CHINESE COMPANY TECHRULES has
developed a new turbine-based rangeextender
system for electric vehicles.
The TREV (Turbine-Recharging Electric
Vehicle) made its debut in a concept for
China’s first supercar. The company
plans to manufacture both the car and
the powertrain in-house.
“Today, we are an R&D company,”
said chief technology officer Matthew
Jin, “but in a few years we will become
an OEM.” The supercar is expected to
enter production in two years and be
followed by a city car in three years.
The turbine system will be offered
under license to other OEMs and is
claimed to be 50% more efficient than
petrol-fuelled piston engine systems.
Micro-turbine generators are not
new — Jaguar’s CX-75 hypercar concept
was equipped with two —but Techrules’
new air-bearing and internal heatexchanger
designs increase efficiency,
while a new management system for the
lithium ion battery helps extend range.
The 1030bhp supercar produces
6343lb ft torque from its six electric
motors. It can sprint from rest to
62mph in 2.5sec and reach a top speed
of 218mph. Battery-only range is 93
miles and the generator can deliver
a full charge in 40 minutes. Fuel
consumption on the NEDC cycle, based
on starting with a fully charged battery,
is 1569mpg. With the range extender
running this drops to 59mpg.
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