A study over Hybrid Electric Vehicles role in vehicle concept design

The hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have become increasingly popular in recent years and their market share is expected to rapidly increase in the near future. The success relies on the capability to provide a compromise solution with respect to conventional combustion engine vehicles and battery electric vehicles. Energy consumption savings, lower emissions and range are the key factors. The study provided in this paper shows the role of HEVs in the vehicle design considering energy consumption, performance and the effectiveness of a specific powertrain layout compared to conventional combustion engine and battery electric vehicles. A relevant aspect concerning HEVs design is the level of hybridization of the vehicle, thus the relative power provided by the electric traction unit compared to the combustion engine. The analysis of different vehicles, by varying the vehicle power and the level of hybridization, allows to provide guidelines towards the most effective solutions to be adopted.