Objective of Task

This Task has three main objectives. The first goal is to exchange information and prepare a series of reports or papers on the following subjects related to components for hybrid vehicles:

• Fuel converters.
• Drives for HEVs.
• Energy storage for HEVs.
• Auxiliaries for HEVs.

The second goal is to exchange information and to prepare one or more reports on the following topics related to `plug-in’ hybrid vehicles:

• Vehicle requirements.
• Merits/motivation.
• Costs.
• Market.
• Infrastructure.

The third goal of this Task is to exchange information on hybrid electric vehicles and programmes among the participants of the Task, the target group for this part of the work. Subjects that are studied include hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels and their components.

The focus of this Task is on hybrid vehicles with four or more wheels. Both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles are included.

The overall objectives of the task force are to make further progress on the improvement and market introduction of hybrid vehicle technologies, which in turn support national objectives of reduced oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and improved urban air quality.

Working Method

The task force performed several major international studies on the subjects of components for hybrid vehicles and `plug-in’ hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, the Task allowed the participants to exchange information among each other.  The participants in Task 7 were:

• Austria (Arsenal Research),
• Belgium (VITO),
• France (INRETS and EDF),
• The Netherlands (SenterNovem),
• Sweden (STEM and the University of Lund),
• USA (Argonne National Laboratory and EPRI).

The work in this Task was split into three subtasks that are directly related to the three goals of this Task. The subtask leaders are shown in box 4.1.

The Operating Agent organised three expert meetings per year. These two-day meetings (organised in co-operation with a participating country that hosted the meeting) gave the participants the opportunity to discuss and work on the three subtasks. Furthermore, a technical visit, often to the facilities of the organisation that hosts the meeting, was included.

Results

The deliverables produced are the ‘Overview report 2000’ and its update, the ‘Overview report 2002’. In this report the following special topic reports are included, which are selected and written by the experts of this Task:

• Definition of hybrid vehicles: Collection and comparison of different existing
• Definitions of hybrid propulsion systems in relation to different applications for these definitions.
• Charge and discharge characteristic of capacitors for hybrid electric vehicles.
• Costs of hybrid vehicles: Analysis of present and foreseen future costs of hybrid vehicles and their components.
• Trend from charge depleting to charge sustaining hybrids: Analysis of a perceived trend away from using electricity as an input energy carrier for hybrid vehicles.
• Fuel economy and exhaust emissions test procedure for hybrid electric vehicles: Evaluation of present activities concerning the development of test methods and procedures in Europe, Japan and the USA, and assessment of the needs for harmonization as well as for separate test procedures for type approval purposes and technology evaluation purposes.
• Comparative assessment of different HEV configurations using ADVISOR: Comparison of conventional reference vehicles and different HEV configurations for typical vehicle classes (trucks, buses and passenger vehicles) in Japan, the USA and Europe using the ADVISOR simulation tool.
• Emissions of hybrids: Analysis of the concrete emission benefits of hybrid-electric vehicles.
• Alternative motor fuels and hybrid vehicles: Analysis of the relation between fuel choice and powertrain hybridization. Assessment of the possible benefits of using alternative fuels in hybrid vehicles or vice versa of the opportunities that hybrid vehicles offer for the introduction of alternative motor fuels. HEVs and regulations: Assessment of how present and foreseen regulations (e.g. concerning emissions) influence the development and market introduction of hybrid vehicles.
• Energy consumption and emissions of hybrid vehicles: Analysis of available information on energy consumption and emissions of hybrid vehicles, both from measurements on existing vehicles and from simulations. Creating insight and pointing out the need for reliable emission factors for scenario studies and policy evaluations.