The ZF EVplus concept vehicle addresses range anxiety associated with Electromobility.
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Team ACI
German company ZF Friedrichshafen AG has addressed the range anxiety associated with electromobility with the ZF EVplus concept vehicle. First displayed at IAA 2019, it is a concept Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). Through the concept vehicle, the company wants to present a case for PHEVs to be considered as true electric vehicles. Claimed to have a pure electric range of 100 km on a single charge, for the longer trips, the EVplus falls back on its internal combustion engine. It makes it ideal for Germany where 88 per cent of vocational commuters are known to cover daily distances of less than 100 km in their cars. With its claimed range, the PHEV can cover these distances entirely in electric mode on a single charge. “For us, EVplus marks a paradigm change with plug-in hybrids,” averred Stephan von Schuckmann, Head, ZF Car Powertrain Technology division.
According to Schuckmann, while the higher electric range addresses the zero-emission requirements for local commutes, the internal combustion engine addresses the range anxiety, helping to dispel existing reservations about the purchase of electric vehicles. The smaller batteries installed in the EVplus when compared to Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEV) is an added advantage. The EVplus concept vehicle is designed on a volume production passenger car with an eight-speed plug-in hybrid transmission from ZF. The company has opted for a 35 kWh battery in the mid-range sedan. Claiming a continuous output of 65 kW and a peak output of up to 95 kW, the company attempts to match the power of the standard volume production model using active auxiliary systems such as an air-conditioning or a heating system. In the near future, ZF expects appropriate driving strategies and control mechanisms like ‘geofencing’ to ensure that PHEV vehicles run electrically within city limits. ACI
