Ferrari dumps Hy-kers system and patents new hybrid system

At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled the Vettura Laboratorio HY-KERS concept - the company’s first attempt at a hybrid vehicle. The concept combined a V-12 engine with a Formula 1–inspired KERS hybrid system, but that setup may be old news now that Ferrari has patented a series of new images for a more conventional hybrid system.

This new system will combine a conventional engine with two electric motors: one for the propulsion duties and the second to feed the ancillary systems like air conditioning or power steering. By using a second electric engine, Ferrari will ensure that the auxiliary systems will not steal torque from the internal-combustion engine during acceleration, a measure taken to deliver better performance.

Ferrari’s patent drawings reveal two possibilities. The first shows the main electric motor in the engine’s V valley, while the second has the motor in the rear of the car with the transaxle. Wherever the electric engine is placed, Ferrari says that this hybrid system will be used in a car with a front-mounted, 90-degree engine. Maybe we are looking at a setup for a future, hybrid California?

topspeed.com