Russia's Unique Yo-Auto Natural-Gas Hybrid Vehicles: Details

By Paul Koshik

Paul Koshik

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Russia's Unique Yo-Auto Natural-Gas Hybrid Vehicles: Details
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1,176 views Nov 15, 2011

Prokhorov CityCar natural-gas hybrid vehicle, design prototype

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Is it a concept car, or a real competitor to better-known hybrids like the Toyota Prius?

Andrey Biryukov, General Manager of the new Yo-auto company, calls it "a breakthrough in a classic automobile production."

Plastic body structure

But it's not the hybrid system he cites first: "The most important, the most 'explosive' thing in it, is its body. Its main material is polypropylene. We will be the first in automobile production who will apply such technology for the production of the entire body."

The monocoque body is made of polypropylene, reinforced by 20- to 30-mm fiberglass threads. Stressed parts are reinforced with continuous fiberglass for higher strength.

Prokhorov CityCar natural-gas hybrid vehicle, design prototype

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The shell is welded together ultrasonically, and the body forms a honeycomb structure to distribute crash energy through the monocoque.

Supercapacitors over lithium cells

Then there's the hybrid powertrain, which uses supercapacitors rather than a battery pack to store the energy.

Supercapacitors customarily discharge energy for less than a minute, against a longer power delivery from a battery pack in conventional hybrids. Still, Yo-mobil quotes an electric-only travel distance of 2 kilometers, or more than 1 mile.

According to Biryukov, the supercapacitors can sustain 1 million charge-discharge cycles, versus a maximum of 10,000 cycles for lithium-ion cells, and operate from -50 to 60 degrees Celsius. The control system has been designed to resist Russia's severe weather conditions, he notes.

Prokhorov CityCar natural-gas hybrid vehicle, design prototype

Enlarge Photo

Biryukov dismisses the prospects for pure electric cars, saying the "pure electric car has no future," and calling battery storage "a disadvantage that will allow [the] ordinary car to remain unchanged as long as possible."

Two models of the Yo-mobil--the Crossover and the Fourgon van--are now available for order in Russia, and the company says it will release first production vehicles during 2012. The price is expected to be $13,000 to $16,000.

This summer, Yo-Auto said it had 100,000 orders for its cars.

Five-seat Yo-Crossover

The five-seat Yo-Crossover is fitted with four-wheel drive and 8.3 inches (210 mm) of ground clearance, and weighs just 1,430 pounds (650 kg) empty. It can carry up to 1,100 pounds (500 kg) of people and goods, and is fitted with 16-inch run-flat tires.

Power is provided by a 60-horsepower internal combustion engine running capable of running on both gasoline and methane or natural gas. On introduction, it was said to be a radial engine design--which would make the Yo-mobil unique among today's new vehicles.

Yo-mobil says the combined output of the engine and supercapacitors equals that of a 150-hp, 2-liter conventional engine.

Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is 10 seconds in Sport mode, 12 seconds in Eco mode, and 14 seconds in "Greasy" mode for hazardous conditions. Maximum speed is 80 mph (130 km/h). The range is 430 miles (700 km) with both natural-gas tanks filled.

Yo-Fourgon van

The two-seat Fourgon van is only available in a single color (orange), unlike the more colorful Yo-Crossover, available in several two-tone combinations.

The goal for the Yo-Fourgon is to maximize carrying capacity and useful cargo volume--it's rated at 141 cubic feet (4 cubic meters)--within minimal dimensions. It can carry 1,200 pounds (550 kg) of cargo.