Gasoline Hybrid vs. Diesel on a Forest Harvester

Background

A forest harvester OEM is facing pushback from customers on the ever increasing cost and complexity of diesel aftertreatment. The initial costs, maintenance costs, and operation cost continue to rise. Projections are for cost to continue increase with additional regulation.

Project Objective

Explore the feasibility of powertrain alternatives to diesel. Consider all electrification option as well as all fuels. Is there a powertrain configuration that offers operational savings over diesel based ones with similar initial costs.

ePOP Approach

ePOP is power technology agnostic. The interaction between different fuels (energy density & costs) and different engines (efficiency & cost) can be compared side by side for clear tradeoffs.

ePOP Outcome Delivered

Pure BEV is quickly ruled out for cost and mass factores. While electrification of power delivery has operational efficiency advantages, it doesn't impact the emissions aftertreatment challenge facing diesel. From the first prinicals of power and energy, gasoline hybrids show impressive TCO results. The series hybrid decoupling of the power delivery from the ICE address many of the historic weaknesses of gasoline vs. diesel.  

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