Range extender for electric vehicles

Hybrid Electric Vehicles are gaining popularity both in civil and military applications due to their promising advantages in achieving better fuel economy and reduced pollutant emissions when compared to the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. However, the advantages gained in vehicle electrification do have different significance and requirement in the Army than the commercial ones. In this paper, the payoffs of range extended electric vehicles are discussed. The fuel economy, silent watch, silent mobility, gradeability and thermal signature of vehicles are highly dependent on the load carried, role, duty cycle and the proper sizing of the drive-train components. This paper, therefore, is also intended to address sizing of the drive components and energy requirements of a lightweight and efficient range extender for electric vehicles