Developed by Toyota’s Central R&D Labs division, the Free Piston Engine linear Generator can run a variety of fuels to provide electricity for EVs. Yes, it’s a gas-powered generator, but it’s designed to be compact, low weight, and highly-efficient, and it can also drive the car directly, helping hasten the transition from fossil fuels to electric vehicles.
While electric cars have grown by leaps and bounds in a few short years, combustion engines still dominate dealerships and roadways. People need time to acclimate to a new way of motoring, and the FPEG engine developed by Toyota is just about the perfect middle point between pure electric and combustion cars.
Consisting of a two-stroke combustion chamber, a linear chamber, and a gas spring chamber, the FPEG uses a specially-designed, W-shaped piston to maximize efficiency and generate electricity, rather than forward motion. The FPEG engine is highly efficient, while minimizing vibration and friction, and current specs have it churning out 10 kW that can be fed directly into an EV’s battery pack. Or, should the car call for it, this engine can directly drive the vehicle, providing good old-fashioned combustion power.
This is basically the next-generaton of plug-in hybrids, a perfect balance between the worlds of electricity and internal combustion. Automakers are getting around to building dedicated and advanced range-extending engines, rather than off-the-shelf units that kinda, sorta work. To be honest, it’s all very highly technical, and Green Car Congress does an exceptional job of breaking it down for you engineer types, so rather than rip them off, I suggest you hop on over there and read their write-up.
Source: Green Car Congress