Crosspoint Kinetics LLC, a subsidiary of Cummins Crosspoint LLC, has selected Maxwell Technologies Inc. as its supplier of ultracapacitors for a new parallel hybrid-electric drive system for small paratransit bus, shuttle bus and package delivery vehicles.
The system incorporates Maxwell ultracapacitors for braking energy recuperation and electric torque assist to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Regenerative braking is accomplished by running the hybrid drive system's electric motor as a generator to slow the vehicle while creating electrical charge for the ultracapacitors.
‘The ultracapacitor module charges rapidly during regenerative braking to capture and store electrical energy that otherwise would be wasted in a conventional friction-based braking system, and it quickly delivers that energy to the electric motor for low-emission propulsion,’ says Larry Zepp, Crosspoint Kinetics' chief technologist.
Maxwell ultracapacitors are currently deployed in more than 15,000 hybrid transit buses worldwide.
