Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
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Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or gas-electric
hybrid fueled vehicle is a
hybrid which has additional battery capacity and the ability to be
recharged from an external electrical outlet. In addition, modifications
are made to the vehicle's control software. The vehicle can be used for
short trips of moderate speed without needing the
internal combustion engine (ICE) component of the vehicle, thereby
saving fuel costs. In this mode of operation the vehicle operates as a
pure
electric vehicle with a weight penalty (the ICE). The long range and
additional power of the ICE power train is available when needed.
PHEVs are commonly called "grid-connected hybrids," "gas-optional hybrids"
(GO-HEVs), "full hybrids," and are sometimes called HEV-30 (for instance, to
denote a hybrid with a 30-mile (50 km) electric range, compared to a HEV-0 (a
non-plug-in hybrid). However, Ford, GM, and Toyota have all used the term "Full
Hybrid Technology" to describe configurations that allow electric-only operation
at low speeds (yet not PHEVs). Two other PHEV names used by a major U.S.
automotive supplier and in a 1999 SAE paper are "energy hybrids" and "true
hybrids." PHEVs can also operate in a mixed-mode
where both gas and external electricity are used simultaneously to increase gas
mileage for a particular range, usually double that of its electric-only range.
Types
Some early non-production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
conversions have been based on the version of
Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) found in the 2004+ model year Toyota Prius. Early Pba
conversions by CalCars have demonstrated 10 miles (15 km) of EV-only and 20
miles (30 km) of double mileage mixed-mode range. A company planning to offer
conversions to consumers named EDrive systems will be using Valence Li-ion
batteries and have 35 miles (55 km) of electric range. Another company offering
a plug-in module for the Toyota Prius is Hymotion. All of these systems leave
the existing HSD system mostly unchanged and would be fairly simple to apply to
other hybrid configurations. A conversion to plug-in mode involves replacing the
stock NiMH battery with a higher capacity battery pack and a higher power charger to recharge the larger pack.
The cost of electricity for for a PHEV is about $0.03/mi ($0.019/km) from
standard household outlets. Though the Honda Integrated Motor Assist (IMA)
system does not have low-speed electric-only capability, mixed-mode mileage
could be greatly enhanced while displacing some of their gasoline consumption
with electricity from external sources. The Advanced Hybrid System 2 (AHS2)
could be offered with additional battery capacity and charging capabilities as
an option, costing about $3000 if offered by the manufacturer. Although the
possibility is fairly remote, General Motors or DaimlerChrysler could potentially effect a marketing coup by producing a
markedly more versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid; a PHEV.
Current PHEV conversions install a higher capacity battery than common
hybrids like the Toyota Prius in order to extend the range. This additional cost
is offset by fuel operating cost savings because just $1.00 worth of electricity
from the wall (at $0.09/kW·h) will drive you the same distance as a gallon of
gasoline. During the year 2006, many government and industry researchers will
focus on determining what level of all-electric range is economically optimum
for the design.
While PHEV concepts and research have been neglected for many years by
industry and government, strong interest is budding in 2006 to such a level that
the architecture has even been included as an area of research in President
George W. Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative. The "addiction to oil" mentioned in
his 2006 State of the Union Address could be largely eliminated by PHEVs and
this fact is the most dramatic advantage of the architecture.
Advantages
A 70-mile range HEV-70 will annually require only about 25% as much gasoline
as a similarly designed HEV-0. A further advantage of PHEVs is that they have
potential to be even more efficient than their HEV-0 cousins because the
operation envelope of their IC engine is far more simple. While a Prius is
likely to convert fuel to motive energy on average at about 30% efficiency (well
below the engine's 38% peak efficiency) the engine of a PHEV-70 would likely
operate far more often near its peak efficiency because it is not needed during
transient operation conditions. These architectures would be highly likely to
employ a parallel hybrid configuration whereby mechanical engine power is
allowed to transfer most efficiently directly to the wheels (when the engine is
activated).
