HYBRID VEHICLE RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Hybrid vehicles fall into a complex area of conflicting requirements. Driven by environmental concerns and
legislative measures, but without clear commercial benefit, the business case can be difficult to formulate using
conventional financial models. Add in the array of competing technologies, and different technical approaches to
creating and configuring hybrids, and it is clear that hybrid vehicles raise highly complex and multifaceted problems
throughout their life cycle.
TECHNOLOGY
COST
Hybrid Vehicle Research based at the
University of Warwick binds the various pieces
of the jigsaw together using state of the art
tools and techniques at both the technical and
business levels.
This is backed-up by a unique breadth of
involvement across a diverse range of
stakeholders.
These include vehicle
manufacturers
through
to
consumers,
government
bodies,
vehicle
disposal
businesses, and other parties impacted by the
technology such as insurance, logistics, and
emergency services.
ENVIRONMENT
LEGISLATION
Taking an holistic approach, the pieces are
fitted together to generate a coherent
understanding of the opportunities presented
by hybrid vehicles, and the impact of any
decisions made.
EXPERIENCE
Current and past projects include;
Electric Metro (Metrolec) – small electric vehicle
Turbine Electric Taxi for Low Environmental Impact (TETLEI) –
series hybrid 4x4
Hybrid Electric Realised Off-road (HERO) – parallel hybrid
4x4
Hybrid Electric 4 wheel Drive (Hylander) – series hybrid with
independent wheel control
Reliable Highly Optimised Lead Acid Battery (RHOLAB)
Gasoline Reformer for Hydrogen Fuel Cell (LINK) – reformer
control system
City Hybrid-electric bus with Optimised efficiency using
Information and guidance systems for passenger Convenience
and vehicle Energy consumption (CHOICE) – hybrid bus
Installation and Safety Optimised Lead Acid Battery 42V
(ISOLAB42)
In association with:
Technical Decisions
Selecting the right technology means understanding the
impact of different technologies, and the different manners
of integration available to create a hybrid vehicle.
A hybrid vehicle simulation model has been developed in
conjunction with a number of partner organisations, and
provides the capability to investigate hybrid vehicle
performance for a number of powertrain configurations.
Supplier and in-house
component models
HVA
HVAProject
Project
software
software
Combined with a database of information on more than 200
concept, prototype and production hybrid vehicles,
comparative technical assessments can be undertaken.
Powertrain control algorithms within the model provide
optimal performance predictions for a variety user
requirements.
Road Types
TAXES
SAFETY
Vehicle
FUEL
ECONOMY
WHOLE LIFE
COSTS
INCENTIVES
Driver Style
Technical decision
Supporting Information
TRAINING
DISPOSAL
INSURANCE
etc.
The right technology must meet technical requirements, but also
real world issues such as cost, safety, training, disposal, image,
and legislation. All of these considerations can be put into context
through our cost modelling tool and information portal.
Predicting usage costs requires accurate modelling of driver
behaviour, typically represented by a drive cycle. We are
currently developing tools to formulate drive cycles
representative of real-world vehicle use, providing improved
predictions of actual performance.
Understanding the Business Case - Decision Support Tool (DST)
This tool assists with a range of decisions, from an individual
consumer purchase, to a company’s fleet configuration, to
legislation policy selection using a breadth of information
combined with state of the art decision tool and optimisation
algorithms.
Answer ‘what-if’ questions using sensitivity analysis and
investigate not only how to act, but when to act using time
based data.
USER
INTERFACE
Bringing together technical data with cost information, and
other factors key to the success of a vehicle in the market is
the DST.
Scenario Definition
User Profile
Analysis and
Inference Engine
Report Generator
Vehicle Simulation
(HVA Project)
The DST pulls together business, technology and the
environment through a non-technical interface to assist
decision making, and captures assumptions made for later
review, accelerating decision making both now and in the
future.
Knowledge Base
Vehicle &
Component Data
Life Cycle Data
For more information
Email
Tel
Mail
: hybrids@warwick.ac.uk
: +44 (0)2476 575935
: Hybrid Projects, International Automotive Research Centre, University of Warwick,
Coventry, Warwickshire, CV4 7AL, UK
In association with: