Saar: The first product boasting this new tech will be the Sportage SUV, followed by the third-gen Ceed.
South Korean carmaker Kia Motors will soon launch its first ever diesel 48V mild-hybrid powertrain. It will qualify to fall under the company’s EcoDynamics+ portfolio of environment-friendly technologies. Kia says the mild-hybrid tech will help in reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from diesel vehicles using a combination of a 48-volt battery and a Mild-Hybrid Starter Generator (MHSG).
The whole setup is quite compact in nature and that’s why, Kia says, it can fit in the existing vehicle and powertrain platforms without impacting practicality or packaging. Depending on the vehicle, the 48-volt battery will be fixed underneath the boot floor whereas its partner, the MHSG, will find a place under the bonnet. As far compatibility is concerned, the new mild-hybrid tech will work with manual and automatic transmissions, coupled to front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive configurations.
The 48-volt lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 0.46 kWh. The setup works under two modes – motor and generator. Based on what is required at any given moment, the tech is clever enough to automatically switch between the two modes. In ‘generator’ mode, the MHSG replenishes the battery by harvesting kinetic energy from the vehicle during braking or in-gear deceleration. In ‘motor’ mode, the MHSG reverses its role and provides the engine with extra 14PS of electric power when accelerating. This reduces the load on the diesel engine which in-turn helps in producing fewer CO2 emissions.
When mated with the company’s Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) active emissions control technology, the claimed reduction in CO2 emissions range up to 4 per cent on the new Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), and up to 7 per cent on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Kia says that this is the first new technology that will be launched as part of its wider powertrain electrification strategy. The company is aiming to launch 16 electrified powertrain vehicles by 2025. That will include five hybrid vehicles, five plug-in hybrid vehicles, five pure electric vehicles and one fuel-cell electric vehicle.
The Kia Sportage SUV will be the first recipient of the new mild-hybrid technology. The third-gen Ceed among a range of Kia models will offer this technology from next year. Kia has also confirmed the same tech will also be adopted for a new petrol-powered engine in the near future. We expect Kia to launch both the petrol and diesel mild-hybrid powertrains in India as well.
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