Project Omnivore wins first place in the
Automotive, Rail and Marine sector while the
Fuel Cell Hybrid Taxi triumphs in the Energy
category.
The Engineer - Technology and Innovation Awards
2010 is the annual competition of the highly
regarded magazine celebrating the years best
engineering projects across a wide range of
engineering fields. These prestigious awards
recognise the expertise and world class research
at Lotus Engineering in the areas of advanced
powertrain and hybrid vehicles.
It is not difficult to see how the judges were
impressed by Project Omnivore. It is an
innovative two-stroke engine that will run in
Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI)
operation on a range of fuels. The research
engine will not only run on gasoline, diesel and
alcohol fuels, but it also offers a 10% increase
in fuel efficiency compared to stratified direct
injection engines. Lotus Engineering was lead
partner on Project Omnivore, working with Jaguar
Cars, Orbital and Queen’s University Belfast,
with sponsorship from the Department for
Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
and the Department of the Environment - Northern
Ireland through the Renewables Materials LINK
programme.
The Fuel Cell Hybrid Taxi is a zero emissions
series hybrid vehicle that has received
extensive attention. It retains the iconic
styling of a conventional London taxi, but it is
fitted with an advanced hydrogen fuel cell and
hybrid drivetrain, giving a range of 250 miles
and a top speed in excess of 85 mph with zero
tailpipe CO2 emissions. The consortium for the
project comprised Lotus Engineering, Intelligent
Energy, TRW Conekt, LTI and the UK Technology
Strategy Board. Lotus Engineering has designed
and built the taxis, including the integration
and control of the full drivetrain system.
Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus
Engineering, commented, “It is a great accolade
for Lotus Engineering and our collaborative
partners to win these two prestigious awards -
it shows the strength of research and the
engineering talent at Lotus Engineering. We are
continuing to invest in cutting edge R&D to grow
our engineering consultancy business in our four
core competencies of Driving Dynamics,
Lightweight Architecture, Efficient Performance
and Electrical and Electronic Integration. This
is a very exciting time for Lotus and we look
forward to continuing success in future projects.”
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