Design and optimization of a hybrid-electric vehicle for advanced urban mobility

Most vehicles roaming our streets today are propelled by an internal combustion engine (ICE). Despite the remarkable evolution they had during the last century, ICEs are the main cause of pollution in urban areas. While pure electric vehicles (EVs) are still far from the performance of ICE powered ones, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) hold the promise of drastic increase in efficiency and cut in harmful emissions. This paper reports the design and development of a small HEV for personal urban mobility, highlighting architectural choices and optimum power management strategies with a particular focus on the electric powertrain system. © 2008 IEEE