INTRODUCTION TO HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

Suzuki are hard at work making sure you're covered with cars that are cleaner to drive.

It’s not science-fiction. Pretty soon we'll all be driving vehicles that are fully powered by electricity. But at this point, car owners are still considering whether electric vehicles (EVs) are right for them yet. Especially with concerns such as the distances they can cover per charge and the practicalities of how and where to charge. As EV's develop these concerns will be addressed and as more EV's are built the costs will reduce. In the meantime many people see Hybrid technology is a "stepping stone" towards full electric motoring.

There are several different electric and hybrid systems out there, and here we explain the benefits to help you make the choice that’s right for you.

Identifying Your Hybrid

All hybrids have a conventional petrol or diesel engine, as well as an electric motor that is powered by an additional battery. The electric motor works together with the petrol or diesel engine to help use less fuel. Suzuki only sell petrol hybrids.

Some hybrids have large batteries that you plug in to charge and can travel several miles using only the electric motor. These are known as plug-in hybrids. The Suzuki Across is a Plug-In Hybrid, often referred to as a PHEV.

Other hybrids have batteries that are charged only by recovering energy that would normally be lost during braking and deceleration, and do not need to be plugged in to charge. These are called self-charging hybrids.

Self-charging hybrid technology can work in different ways. A mild hybrid will use an additional battery to assist the vehicles in powering the vehicles additional electrical systems and some will assist the engine in certain circumstances. The Suzuki Ignis, Swift, 1.4 Vitara and 1.4 S-Cross are self-charging mild hybrids. Full Hybrids in addition provide power assistance when the car is accelerating, and even drive the vehicle using only electricity for short periods of time. The Suzuki Swace and the 1.5 Vitara Automatics are self-charging full hybrid.

Suzuki's mild hybrid system (SHVS), explained in this video, is light and compact incorporates an Integrated Starter Generator (known as ISG). Taking the place of a conventional alternator, the ISG enhances fuel efficiency by assisting the engine during acceleration – which means you’ll use less fuel during the most intensive parts of your journey.

The ISG also generates electricity by recovering energy from deceleration and braking. It detects as soon as you press the brake pedal and recharges both the lithium-ion battery and conventional 12-volt battery.

Put simply, this means our hybrid system helps improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.

With the 1.2 Ignis and 1.2 Swift models the self charging mild hybrid is a 12 Volt system that will work in the following way;

• Engine auto stop - when the engine is stopped (for example at traffic lights), electrical components are powered by the batteries, saving fuel.
• Restart - the Hybrid system functions as a starter motor to restart the engine quietly and smoothly .
• Take-off/Acceleration - the Hybrid system can assist the engine when starting from a standstill or when accelerating, improving fuel efficiency.
• Deceleration - the Hybrid system uses deceleration energy to generate electricity and efficiently charge the vehicle’s batteries.

With the 1.4 Swift Sport, 1.4 S-Cross and 1.4 Vitara the self charging mild hybrid system gains some additional features that enhances engine responsiveness with increased torque output. This gives a more responsive driving feel during acceleration.

• Torque-fill control - the Hybrid system strengthens acceleration response by instantly adding torque from the electric motor to the engine torque to compensate for engine response delays.
• Torque boost - the Hybrid system makes acceleration smoother by adding torque from the electric motor to the engine torque until turbocharging kicks in.
• Electric motor idling - when the clutch is disengaged for deceleration and the engine revs down to idling speed, the electric motor idles the engine and eliminates fuel use.

FULL HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

SUZUKI SWACE

On the Suzuki Swace a powerful 207 Volt 53 kW battery is combined with a 1.8 litre petrol engine to provide a combined power output of 122HP. Being a self charging hybrid means there is no compromise to normal driving and owning. As a Full Hybrid the hybrid battery provides power assistance when the car is accelerating, and can even drive the vehicle using only electricity for short periods of time. Below you can see how the battery works with the petrol engine in the driving cycle

• Stop - all units stop to prevent wasted energy consumption
• Start - the electric motor quietly and smoothly starts off the vehicle
• Low Speeds - the electric motor drives the vehicle without using the engine
• Normal Driving - the engine and motor (powered by the engine via generator) drive the vehicle. If the hybrid battery’s charge is low, the engine charges the battery via generator while driving
• Sharp Acceleration - the engine and motor drive the vehicle. Electricity is supplied to the motor from both the engine (via generator) and hybrid battery
• Deceleration - the motor uses wheel rotation to generate electricity and charge the battery

FULL HYBRID TECHNOLOGY

SUZUKI VITARA

On the Suzuki 1.5 Vitara a 140 Volt 24.6 kW battery is combined with a 1.5 litre petrol engine to provide a combined power output of 115HP. Being a self charging hybrid means there is no compromise to normal driving and owning. One notable feature of the new Full Hybrid system is that the electrical power output (MGU) is directly transmitted to the driveshaft to fill any gap in the gear changes giving a very smooth drive. Below you can see how the battery works with the petrol engine in the driving cycle

• Stop - all units stop to prevent wasted energy consumption.
• Start - the electric motor quietly and smoothly starts off the vehicle. The engine gently restarts via the ISG starter motor function if the pedal is pressed beyond a certain extent.
• Acceleration - the MGU instantly assists the engine for smooth and powerful acceleration. While the AGS clutch is disengaged during gear shifts, the MGU fills in the torque gap to provide smooth, continuous acceleration. The MGU adds torque to engine torque when the accelerator pedal is pressed strongly.
• Normal Driving - when driving at a constant speed of up to around 50mph, the engine automatically stops and EV driving activates. Also when driving at a constant speed, the MGU utilises engine power to efficiently generate electricity and recharge the drive battery while also driving the vehicle.
• Deceleration - the MGU generates electricity from kinetic energy to charge the lithium-ion battery. If the accelerator pedal is released at less than 84mph the engine automatically stops to generate electricity.
• Low Speeds and Reversing - When cruising at a constant low speed and reversing, the engine stops and the vehicle is driven by the MGU (EV driving).

PLUG-IN HYBRID TECHNOLOGY (PHEV)

SUZUKI ACROSS

A powerful front electric motor delivers smooth, quiet and torquey performance for comfortable everyday driving with an outstanding EV range of 46.6 miles. When more acceleration is needed, the petrol engine provides assistance. The petrol engine also gives peace of mind on long journeys, as stopping to charge the battery is not necessary. The high-capacity battery can then be easily charged at home or a charging station with a full charging time as low as 2.45 hours when using a 32A rapid charger (2023 model with increased capacity on-board AC charger).

The compact rear electric motor generates high torque for the rear wheels thanks to high reduction gears. Torque distribution can vary from 100:0 to 20:80 (front:rear) depending on driving conditions. This E-Four system provides rugged 4WD performance while maintaining high fuel efficiency.

• Stop - all units stop to prevent wasted energy consumption
• Start - the electric motor quietly and smoothly starts off the vehicle
• Low Speeds - the electric motor drives the vehicle without using the engine
• Normal Driving - the motor (powered by the battery, with additional power provided by the engine via generator) drives the vehicle.
• High-speed driving - the electric motor continues to drive the vehicle and uses additional power from the engine if required
• Deceleration - the generator uses wheel rotation to generate electricity and charge the battery