Dodge Intrepid ESX

Last updated

The Dodge Intrepid ESX prototype cars are the result of the 1993 response by the Chrysler Corporation to a challenge by U.S. President Bill Clinton to produce a vehicle which was capable of meeting the demands of the modern consumer, while still achieving an unprecedented 80 miles per US gallon (2.9 L/100 km; 96.1 mpgimp) overall in fuel economy. The PNGV - Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles project was aimed at The Big Three American car manufacturers. [1]

Contents

ESX I (1996)

The dodge intrepid ESX I Dodge Intrepid ESX I file photo.jpg
The dodge intrepid ESX I

The first attempt made by Chrysler at exceeding 80 mpg was designated the Intrepid ESX. The ESX I, although a series hybrid, used what might be considered "conventional technology". Chrysler invested an estimated US$3 million into the project, [2] which used exotic materials in its construction. The ESX was designed by Bob Boniface, who went on the design the 1998 production Dodge Intrepid. [3]

The engine was derived from a series hybrid-drive propulsion system meant to use 40% of gasoline's potential energy while at optimum RPM (the typical car only uses 15% of gasoline's potential energy due to wide ranges of RPMs). The car was powered by a VM Motori 1.8 L three-cylinder turbocharged diesel, whose energy was diverted to a 180 lb (82 kg), 300 V TMF [4] battery developed by Bolder Technologies in Golden, Colorado and two oil-cooled electric wheel motors. The electric motors were also part of the regenerative braking system, where energy normally lost through the disc brakes recharged the batteries.

ESX II (1998)

The Dodge Intrepid ESX II at the 2000 Vancouver International Auto Show Image of Dodge Intrepid ESX II.jpg
The Dodge Intrepid ESX II at the 2000 Vancouver International Auto Show

The second series in the ESX line completed testing in 1998, and made several improvements on its predecessor.

The ESX II was dubbed a "mybrid" (mild hybrid) because its reliance on electrical power was not highly dependent on the battery. This system contained two motors that worked in parallel: a 1.5 L 74 bhp direct-injection diesel and a 20 bhp AC-induction electric motor. Coupled with the powertrains were a 5-speed electronically shifted manual transmission, a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, and controlling equipment which included components from the Patriot hybrid race-car program. The main power came from the diesel engine. The electric motor charged the batteries, added to the acceleration, and powered the reverse gear.

To cut down on cost and weight, Chrysler fit the car with an unpainted thermoplastic body attached to an aluminum frame. The shape had low aerodynamic drag. Inside, trim was constructed of carbon fiber and the seats were constructed from tube frame. The final cost: only $15,000 more than a regular Intrepid, or about $37,000.

ESX III (2003)

The 72 mpg diesel-hybrid ESX III ESX3 sm.jpg
The 72 mpg diesel-hybrid ESX III

The ESX III progress in fuel efficiency and costs stem from several major improvements in technology: The ESX3's mild hybrid electric (or "mybrid") powertrain combines an efficient diesel engine, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to achieve an average 72 miles per gallon (3.3 liters/100 km) fuel efficiency (gasoline equivalent). That is two miles per gallon better than the fuel efficiency of its predecessor, the ESX2 in 1998, and close to PNGV's goal of 80 miles per US gallon (2.9 L/100 km; 96.1 mpgimp).

An electro-mechanical automatic transmission (EMAT) developed by DaimlerChrysler engineers provides the fuel efficiency of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic.

The lightweight body uses injection-molded thermoplastics to achieve significant improvements in weight and cost. The ESX3 weighs in at just 2,250 pounds (1020 kg) while meeting all federal safety standards and providing the roominess and comfort of today's family sedan. The entire vehicle is more than 80 percent recyclable.

A total rethinking of the car's electronic and electrical systems cut several pounds from the weight of electronics while providing driver controls, vehicle monitoring and diagnostic indicators, audio and video systems, and a telemetrics package.

There are no plans to produce any of the ESX series of vehicles; the Intrepid nameplate has been retired, and Dodge has no immediate plans to produce a hybrid sedan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid vehicle</span> Vehicle using two or more power sources

A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda Insight</span> Motor vehicle

The Honda Insight is a hybrid electric vehicle that is manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation was a two-door, two passenger liftback (1999–2006) and in its second generation was a four-door, five passenger liftback (2009–2014). In its third generation, it became a four-door sedan (2018–2022). It was Honda's first model with Integrated Motor Assist system and the most fuel efficient gasoline-powered car available in the U.S. without plug-in capability for the length of its production run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diesel–electric powertrain</span> Propulsion system for vehicles

A diesel–electric transmission, or diesel–electric powertrain, is a transmission system for vehicles powered by diesel engines in road, rail, and marine transport. Diesel–electric transmission is based on petrol–electric transmission, a transmission system used for petrol engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fusion Hybrid</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-sized Ford Fusion sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford, which had two generations. A plug-in hybrid version, the Ford Fusion Energi, was released in the U.S. in February 2013. The last model year for all Ford Fusions was 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford C-Max</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford C-Max is a car produced by the Ford Motor Company from 2003 to 2019. It has a five-door compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) design. The Ford Grand C-Max has a longer wheelbase.

