Name: Surajit Saha, Entry Number: 2022EEZ8194

Introduction to Electric Vehicles (CTL703)

Report on Lecture 4

● Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): The PHEV, as the name suggests, differs from
HEV only by the fact that it allows one to plug in a cable running from the vehicle to a
household utility wall socket at home or elsewhere to charge the vehicle’s battery. To extend
the flexibility of the system, it is also possible in principle to use the engine and/or the battery
system in the vehicle to generate AC power and feed it back to the utility grid. A larger battery
is not a required part of PHEV, but having one definitely benefits fuel economy and also
increases the range of the vehicle when fully charged.
● Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV): In a pure Hybrid Electric Vehicle the battery is chargeable
from the assistance of the IC engine, which is known as On-board charging. In a HEV, using a
much larger battery may not necessarily be the optimal choice in terms of the design, since the
IC engine is always capable of kicking in, when the battery needs to be charged.
● Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): In BEV there is no IC engine, only the chemical energy of
the battery is transformed into mechanical energy by using an electric drive. The electric drive
consists of an inverter, a motor and its controls. In BEVs larger size of batteries are required
when compared with PHEVs and HEVs.

● Benefits of EVs and HEVs: Some of the advantages offered by EVs and HEVs are as
follows,
1. Efficiency-improving technology such as regenerative braking which is not available in
conventional vehicles.
2. Less engine idling and efficient engine operation leading to better fuel economy.
3. Better drivability since electric motor characteristics better match the road load.
4. Potential to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
5. Reduced fossil fuel consumption.

● Classification of HEVs:
Series-hybrid vehicle: The series-hybrid combines the best attributes of the IC engine and the
BEV. It combines the powertrain efficiency of the BEV with the high-energy-density fuel of
IC engine. The well-designed series HEV runs the IC engine in a high efficiency mode and the
engine output is converted via two electric drives in series in order to supply the mechanical
energy to the drivetrain. However, placing two electric drives in series means that the energy
processing can be more inefficient than desired. Example: Nissan e-power Note Aura.
Parallel-hybrid vehicle: The parallel HEV architecture has been implemented using a dual-
clatch transmission (DCT) on vehicles. The vehicle runs the engine when it is efficient to do

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so. The engine or the electric motor can be directly coupled to the drive axle, and the engine
can be coupled to the drive motor to recharge the battery. If the vehicle is operating with engine
only, then the motoring efficiency can be high if the engine is operated at peak efficiency.
Two subsets of parallel-hybrid are,
a. Micro-hybrid: In this type of vehicle the motor is used only to start and stop he engine
from idle condition. There is no use of motor during running condition. (Only about
5kW assistance comes from electric motor) Example: Citroen C3.
b. Mild-hybrid: Here the motor is only used for acceleration purpose and also it gives
additional torque to the drivetrain. Mild-hybrid is advantageous during hill climbing,
and also during bypassing the vehicles. Its cost is greater than Micro-hybrid. (Only
about 10-20 kW assistance comes from electric motor) Example: Hyundai Tucson.
c. Full hybrid: In the full hybrid configuration both the motor and IC engine are engaged
in drive-shaft. Batteries are charged from the assistance of IC engine. The electric motor
assists during transients. This type is advantageous in driving in urban areas. Example:
Toyota Prius.
Range Extender: These are basically Plug-in HEVs. A larger battery is not a required part of
PHEV, but having one definitely benefits fuel economy and also increases the range of the
vehicle when fully charged. When the battery is low, the IC engine will assist the motor.
Fuel cell vehicle: Fuel cell vehicles are also falls under the category of series-hybrid vehicles.
In this configuration the power source in the EV is replaced by a fuel cell system, then
potentially it could replace the battery in the EV. It needs chemical energy in the form of either
hydrogen gas which can be directly used as a fuel or natural gas with appropriate reformers.
Advantages of the fuel cell are that it is virtually pollution free and quiet. Fuel cell vehicles are
advantageous in heavy duty applications. Example: Toyota Mirai.

Figure 1: Hybridization of Powertrain

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● Example of Micro-hybrid: Starter-generator system (Belt driven):
The 48 Volt belt driven starter generator system has been developed for cost-efficient mass
hybridization. Functions such as advanced start-stop when the vehicle is stationary for example
at traffic lights, then restarts the engine almost instantaneously, coasting, short duration torque
addition to the engine crankshaft in certain driving situations and brake energy generation
which improves responsiveness and efficiency and electric boost can save up to 10% of carbon
dioxide emissions.

Figure 2: Starter-Generator System (Belt driven)

● Example of Mild-hybrid: Integrated starter-generator system:

In a mild-hybrid application the 48 Volt electric motor replaces the 12 Volt alternator and is
directly mounted to the engine via a belt. Vitesco Technologies BSG system consists of an
electric motor with integrated inverter.

Figure 3: Integrated Starter-Generator System