BIS TERM PAPER

HYBRID VEHICLES

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE COURSE

SUBMITTED TO:-

DR. PRITHWIS MUKERJEE

BY

Anindita Choudhury

B10002
ABSTRACT

Hybrid vehicles are those which use two sources of energy to power the running of the vehicle. The
source of power may be rechargeable energy storage system, petrol, hydrogen, compressed air,
liquid nitrogen, wind, electricity, solar power, etc. Hybrid vehicles reduce our dependence on
conventional sources of energy like petrol. Though the adoption rate of hybrid vehicles is low it has
got tremendous untapped potential. In this paper I will look at the all types of hybrid vehicles their
market potential their current status, their economic standing, current standing in the market and the
biggest challenges that they face and how they can overcome them.

INTRODUCTION

Hybrid vehicles use two distinct sources of energy. Hybrid vehicles will become a force to reckon with
in near future as the conventional sources of energy like petrol are depleting fast and we need an

alternative source to meet the needs of fuel that is

where hybrid vehicles come into picture. These vehicles are not only providing us the opportunity to
use an alternative source of energy but also most of the energy it uses is also environment friendly
.Environment has become a growing concern for the entire world and will be more so in the years to
come .Burning of fuels like petrol lead to emission of carbon dioxide which is one of the major
greenhouse gases which cause global warming. Therefore the need of the hour is to substitute fuel
with alternative sources of energy to minimise the risk to our survival. The recent Copenhagen summit
shows that the world has finally woken up to the global warming problem and is ready to make
amends for its thoughtlessness over the years which has lead to the culmination of the environmental
problems. In such a situation an alternative source of fuel is a welcome change. Almost 10% of the
global carbon dioxide emission is due to automobiles. Therefore Hybrid vehicles will gain much
popularity and has a huge market potential in the current scenario.

CURRENT SCENARIO

A hybrid vehicle normally refers to hybrid electric vehicles. This kind of vehicles moves with the help
of age-old internal combustion engine and electricity. Since it moves with the help of electricity it
ensures better fuel usage and is both environment and pocket friendly.

Technology required

The various types of hybrid vehicles and the technology they use is listed below
Hybrid cars

Hybrid cars require a internal combustion engine and a rechargeable energy storage system
(RESS).They have a electric motor engine. In addition to this there is a battery pack which gives
energy to the motor which gets recharged when the car decelerates. The gas engine helps the battery
to get charged. This helps the car to do away with the need to use an external source of energy
According to Wikipedia” Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative braking, which
converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into battery-replenishing electric energy, rather than wasting it as heat energy as
conventional brakes do. Some varieties of HEVs use their internal combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an
electrical generator (this combination is known as a motor-generator), to either recharge their batteries or to directly power the
electric drive motors. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed; this is
known as a start-stop system. A hybrid-electric produces less emissions from its ICE than a comparably-sized gasoline car, as
an HEV's gasoline engine is usually smaller than a comparably-sized pure gasoline-burning vehicle (natural gas and propane
fuels produce lower emissions) and if not used to directly drive the car, can be geared to run at maximum efficiency, furt her
improving fuel economy.”

Hybrid cars are of two types:-

1. The first one is called Mild Hybrid in which there is the conventional gas engine and there is
the electric motor which assists the gas engine. The electric motor cannot operate the vehicle
all by itself. The main source of power is the gasoline engine. Example of such a car would be
Honda’s Civic and Insight.

2. The second type of hybrid cars is called Full Hybrid. Here the gasoline engine and motor
engine operate separately and the motor engine is capable of running the vehicle at low
speeds when high speed is needed one has to switch on to the gasoline engine. Example of
such cars would be Toyota Prius and Ford escape. Toyota Prius plans to use solar panels in
the roof of the cars to support air-conditioning of the car. The solar panels will have cooling
fans running on the roof even when the car is off and locked such that when one steps inside
the car he/she does not have to switch on the A.C which consumes a lot of power. The only
disadvantage of such a car is its high cost. Consumers might not be willing to shell out such a
large amount for a car.

Other type of hybrid vehicles are:-

Hybrid train
Hybrid trains are designed on the same lines as that of a hybrid car. Compared to cars
railways do not emit much of carbon dioxide which leads to global warming. It only accounts
for 4% of the transportation related carbon dioxide emissions. Diesel electric trains use
dynamic braking, where the electric motors are used as brakes. In dynamic braking, the
motors act as generators, creating large amounts of power. With a conventional diesel-
electric locomotive, though, this power is wasted. The diesel engine of the train runs only
when there it has to climb a hill or when the battery runs low. The batteries get recharged
when the train slows down. After the power is switched off, the motors continue to turn for a
while, and that energy - wasted in a non-hybrid train gets used to recharge the batteries of the
hybrid train. The conductor of the hybrid train has a touch panel monitor which has arrows
which shows the flow of energy, it has connecting boxes that represent the engine, generator,

Working of a hybrid train

Motor and battery, busily changing direction every few minutes . As the train balances on two
sources of power there is a computer monitoring the action so that waste is minimised. The
very high and is a major hurdle in the adaptability of these trains. First operational train in
Japan was KiHA E200.It used lithium ion batteries which were used on the roof tops of the
train to conserve energy. In the U.S the hybrid trains had a large set of nickel chloride
batteries which captured and stored energy during dynamic breaking or when the train
coasted downhill. However the cost of operating these trains is very high.