Global Hybrid Cooperation, formerly Advanced Hybrid System 2 (AHS2), is a set of hybrid vehicle technologies jointly developed by General Motors, Daimler, and Chrysler LLC, with BMW joining in 2005. It uses 2 or 3 planetary gearsets in an automatic transmission: one on the internal combustion engine (ICE) side paired with a second, forming the compound split, and possibly one third additional planetary gearset to multiply the number of fixed gear ratios. General Motors has stopped using the "AHS2" name as of 2006, preferring to call it simply a two-mode hybrid system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in hybrid</span> Hybrid vehicle whose battery may be externally charged

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power source, in addition to charging internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. While PHEVs are predominantly passenger cars, there are also plug-in hybrid variants of sports cars, commercial vehicles, vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, military vehicles and boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroney sticker</span> Automobile label in the United States

The Monroney sticker or window sticker is a label required in the United States to be displayed in all new automobiles. It includes the listing of certain official information about the car. The window sticker was named after Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney, a United States Senator from Oklahoma who sponsored the bill that resulted in the mandate of the label.

Gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) or gasoline-equivalent gallon (GEG) is the amount of an alternative fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of gasoline. GGE allows consumers to compare the energy content of competing fuels against a commonly known fuel, namely gasoline.

Blended mode is a charge-depleting mode of operation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in which most of the motive energy is supplied by the battery pack but supplemented by the internal combustion engine (ICE). In contrast, all-electric or battery electric vehicles use only the electricity provided by the battery pack as their sole source of energy in a charge-depleting manner. Both types of advanced technology vehicles use regenerative brakes to recapture kinetic energy that should not be considered a fuel source but rather an efficiency aspect of these types of electric vehicle powertrains not found in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuel economy in automobiles</span> Distance traveled by a vehicle compared to volume of fuel consumed

The fuel economy of an automobile relates to the distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed. Consumption can be expressed in terms of the volume of fuel to travel a distance, or the distance traveled per unit volume of fuel consumed. Since fuel consumption of vehicles is a significant factor in air pollution, and since the importation of motor fuel can be a large part of a nation's foreign trade, many countries impose requirements for fuel economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles</span>

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles was a co-operative research program between the US government and the three major domestic auto corporations that was aimed at bringing extremely fuel-efficient (up to 80 mpg‑US vehicles to market by 2003.

Hybrid vehicle drivetrains transmit power to the driving wheels for hybrid vehicles. A hybrid vehicle has multiple forms of motive power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid electric vehicle</span> Type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle or better performance. There is a variety of HEV types and the degree to which each functions as an electric vehicle (EV) also varies. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car, although hybrid electric trucks, buses, boats, and aircraft also exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew A. Frank</span> American academic

Andrew Alfonso Frank is an emeritus American professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at University of California, Davis. He is recognized as the father of modern plug-in hybrids, and coined the term Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge Intrepid</span> Motor vehicle

The Dodge Intrepid is a full-sized front-wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Dodge for the 1993 to 2004 model years. It is related to the Chrysler 300M, Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, and Eagle Vision which were all built on Chrysler's new "cab forward" LH platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda Civic (seventh generation)</span> Motor vehicle

The seventh-generation Honda Civic is an automobile produced by Honda from 2000 until 2005. It debuted in September 2000 as a 2001 model. Its exterior dimensions stayed similar to the outgoing predecessor, with interior space significantly increased, bumping it up to the compact car size designation. A notable feature was the flat rear floor that gave better comfort to the rear seat passengers. This generation abandoned the front double wishbone suspension, used previously from fourth to sixth generations, replacing it with MacPherson struts. This generation was the last to offer 4WD variants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent</span> Measurement of fuel economy

Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compare energy consumption of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles and other advanced technology vehicles with the energy consumption of conventional internal combustion vehicles rated in miles per U.S. gallon.

Advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs) are competitions sponsored by the United States Department of Energy, in partnership with private industry and universities, which stimulates "the development of advanced propulsion and alternative fuel technologies and provide the training ground for the next generation of automotive engineers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subaru B5 TPH</span> Motor vehicle

The Subaru B5-TPH was a concept shooting-brake coupe with a Turbo Parallel Hybrid (TPH) powertrain made by Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show.

References

  1. "Meet Dodge's 20-Year-Old Four-Door Sedan That Got 72 MPG". 4 February 2023.
  2. "Chrysler Hybrid-Electric Cars of the 1990s: Dodge Intrepid ESX". Allpar.com. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. "Bob Boniface". GM Media. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. I was the Test and Verification Lab Manager at Bolder Technologies