Ashok Leyland partners IIT Madras to develop hybrid electric vehicles

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland has joined hands with IIT Madras Researchers at National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) for the development and commercialization of ‘Swirl Mesh Lean Direct Injection (LDI) system’ technology, which will be used to develop a series of hybrid electric vehicles using this turbine technology.

Researchers at IIT Madras are developing Micro Gas Turbine, which is a patented combustion technology. The main powertrain will be the electric motors but the onboard power would be generated by the Micro Gas Turbine, developed jointly by NCCRD and Aerostrovilos Energy, an IITM-incubated start-up. This Micro Gas Turbine will replace the large battery.

After the researchers demonstrated the technology on a lab scale, Ashok Leyland signed a letter of support to develop it for heavy vehicles segment with NCCRD, IIT Madras. As part of the partnership, Ashok Leyland handed over a 9-meter passenger electric bus to NCCRD. “Micro Gas Turbines hold significant promise as a technology that will extend fuel combustion beyond traditional IC Engines and provide for more efficient performance and multi-fuel capability," said N Saravanan, CTO, Ashok Leyland.

Through this technology, both the companies aim to develop and demonstrate a series of vehicles with hybrid concept equipped with this Micro Gas Turbine called the ‘Turbine electric vehicle’ (TEV). The outcome is expected to be a vehicle with ultra-low emissions, low cost of ownership, fuel flexible and a reliable system for long-range heavy vehicles.

The hybrid electric vehicle will also have multiple fuel capabilities such as biogas, CNG, LNG, diesel and hydrogen. It will come with an overall lighter power train in terms of high weight-to-power ratio.