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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Innovative Hydraulic Transmission for Direct and/or Hybrid Applications

The primary cause of the most severe damage to transportation infrastructure comes from the heaviest vehicles. Pure electric motor systems have the potential to dramatically lower the weight of these vehicles. In turn, this would reduce the wear and tear on roads and bridges. These electric systems are also considered "greener" technologies because of the potential to provide necessary emissions reduction and fuel savings. A key barrier to implementation is the very high torques required to start these vehicles moving, typically beyond the torque available from electric systems. However, by combining a hydraulic accumulator within the breaking system, one can provide the option of a hydraulically assisted-electric hybrid. Indeed hydraulics is ideal for such high torque/low speed applications. Thus the primary goal of this project is to provide proof-of-concept for the integration of hydraulic components into an optimized system that would seamlessly integrate into an electric-hydraulic hybrid vehicle.