Four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion heat engine provided with an electrified turbine

A hybrid vehicle (1) with four drive wheels (2, 4) comprising:

• an internal combustion heat engine (5), which transmits a rotational motion to a first pair of drive wheels (4) and has at least one cylinder (8) provided with at least one intake valve (10) and with an exhaust valve (12);
• a single-stage turbine (20) within the hybrid vehicle, which is designed to be rotated by the exhaust gases flowing out of the cylinder (8) through the exhaust valve (12), wherein the single-stage turbine (20) is the only turbine within the hybrid vehicle;
• a compressor (21), which is designed to increase an intake pressure of the cylinder (8) and is directly caused to rotate by the single-stage turbine (20) to which it is mechanically connected;
• a first electric machine (26), which is designed to be rotated by the single-stage turbine (20) so as to generate electrical energy;
• a second electric machine (3), which transmits a rotational motion to a second pair of drive wheels (2) and has no direct mechanical connection to the internal combustion heat engine (5);
• and
• a control unit (30);
• wherein the first electric machine (26), the compressor (21) and the single-stage turbine (20) are mounted on the same shaft;
• wherein first electric machine (26) functions as a generator operated by the single-stage turbine (20) and as a motor;
• wherein the hybrid vehicle (1) completely lacks an electric machine which receives a rotational motion from a shaft of the internal combustion heat engine (5);
• wherein the control unit (30) is configured to cyclically determine:
• an electric power (Pdes) to be necessarily generated and an electric power (Peff) generated by the first electric machine (26);
• and
• wherein the control unit (30) is configured to adjust an opening advance of the exhaust valve (12) depending on the difference between the electric power (Peff) generated by the first electric machine (26) and the electric power (Pdes) to be necessarily generated.