Skoda Auto has debuted a Mild Hybrid system in the latest iteration of the Skoda Octavia. A mild hybrid system traditionally uses a generator that charges an auxiliary battery pack which assists the engine. Presenting the new Skoda Octavia mild-hybrid, Ondrej Dostal, the head of engine development and testing at Skoda Auto said the mild-hybrid system in the Octavia applies a 48 V belt-driven generator (BSG) that charges a 48 V Battery of 600 Wh capacity placed underneath the passenger seat. A 48- to 12-volt converter is also fitted underneath the driver side seat to transmit that power back to the starter motor.
This system comes with numerous advantages:
- It reduces the fuel consumption and CO2 emission of the vehicle.
- Provides 50-60 Nm extra torque to the engine which increases the Octavia’s acceleration.
- It can recuperate the vehicle’s braking energy
- Cheaper than the Plug-in Hybrid systems and easier to diagnose during repairs.
- Aids in easier engine start-up during cold-starts.
- Allows the engine to be shut down when the vehicle is coasting.
It does come with a few drawbacks. For starters, the system can recuperate energy only when the engine is ON because it needs the generator belt to rotate to charge the battery. And because this is a mild-hybrid system, users cannot drive the vehicle entirely on battery power.
This system comes implemented in the Octavia in two engine configurations – a three-cylinder 1.0 TSI producing 81 kW (110 PS) and the four-cylinder 1.5 TSI producing 110 kW (150 PS). With the mild-hybrid system, the 1.5 TSI produces 109 g/ km under NEDC testing and 125 g/km under WLTP testing, which is much lower than the EU fleet CO2 emission target for 2020.
Vehicles featuring mild hybrid technology will sport an eTEC badge.
Along with the mild-hybrid system, further changes increase the efficiency of the Octavia. Besides a new body (0.24 Cd) and optimized intakes, it gets wheels with increased wheel diameter. The new design enables users to have a higher sidewall tyre even when having large-sized rims and the wheel redesign reduces aerodynamic drag by 56%. The rolling resistance decreases to 6.5% per mile for A-label tyres (16 and 17 inches) and 7.7% for B-label tyres (18 and 19 inches). Such measures have aided in improving the car’s fuel efficiency.
Expect the new Skoda Octavia to be available in India in early-2021 with the 1.5 TSI engine and a mild-hybrid system to improve its fuel efficiency priced at around INR 19 lakh (ex-showroom).
