliability of the technology.
“This requires an innovative,
multi channelled, well-resourced,
ongoing marketing activity to appeal
to early adopters, and first followers,”
says James Venerus product
marketing general manager at
Komatsu Europe.
The current trajectory of this
constantly evolving niche seems to
be in developing a range of choice or
customer-responsive technology
that can adapt to different and
changing requirements. Answering
these a proper hybrid might be
perfect for one application, or
a mild hybrid, as represented by
a partnership of a diesel engine
with a 48V motor, might be more
appropriate for another.
The 48V system provides energy
for those functions not directly
about the propulsion of the vehicle.
These functions might include
mechanical/hydraulic power, power
steering, power brakes and so on.
Companies that have embarked
on developing this technology
include Kohler, Perkins, Deutz,
Komatsu and Carraro.
30 iVTInternational.com November 2019
/iVTInternational.com
