First Press Drive of A Flywheel Hybrid Car         May 2013

 

MSN Cars has published today the first official report on the driving experience of a flywheel hybrid car.

Driving the Volvo S60 demonstrator car on a test track in Sweden contributor Sean Carson gives his appraisal of the vehicle performance and concludes with the following verdict:

Volvo S60 Flywheel KERS: the MSN Cars verdict

The Swedish firm’s flywheel KERS system isn’t the saviour of the automobile, but it’s another form of technology that will prolong the life of the combustion-engined car. It’s not too far from being production ready, either – expect to see it on road-going Volvo’s as early as 2017.

The system should be much cheaper than a complex battery/electric motor hybrid and lighter, meaning similar gains with less drawbacks. It’ll always hold the same amount of energy, too, unlike a battery, which will deteriorate in time.

That it can also be tuned to focus on extra performance or extra efficiency – unlike an electric hybrid – means it will make cars more flexible, catering for more of the market. Which can only be a good thing.

To view the complete road test article please follow this link.