With kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) due to race in Formula 1 in 2009, development of the hybrid powertrains is already well advanced. The first of the systems to come to light is the flywheel-based KERS of Silverstone, UK-based Flybrid Systems LLP, a company set up for the purpose by partners Jon Hilton and Doug Cross, both of whom formerly held senior positions at Renault F1’s engine division.

Instead of the batteries and electric motors seen in current hybrid production cars like the Toyota Prius, Flybrid’s ground-breaking technology, developed in less than 12 months, uses a flywheel to temporarily store energy gathered when the car brakes, releasing it again when the car accelerates. The flywheel is coupled to the car’s normal gearbox by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivered by Xtrac to a Torotrak design.

After patenting innovations to solve problems such as how to seal the vacuum in the flywheel chamber, and how to safely contain a flywheel that spins at 60,000+rpm, plus months of subsystem and safety testing, an entire KERS is due to run for the first time shortly after Professional MotorSport World Expo 2007.

Its creators hope the program will bear fruit for mainstream applications too, such as road cars and buses. “We’re already in serious discussions with several companies and it looks really good,” says Jon Hilton. “We’ve done simulations of how much fuel we can save and it’s a stunning amount. We also see no good reason why it wouldn’t be quite a lot cheaper than an electric hybrid solution for a road car.”