Ford unveils Hytrans concept

With home shopping on the Internet leading to a rise in urban deliveries, a special Ford Transit ‘Hytrans’ concept has been developed to minimise fuel consumption in towns and cities. The prototype, the product of a 12-month British government–funded project, uses stop / start technology to produce fuel savings of 21.3% on the demanding urban delivery cycle.

Commercial vehicle engineers at Ford's Technical Centre in Essex worked with partners Ricardo, Valeo and Gates to develop the first medium commercial vehicle in Europe featuring stop/start technology for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Based on the production 2.0-litre diesel Ford Transit, the Hytrans is equipped with a belt-driven integrated starter generator (B-ISG). This automatic engine stop/start system operates when the Transit is stationary. The engine switches off once the engine is idling and the gear lever is in neutral. It restarts as soon as the driver depresses the clutch to select a gear to move off. The engine is running again within 400 milliseconds - well before gear selection is completed.

As a member of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, Ford in Britain is working on vehicles needing less carbon fuel. This concept is an example of future technology answering a current business need.
The Hytrans will be tested by relevant fleets and appear at selected events in Europe over the coming months.