Alternative fuels, alternative drives, connectivity, self-driving systems and cybersecurity: these are the challenges that Tatra, the oldest and currently only Czech car manufacturer, is also facing. They are already living the future in this regard in Kopřivnice. Another proof of their readiness is the „Tatra-Hybrid“ project in the TATRA FORCE e-DRIVE vehicle line reports Milan Olsansky, ITOY jury member for Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The Green Deal, other agreements, various recommendations and, above all, political goals, including municipal ones, have recently significantly supported the electrification of road transport. Tatra has never stood outside the trends, on the contrary, it has always brought new, unique, effective and solutions to the treasury of world automotive design. The entire manufacturing company Tatra Trucks a.s. and primarily the research and development department are working very hard, including on the project of a heavy truck with a hybrid drive.

 Advantages of hybrid drive
Operation experience, analysis of customer expectations and development of legislative measures not only on the European continent lead us to a clear conclusion. Environmental protection goals cannot be achieved by simply replacing combustion engines with electric motors. Each type of heavy truck operation requires a typical and detailed solution due to its significant specifics. A final manufacturer of heavy trucks with a global reach, such as Tatra Trucks a.s., must have in its offer not one, but several alternative solutions, whether it is a purely battery electric drive (BEV), an electric drive with hydrogen fuel cells (FECV), a hybrid drive (HE), hydrogen combustion H2 ICE or the combustion of alternative or synthetic fuels or low-carbon gaseous fuels.
 A hybrid drive in combination with a combustion engine, an electric motor-generator and a traction battery of reasonable capacity brings several types of interesting and advantageous added value to the world of heavy truck operation. Not only does it contribute to a lower environmental impact through reduced C02 emissions, but it also allows the vehicle to operate purely on electric power in one of three basic modes. TATRA FORCE e-DRIVE Hybrid offers a range of up to 50 kilometers in difficult terrain in purely electric operation. In addition, in this operating mode, the vehicle's noise level is significantly reduced. In the construction or distribution industry, this can mean a differential advantage when working in zones with totally limited emission limits or a prescribed very low noise level. In the segment of special or military operations, in this mode, the vehicle provides a significantly lower so-called thermal footprint. From the perspective of the tactical use of vehicles with such drive options, this is an extremely interesting solution. It is also important to note that when fully utilizing the hybrid drive, the vehicle has an increased range.

 TATRA FORCE e-DRIVE HYBRID 8x8
The basic philosophy of the development and construction of Tatra heavy trucks with alternative drives is to maintain the so-called TATRA-MOBILITY, i.e. the unique driving capabilities of the “Tatra concept” chassis, up to the integrated additional/reduction gearbox of our own design. The commonly available electric motor-generator is connected by means of adapters on one side to the Tatra T3 RE engine directly cooled by fork air of the original design and on the other side to a fully automatic gearbox, to which the additional/reduction gearbox is connected by means of a short connecting shaft. The wheel hubs have reduction gears of a new type, the so-called right planet. The advantage, in addition to the already mentioned preservation of the Tatra chassis, is the placement of the electric motor-generator in a “protected” zone above the backbone tube, without affecting the rigidity of the entire chassis structure, the possibility of combination with a multi-stage gearbox and last but not least – the possibility of manufacturing the chassis on one standard line.
 The individual axles of the hydrogen heavy-duty truck TATRA FORCE e-DRIVE HYBRID have a pneumatic suspension system and a load capacity of 2x9 t at the front and 2x10 t at the rear. The traction synchronous electric motor with reluctance permanent magnets from Danfoss delivers a continuous power of 300 kW with a maximum of 500 kW and has a torque of 2.400 Nm. The traction batteries with a capacity of 67 kWh use LTO (lithium Titane Oxide) technology. The vehicle is equipped with a seven-speed main fully automatic Allison transmission.