Ford's Hybrid Electric Sedan Delivers Performance, Functionality
10 January 2000
Ford's Fuel-Sipping Hybrid Electric Family Sedan Delivers Customer-Pleasing Performance, Functionality DETROIT, Jan. 10 -- Ford Prodigy is a hybrid electric, low
emission family car that can travel nearly 80 miles per gallon of fuel without
sacrificing performance or functionality. The lightweight, aerodynamic and
fuel-efficient Prodigy -- unveiled today at the North American International
Auto Show -- demonstrates Ford's progress in developing a hybrid electric
family vehicle with mass appeal.
"Prodigy is an extremely fuel-efficient, full-function family vehicle,"
says Neil Ressler, vice president of Research and Vehicle Technology and Ford
Motor Company's chief technical officer. "It represents an interim
stage between our P2000 research programs and our plans for an affordable,
production hybrid in 2003."
The stylish, roomy Prodigy is designed to be stingy on fuel without
sacrificing customer appeal in areas such as performance, affordability and
roominess. The sedan is built on a lightweight platform, features a modern,
aerodynamic design and is powered by a low storage requirement (LSR) hybrid
electric powertrain.
Last October, Ford became the first automaker to deliver a fully
functional hybrid electric family sedan research vehicle to the U.S.
Department of Energy, as part of the Partnership for a New Generation of
Vehicles (PNGV) initiative. Called the Ford P2000 LSR, the vehicle
demonstrated many production-feasible technologies necessary for a "no-
compromise" family sedan with extremely high fuel economy.
Both Prodigy and P2000 LSR are powered by small, energy-efficient diesel
engines. Prodigy's 78 miles per gallon diesel fuel economy is equivalent to
better than 70 mpg on gasoline. PNGV's goal is to develop a production-
feasible family vehicle achieving 80 mpg gasoline equivalent.
Prodigy improves on the P2000 LSR with advancements in powertrain
refinement, aerodynamics and rolling resistance.
Prodigy's low storage requirement hybrid electric propulsion system
includes an aluminum DIATA (Direct Injection, Aluminum Through Bolt Assembly)
engine, starter/alternator, automatically shifted manual transmission and
high-power battery.
The DIATA engine is about 35 percent more efficient than conventional
gasoline engines. This four-cylinder, 1.2-liter compression-ignition, direct-
injection engine generates 74 horsepower at 4,100 rpm.
Prodigy's starter/alternator, a small high-power electric motor packaged
between the transmission and the engine, delivers additional power when
needed. It delivers up to 47 horsepower for a total of up to 121 horsepower.
The combination of these two power sources gives Prodigy customer-pleasing
performance comparable to today's Taurus.
The starter/alternator and power electronics module gives Prodigy the
capability of stopping at idle to conserve otherwise-wasted fuel. Prodigy's
DIATA engine restarts less than 0.2 seconds -- literally the blink of an eye
-- after the driver touches the accelerator pedal.
Prodigy's instrument panel features an energy-flow display that
continually shows the flow of energy around the vehicle. When the engine is
off, the display indicates the "ready" status of the engine and the state of
charge for the battery electric drive system.
Because the engine shuts off when the vehicle is at rest -- such as at a
traffic light or when braking -- the energy flow display assures the driver
that power will be available when needed.
The automatically shifted transmission combines the operating ease of an
automatic transmission with the efficiency of a manual transmission. It is 20
percent more efficient than a typical automatic transmission.
Since the vehicle's LSR design requires only very modest energy storage
-- less than half that of a conventional starter battery -- the result is a
lower-cost and less complex hybrid system.
Prodigy's aerodynamic design enhances vehicle aesthetics while reducing
air resistance. Prodigy's 0.199 coefficient of drag (a measure of air
resistance when a vehicle is in motion) represents a 33-percent improvement
compared with the P2000 LSR. This helps improve the vehicle's fuel economy by
4 miles per gallon.
Helping to enhance the vehicle's aerodynamics are side-mounted cameras and
onboard monitors used in place of conventional side-view mirrors. The cameras
provide a needed side view for the driver while not hindering airflow around
the vehicle.
Variable ride height, grille shutters and shields under the car also
contribute to the vehicle's slippery aerodynamics.
The clean, simple exterior design of the Prodigy features trapezoidal
headlamps and taillamps and a louvered grille that functions only when needed
-- opening and closing to allow air in and out. The taut surfaces coupled
with the wider overall stance -- with 19-inch, five-spoke chrome wheels and
tires set to the very edges -- give Prodigy a dramatic, sporty look. The
exterior body panels are finished in Potomac blue.
Prodigy's platform is based on Ford's extensive lightweight materials
research, which included the Aluminum Intensive Vehicle -- introduced in 1994
-- and the P2000. Prodigy's total weight is 2,387 pounds, which is
approximately 1,000 pounds less than today's family sedan.
Weight reduction was achieved without sacrificing package efficiency.
Prodigy is 30 percent lighter than today's Taurus sedan, but -- thanks to
creative packaging and lightweight materials -- passenger space and luggage
capacity are the same.
Each lightweight component in the Prodigy also was designed to deliver
safety, strength, stiffness, durability and positive ride and handling. For
example, the Prodigy uses a smaller engine to attain comparable performance.
It also achieves good ride characteristics with lighter springs and shocks.
Aluminum has been used extensively for major components such as the engine
and body. Additionally, carbon fiber, magnesium and titanium have been used
in a variety of parts for further weight savings.
Prodigy is part of Ford's efforts in the Partnership for a New Generation
of Vehicles (PNGV) program. PNGV is a collaboration among Ford, General
Motors and DaimlerChrysler, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), national
laboratories, suppliers and universities aimed at producing breakthroughs in
fuel economy.
Ford's hybrid propulsion work is part of the DOE's Hybrid Propulsion
Systems Development Program being conducted under a cost-shared subcontract
funded equally by Ford and the DOE through the Midwest Research Institute,
which manages and operates DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in
Golden, Colo.
