Development of a Range Extender for Electric Vehicles

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£1,250,020

March 31, 2012

May 31, 2014

Hyperdrive is new, UK based low carbon vehicle technology company who have produced a
‘proof of concept’ Range Extender. The device will significantly increase the range of electric
vehicles and will offer cost and weight savings which will mean that more people will want to
buy them.
The Range Extender is a small engine and generator which generate electricity efficiently.
The company needs grant funding support alongside private investment, to take the device
through a development phase and onto full commercial exploitation.
Hyperdrive are a small & flexible company, well placed to move quickly to take advantage of
the opportunity in the market.
The Project Key aims & outcomes:
- To take the concept through a development phase and on to full commercialisation, resulting
in a business with a potential turnover of £64M and 412 jobs in 5 years
- Add strength and depth to an already competent team
- To offset the ‘hollowing out’ of the UK automotive supply chain, contributing to growth in
the economy via domestic and export sales
- To reduce global CO2 production by approx 100K tonnes per annum by 2015 and 1.34M
tonnes by 2020 (equivalent to about 1.1% of CO2 produced in the UK due to transport)
Technology Key Features & Benefits;
- a unique low cost, compact and high power density unit that can be easily integrated into an
existing electric vehicle in series with the existing drivetrain
- uses a downsized engine running only at its most efficient operating point & switched off
when it is not required
- a simple engine with no complex variable valve timing, variable geometry or duel turbos
- no starter motor required as the engine is started by the generator
- maximised use of shared engine, generator & ECU components
- reduction in battery pack size will result in an overall vehicle weight & cost reduction