Obrist HyperHybrid: Concept for electric cars that are refueled, not charged, is ready for production
Obrist HyperHybrid: Concept for electric cars that are refueled, not charged, is ready for production
- HyperHybrid: Drive with an electric motor, but refuel like a combustion engine
- Inventor and CEO Frank Obrist: "HyperHybrid provides European car manufacturers with a unique selling point compared to competitors from China and the USA"
Lindau/Germany, Lustenau/Austria – 18 April 2024 – Driving with an electric motor but fueling a (very small) combustion engine – the German-Austrian Obrist Group is now making this concept available to the automotive industry under license. What seems contradictory at first glance is technically quite simple: an extremely compact combustion engine is installed in the vehicle, which does not power the car, but merely generates electricity for the electric motor that drives the car. Only a very small buffer battery is required; the huge battery blocks that conventional electric cars need are no longer necessary. The German-Austrian technology group calls the innovative concept "HyperHybrid".
Tesla at the filling station instead of the charging station
According to the Obrist Group, it has already converted several pure e-cars, for example from Tesla, in order to test the functional principle in driving practice. "The hyper-hybrid is ready for series production," says Frank Obrist, inventor and founder of the group of companies that bears his name. He cites a number of reasons why his concept is particularly environmentally and climate-friendly.
The elimination of the large and heavy battery blocks required for pure electric cars has two advantages: CO2 emissions and other environmental damage during battery production are drastically reduced and the vehicle weight is significantly lower. The small battery installed in the Hyper-Hybrid is still sufficient for an electric range of 80 to 90 kilometers; enough for 90 percent of all everyday journeys. For longer ranges, the compact combustion engine kicks in - but only to recharge the mini-battery, not to propel the car (this is done exclusively by the electric motor). As a result, fuel consumption is very low at around 1.5 liters per 100 kilometers and the range (without refueling or charging) is above average at over 1,000 kilometers. The vehicle can be fueled with either petrol or e-fuel. "Drive electrically, refuel conventionally, protect the environment and the climate," summarizes company boss Frank Obrist.
United Nations honors HyperHybrid
The United Nations probably sees it that way too. In any case, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) recognized the Obrist concept as a winner in the field of sustainable mobility at the end of last year. The "Winner Certificate" states: "This is to certify that 'HyperHybrid - The Future of Sustainable Mobility' is the Most Promising Solution Award Winner in Energy Efficiency Category".
EU: technology openness instead of a ban on combustion engines
The series production of the HyperHybrid concept comes at the right time, argues inventor and entrepreneur Frank Obrist. A current legislative initiative by the European Commission is calling into question the ban on the registration of vehicles with combustion engines planned for 2035.
The reasoning from Brussels is that it is not just the "tank-to-wheel" chain of effects that should be considered, in which purely electric vehicles with zero CO2 emissions perform well, but also the "well-to-wheel" chain, i.e. from the energy source to the conversion into kinetic energy at the wheels of the vehicle. "From a holistic perspective, the HyperHybrid performs very well," claims Frank Obrist, "especially because the electricity mix used to charge electric cars generally comes from renewable energy sources, at best partially and at worst not at all."
In an internal EU reference data sheet, e-cars are said to perform relatively poorly in view of the current energy mix with a high proportion of coal-fired electricity. Frank Obrist refers to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is credited with the following statement regarding the re-evaluation of environmental and climate friendliness in the automotive sector: "This is to ensure that there is openness for technologies and choices."
"In this context, the HyperHyrid concept gives European car manufacturers a unique opportunity to clearly differentiate themselves from the purely electric competition from China and the USA," says Frank Obrist, promoting his invention. He also points out that the HyperHybrid is ideally suited to the expected future transition from fossil fuels to e-fuels: "The HyperHybrid runs on synthetic fuels that are produced using renewable energies such as solar power and hydrogen."
Obrist Group: Founded by inventor and entrepreneur Frank Obrist, the Obrist Group focuses on innovations for global, sustainable and CO2-reducing energy concepts. The spectrum ranges from the global supply of renewable energies and atmospheric fuels (aFuels) to innovative CO2-negative (i.e. climate-positive!) drive concepts for the automotive industry. With over 200 patents, Obrist Group is one of the world's most important innovators in the field of sustainable energy concepts.
Further information: www.obrist.at
Press contact: Thorsten Rixmann, Global Director Marketing & Communications, phone +43 660 5642275, e-mail: t.rixmann@obrist.at
Press agency: euromarcom public relations, phone +49 611 973150, e-mail: team@euromarcom.de
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