Hybrid Powertrain Systems Engineering

High performance vehicles present significant optimization challenges, requiring the design and engineering of high power-density systems for low-volume manufacture, while simultaneously meeting motorsport regulations and tough legislative requirements, together with tight budgetary constraints. Ricardo has a long and successful history in this sector and combined with our engineering depth in hybrid and electric technologies, this experience gives provides a unique capability to deliver highly cost-effective, versatile and purpose-built high performance hybrid and electric vehicle solutions.

High performance hybrid and electric vehicle product development:

• Weight and package optimization of hybrid sub-systems for the specific and highly demanding duty cycles and operating conditions of high performance vehicles
• Detailed evaluation, design and development to solve the cooling challenges of high power density motors, power electronics and energy storage systems
• Analysis to optimize the power delivery, energy management and torque distribution for track and road applications
• Rigorous safety design to ensure system integrity and minimize risk to the driver, pit-crew, and spectators or other road users as appropriate, as well as during manufacture
• Powertrain architecture definition specific to the application, for example to optimize fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to meet the requirements of a specific green racing formula or to allow fuel tank volume reduction
• System specifications & definitions, ranging from selection of appropriate off-the-shelf parts to clean sheet development of a bespoke design
• Components and systems integration, testing and validation
• Homologation and industrialisation support
• Robust programme management - delivering high value and high quality solutions to time and budget
• Advice to regulatory bodies and teams to develop new formulae, for example to allow competitive racing of vehicles running on many different fuels or powertrain technologies