A new type of hybrid engine could accelerate the Pneumatic hybrid schema
world-wide spread of hybrid engines in general. The current hybrids with combustion engine and electric engine are very complex, expensive, heavy and have a battery to be taken care of once the car reached its end of life. The new hybrid, developped by Prof. Dr. Lino Guzella and his team at the technical university (ETHZ) in Zurich, uses compressed air to increase the efficiency of a combustion engine. The air would be pumped in a tank when braking and used when accelerating.

Thanks to the pressurized air, the efficiency of the engine is increased and the engine only needs two cylinders instead of four. It also doesn't use a second engine as found in a current hybrid car, which simplifies the engine a lot and makes it even affordable for developing countries. The inventors reckon with a cost increase of 20% compared to a regular combustion engine, as opposed to 200% to a hybrid with electric motor, and with a fuel savings of 80% of today's hybrids.

This project has recently won the annual Watt d'Or award of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in 2010 in the "mobility" category.

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