D4S HybridSport 2018

Sergio Durante during tests and various pics of the car

The racing car D4S HybridSport build by D4SMotorsport, in collaboration with the French companies EFESTO and 3Y Technology, Innovation Department, represent the first hybrid car in the world for rally on ice, putting a milestone in the use of electric powertrain in extreme weather and  temperature conditions, like the ones meet in the Ice Challenge 2018 Championship. 

The powertrain is based on a racing V6 3.0l internal combustion engine (ICE) with an output of 340HP, torque of 370Nm, integrated with a innovative electric unit, weighting 20Kg with 200kW of power (270 HP and 500Nm). So the car sports a spectacular power of 610 HP and 870Nm of torque, that is transmitted to the ground through a reinforced six speed sequential transmission.

The electric motor is boosted by a Ion Litium battery pack, that, with only 60Kg can push the car for the entire race with a tension of 400V.

The powertrain, constituted by the ICE engine, motor, the inverter, the battery pack, the vehicle control unit and the sequential gearbox has been studied and integrated with the ICE in strict collaboration with Efesto, European partner of DIAD Group ES. 

This project represent a important step in the reduction of the environmental impact, through a more efficient use of the energy. In fact the system permits to recover energy in the braking phase, to be used in the acceleration phases. Moreover the sophisticated electronics permits numerous strategies to improve the performances during races. 

The racing hybrid engines are currently used in the circuit in F1, in the Le Mans Series and few rare applications, like the Pikes Peak race. The extreme environment of the ice racing is perfect to test the performances of the systems in very low temperature and in conditions really at the limit of the current technology.

The hybrid powertrain present numerous advantages respect both to the thermal engine and the full electric solutions. With respect the conventional ICE thermal engine alone, the HybridSport shows a huge advantage in term of power and reduced consumption. 

With respect to full electric solution the HybridSport can count on a weight to range advantage, that permit to face both sprint but also endurance races.

The D4S HybridSport technology, developed and tested in the prestigious Ice Challenge 2018 will bring important applications on the car of every day use.