Another advantage of the PHEV architecture is the synergy it offers with
biofuels. It has long been understood that crop production in most countries is
not sufficient to supply all of the biofuel needs of society, especially when
food production is the obvious primary purpose. However, PHEVs dramatically
reduce the requirement for liquid fuel to as little as 20% of an equivalent
HEV-0. This produces a synergy between PHEVs and biofuels whereby extreme
reductions in petroleum usage are possible. For example, E85 which is composed
of 85% ethanol stretches petroleum by a factor of about 2.5 today. Combining E85
as the liquid fuel with a PHEV-70 results in a petroleum stetch factor of 10
(2.5 x 4). If an HEV-0 achieves 50 mpg U.S. (4.7 L/100 km), the similar PHEV-70
would develop 500 mpgp (0.47 L/100 km) (petroleum consumption) if fueled by E85.
Implementations
A number of interesting prototypes have been created, mostly at the
UC Davis Hybrid Center by teams led by Prof. Andy Frank, but there are no
production vehicles available at this time (2005). Some independent researchers
have demonstrated conversions of vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, while
leaving the majority of the stock Hybrid Synergy Drive intact and unchanged by simply adding battery capacity
and a grid charger.
There has been little interest from the conventional manufactures, although
the motorcycle and small car manufacturer
Suzuki has
produced several prototype light sports cars capable of operation in this mode.
The first of these used a 400 cc motorcycle engine to give a primarily electric
vehicle a "limp home" capability. A subsequent model was more capable of general
operation over a wide range of conditions and ranges.
CalCars, a non-profit advocacy and technology development group in California
has converted one 2004 Prius into what it calls a "PRIUS+" as proof of concept.
It is now working with EDrive Systems, a new Southern California company that
plans to offer installed aftermarket conversions for 2004-2006 Priuses with a
target fuel efficiency of 230 mpg (1.0 L/100 km).[1]
And the Electric Power Research Institute of Palo Alto, along with a number of
utilities and government agencies, is working with DaimlerChrysler to deliver
three plug-in hybrids built on the
Mercedes Sprinter platform (a 15-passenger van). The Electric Auto
Association is sponsoring the EAA-PHEV project, a "Do-It-Yourself" approach to
enable those who are comfortable working with high wattage DC systems to do
their own
conversion.
Hymotion, a canadian company, introduced plug-in hybrid upgrade kits in
February 2006. Designed for the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape and Mariner
Hybrids, these kits will be offered to fleet buyers at first and should be
available to the general public in 2007.
Battery electric vehicle
A
battery electric vehicle with a range extending trailer called
pusher trailers or genset trailers might also be considered a plug-in hybrid.
About 15 kW of power is required to maintain freeway speeds in a lightweight EV.
This is about one third the power output of the Honda Insight's 1 L three
cylinder ICE. One advantage of this configuration is that the ICE or other
energy conversion device can be tuned to maximize efficiency by running at
an ideal constant power level.
Vehicle-to-grid
Another advantage of a gridable vehicle is their potential ability to load
balance or help the grid during peak loads. By using excess battery capacity to
send power back into the grid and then recharge during off peak using cheaper
power such vehicles are actually advantageous to utilities as well as their
owners. This is accomplished with what is known as V2G or
Vehicle to Grid technology. Even if such vehicles just led to an increase in
the use of night time electricity they would even out electricity demand (which
is typically higher in the day time) and provide a greater return on capital
for electricity infastructure.
External links
After Market Conversions
Related Groups
-
http://www.eaa-phev.org Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Wiki
-
http://www.hybridconsortium.org
-
http://www.pluginpartners.com A market for PHEVs exists today!
-
Flexible Fuel Electric (Plug-In) Hybrids
- Dr. Frank of UC Davis and his team of students have done numerous
advanced vehicle projects.
- A few other people who have added additional battery capacity to the
Prius, although they did not grid-recharge, those projects are rather close
to becoming PHEV projects. One such person is Wayne Brown ( ev-button
discovery, extra batteries, though no plug-in ) First at
Yahoo in Feb of 2004. He also shared with us some interesting
technical info regarding the effects of the ev-mode, "136 Amps (136 amps
X 202 VDC = 27.4 kW = 36.7 hp)" vs "45-50 amps (10 kW or 13 hp)" in stealth
mode (non EV-button electric mode). Wayne was doing a lot of work with
additional battery capacity tie-ins. He
wraps it up here,
Button Part Number,
31% gain,
re-enable confirmation,
more details,
BMS details,
some speculation,
7.5ah aux battery.
- "That's the advice of a panel of technical experts representing the
National Academy of Sciences. They say government and industry researchers
should examine battery electric vehicles as an alternative to cars and
trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells." -
autoweek.com
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