TVS bags patent for hybrid drive system in two-wheelers

The Chennai patent office has finally awarded TVS a patent for a power propulsion system for a hybrid two-wheeler. Way back in 2008, TVS had applied for a patent claiming that it had made inroads to the technology related to a power propulsion system for a hybrid two-wheeler provided with a hub motor. It even showcased a hybrid scooter concept by the name TVS Qube at the 2012 Auto Expo.

The powertrain comprises of two parts, a conventional IC engine and a second electric motor mounted to the hub itself. Usually, the internal combustion engine is the main source of power, while the electric motor provides supplementary or additional power to the hybrid two-wheeled vehicle. This advanced setup helps in an additional power boost for the bike as well as a bump in fuel economy as the IC engine uses less fuel.

But this also brings with itself a completely new array of problems ranging from weight increase due to additional batteries, to increase in maintenance and service costs. However, the propulsion system disclosed in the patent application does away with extra motion transmitting parts like the gearbox, thereby being efficient in terms of net power transmitted to the traction wheel. It’s high time now that automotive companies realise that hybrid propulsion technologies are the way of the future, given the current economic and environmental conditions.