This project is part of a goal established since 2006 in FCC: The development of a full-electric vehicle for all applications. Achieving this vehicle involves several stages:

In 2006 FCC undertook the first step to achieve this electric vehicle development with the project called "Hybrid Electric KB-I". This diesel engine vehicle was intended for garbage collection only in urban areas of difficult access (dimensions and load capacity reduced). Due to the design and technology available at that time, the battery autonomy was not sufficient to be extrapolated to all vehicles, and the diesel engine was used up to 4 times at the end of each run to recharge the battery.

In 2012, the overall project reaches a second stage, in which FCC decided to achieve fully electric heavy vehicle. At these time begins the development of two prototypes capable of operating in full electric mode for all urban garbage collection cycle.

This vehicle can travel long distances in any city (both urban areas and outside them). This is a range of vehicles from two axles up to four axles with large dimensions and large load capacities.

The main limitation of this vehicle is its high cost, hindering its actual market deployment.

In order to overcome this limitation and get the actual implementation of such vehicles, it is intended to carry out this project, prior phase to achieve the fully electric vehicle, the long-term project of FCC. As described, this vehicle will use a hybrid technology using instead of batteries ultracapacitors.

Ultracapacitor hybrid technology

Ultracapacitors are electrochemical devices capable of sustaining a high energy density compared to normal capacitors, presenting a capacitance thousands of times greater than the standard capacity of electrolytic capacitors. Ultracapacitors have a number of advantages:

• Large period of operation
• Ability to handle high current values
• Load value of easy monitoring
• High efficiency
• Large voltage range
• Large temperature range
• Long operating cycles
• Ease of maintenance

For its efficient use of energy, these devices are one of the most important lines of research in the development of means of transportation. Harnessing energy comes mainly from a better energy release during vehicle acceleration.

The use of batteries as the energy storage method has been extensively studied. The most modern ones are lithium ion batteries, characterized by high energy density, long life and for being environmentally friendly. However, these batteries in vehicles require, to achieve the desired capacity, a large size. That along with the problems presented by these batteries as durability and high cost, slows their actual implementation on the market.