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Electricity as a Power Boost
In addition to fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, Škoda Auto also offers a highly efficient mild-hybrid powertrain.
How a mild-hybrid powertrain works
1 The basis of the mild-hybrid powertrain in Škoda vehicles equipped with the 1.5 TSI engine is a 48V starter-generator, which serves as the central component of the hybrid system's various functions.
2 The starter-generator is connected to the engine via a belt, which ensures the transfer of mechanical energy.
3 An important component is the 48V lithium-ion battery, which can supply energy to the starter-generator but also store the energy it generates.
4 The mild-hybrid system effectively utilises the car's stop-start system, which allows the engine to be shut off even in modes other than when the vehicle is stationary.
What is the mild-hybrid system in the 1.5 TSI engine?
A mild-hybrid powertrain is a type of electrified powertrain that uses electricity to increase the efficiency of a traditional internal combustion engine. It does not allow for pure electric driving; instead, it uses electrical energy primarily as an assist, especially during acceleration. The starter‑generator can also convert kinetic energy into electrical energy, for example through regenerative braking. This saves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions.
How it works
1 Instead of a traditional alternator and starter, Škoda vehicles equipped with a mild-hybrid powertrain feature a reinforced 48V starter-generator.
2 The more powerful starter-generator enables both efficient engine starting via a belt and additional energy transfer: its recuperation into a 48V lithium-ion battery when the car brakes, or conversely, its use to transfer power to drive the car.
3 The efficient operation of the mild-hybrid system is ensured by the DSG automatic transmission, which facilitates energy recovery and simultaneously allows for broader utilisation of the benefits of the fast and efficient starter-generator.
4 Škoda's mild-hybrid models are thus capable of shutting off the engine not only when stationary — as all vehicles with a stop-start system do — but also, for example, during so-called coasting, where the vehicle moves by inertia and the engine is not driving the wheels. This is precisely where the transmission and smart electronics play a key role.
5 The car uses the energy stored in the battery primarily when pulling away from a standstill, when the starter-generator assists the engine with its power and temporarily increases torque.
6 The power of the mild-hybrid system would theoretically be sufficient for driving at a lower steady speed. However, due to the engine's design, it cannot be utilised for this purpose. The electric motor operates only in conjunction with the internal combustion engine.
7 The mild-hybrid system achieves fuel savings not only through electric assistance alone, but also through the aforementioned more frequent engine shutdowns compared to conventional powertrains.
Did you know that the mild-hybrid system can generate over 50 Nm of torque from its electric component and recover over 12 kW of power?
What Škoda offers
This efficient technology is optionally available for vehicles equipped with the 1.5 TSI evo2 engine. The Octavia, Superb and Kodiaq models can be equipped with the mild-hybrid system. The vehicles are always equipped with a DSG automatic transmission, which ensures optimal system performance. For example, in the Octavia, the system can save up to 0.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres in the WLTP cycle, reducing fuel consumption from 5.3 litres in the version with a manual transmission without mild-hybrid assistance to 4.8 litres in the mild-hybrid version.
48 V
The on-board electrical system used by the electric component of Škoda's mild-hybrid system.