Saab Automobile is taking its first step towards developing an all-electric
vehicle with the Saab 9-3 ePower.
Making its public debut at the Paris
Motor Show later this month, the Saab 9-3 ePower is the prototype for a test
fleet of 70 vehicles which will participate in extensive field trials in Sweden
early next year.
The performance of the cars will be evaluated under a
variety of real world driving conditions as part of the development process for
a purpose-built, electric Saab vehicle. Targets to be verified include a
projected driving range of approximately 125 miles through the use of high
density energy storage in lithium-ion battery cells.
The Saab ePower is
the first electric vehicle from Saab and is a result of a co-operation between
Saab Automobile, Boston Power (batteries), Electroengine in Sweden AB (electric
power trains), Innovatum (project management) and Power Circle (Sweden's
electric power industry trade organization).
Mid-Sized Sports Wagon
with Zero Emissions
The Saab 9-3 ePower is the first all-electric car
to offer its occupants the comfort and size of a wagon bodystyle. Saab engineers
have integrated an electrical architecture within the shape and dimensions of a
'conventional' 9-3 SportCombi.
Under the hood is a 184 hp electric motor
driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Instant torque
enables zero to 60 mph acceleration is just 8.2 seconds, together with a top
speed of 93 mph.
The compact yet powerful 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery
pack is accommodated in a modified floor-pan, mainly in space within the car's
wheelbase previously occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank. This enables
an optimum weight distribution and excellent driving dynamics similar to those
of a standard SportCombi.
Inside the cabin, a conventional,
automatic-style gearshift lever provides selection of 'drive', 'neutral', 'park'
and 'reverse'. The rev-counter, fuel and turbo boost displays in the main
instrument cluster are replaced by read-outs for battery status, power
consumption and driving range, all illuminated in green. To optimize space, an
electric park brake is fitted.
Electro-hydraulic power steering is used
and the cabin is equipped with full air conditioning, via a compressor powered
by the battery pack. A separate 12-volt battery, for the lights and cabin
ancillaries, is also charged from the battery pack via a current transformer.
The operation of the vehicle's powertrain is controlled by a version of
Saab's own in-house Trionic 8 engine management system, with new software
written for an electric vehicle application.
Long Driving Range With
Excellent Durability
The Saab 9-3 ePower's projected driving range of
approximately 125 miles pushes out the boundaries for current EV performance.
Key to its long range are battery cells which have an energy storage density
substantially greater than the best currently used in EV applications. High
energy density also contributes to a lower battery weight.
The battery
pack has a capacity of 35.5 kW/h and is designed to operate with full power in
ambient temperatures as low as -30C, at least 10C below the operating level of
other battery packs on the market today. Another key benefit is the use of air,
instead of liquid, cooling which contributes to lower cost and further
weight-saving in the pack's design.
The pack is intended to support
re-charge cycles equivalent to about ten years average use. It can be fully
recharged from a domestic mains supply in about three to six hours, depending on
depletion status. Charging times can be greatly reduced if the voltage of the
electrical feed is raised, as there is no limitation on the battery's input
capacity.
Test driving experience is expected to validate
the performance of this advanced battery pack, which is designed to operate
reliably within a full depletion 'buffer' set at only 12 percent of total
capacity, a much lower operating margin than used in the management of other
packs.
Its lithium-ion battery cells are also the first to receive a
Nordic Ecolabel accreditation for their environmental safety and sustainability,
which includes manufacturing processes.
The 9-3 ePower meets the high
crash worthiness standards that Saab applies to all its vehicles. The car's
power pack is located outside the occupant compartment in non-deformable
structural zones, well protected and encapsulated. The battery management and
monitoring system supports safe performance during normal driving and in crash
conditions.
Extensive User Trials
Hundreds of drivers and
their families will be enlisted by Saab and its development partners during a
extensive test driving and evaluation program involving a 70-strong fleet of
Saab 9-3 ePowers in central, west and eastern Sweden during 2011-12.
The
Saab ePower project team in Trollhättan will monitor the performance of the cars
across a wide variety of usage patterns and driving conditions. To log essential
component data, all vehicles will be equipped with aircraft-style, black box
recorders.
"This program is designed to evaluate the potential for
developing a high performance, zero emission electric vehicle and is an
important next-step in the extension of our EcoPower propulsion strategy," says
Mats Fägerhag, Executive Director, Vehicle Engineering at Saab Automobile.
"This includes engine rightsizing, which exploits Saab expertise in
turbocharging, as well as the use of alternative fuel, such as bio-ethanol
through Saab BioPower technology."
Jan Ake Jonsson, Saab Automobile's CEO
adds: "By 2015, annual global sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach
500,000 units and Saab is determined to be represented in this important,
growing segment. The 9-3 ePower program is our first step towards developing a
potential production vehicle that will deliver the sort of advanced performance
our customers expect. We now look forward to working with our technical partners
in developing such a product."