Hybrid ships

In the early stage ships with mast-mounted sails and stream engine were built. A diesel
electric submarine is also an example of a hybrid ship. These kind of sub-marines run on
battery and the battery gets recharged when the ship is on surface.

Hybrid aircraft

A hybrid aircraft combines both heavier than air and lighter than air technology .Hybrid
aircrafts are heavier than air and somewhat similar to a normal aircraft. The idea behind a
hybrid aircraft is to combine lift from a lighter-than-air gas such as helium with lift from
aerodynamic forces. The rest of the lift is comes from vertical thrusters such as helicopter-like
rotors, or a lift-producing shape (like a wing) combined with horizontal thrust, or a combination
of the two. The aerodynamic approach is very similar to that of a conventional

l
Lifting body aircraft. The hybrid aircraft technology has a wide range of flight performance
behaviours ranging from heavier than air to near buoyant characterizations.
 Two wheeled and cycle type vehicles

According to Wikipedia” Mopeds, electric bicycles, and even electric kick scooters are a simple form of a hybrid, as
power is delivered both via an internal combustion engine or electric motor and the rider's muscles. Early prototypes of
motorcycles in the late 19th century used the same principles.

 In a parallel hybrid bicycle human and motor power are mechanically coupled at the pedal drive train or at the rear
or the front wheel, e.g. using a hub motor, a roller pressing onto a tire, or a connection to a wheel using a
transmission element. Human and motor torqueses are added together. Almost all manufactured models are of this
type. See Motorized bicycles, Mopeds and for more information.

 In a series hybrid bicycle (SH) the user powers a generator using the pedals. This is converted into electricity and
can be fed directly to the motor giving a chainless bicycle but also to charge a battery. The motor draws power from
the battery and must be able to deliver the full mechanical torque required because none is available from the pedals.
SH bicycles are commercially available, because they are very simple in theory and manufacturing.

The first known prototype and publication of an SH bicycle is by Augustus Kinzel (US Patent 3'884'317) in 1975. In
1994 Bernie MacDonald conceived the ElectriliteSH lightweight vehicle which used power electronics allowing
regenerative braking and pedaling while stationary. In 1995 Thomas Müller designed a "Fahrrad mit
elektromagnetischem Antrieb" in his 1995 diploma thesis and built a functional vehicle. In 1996 Jürg Blatter and
Andreas Fuchs of Berne University of Applied Sciences built an SH bicycle and in 1998 mounted the system onto a
Leitra tricycle (European patent EP 1165188). In 1999 Harald Kutzke described his concept of the "active bicycle":
the aim is to approach the ideal bicycle weighing nothing and having no drag by electronic compensation. Until 2005
Fuchs and colleagues built several prototypes SH tricycles and quadricycles”

The above mentioned technologies are already available. Now we look at the future of hybrid cars

FUTURE OF HYBRID CARS

The issue of hybrid vehicle is a hot topic of discussion in the automobile industry today as consumer’s
taste and preference is shifting in favour of the hybrid cars .However the acceptability of the hybrid
cars amongst the consumers has been low and it represented only about 1% of the market in 2005
and about 2% of the market in 2008.Here I have analyzed the different varieties of hybrid cars and
their future potential.
PLUG –IN HYBRIDS
According to Argonne” The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Freedom CAR and Vehicle Technologies (FCVT)
Program is actively evaluating plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology and researching the most critical technical

barriers to commercializing PHEVs.

Argonne National Laboratory, working together with Idaho National Laboratory, leads DOE’s efforts to evaluate PHEVs and
PHEV technology with the nation’s best vehicle technology evaluation tools and expertise. These two national laboratories are
Centres for Excellence that combine state-of-the-art facilities; world-class expertise; long-term collaborative relationships with
other DOE national laboratories, industry, and academia; and unparalleled reputations for delivering consistent, unbiased
technical evaluation results. The research is being done on the grounds of battery testing and evaluation where and according
to Argonne
Battery testing and evaluation capabilities include:
• Evaluation of advanced lithium-polymer, lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, and lead-acid cells
• Testing for small cells to full-size (500-volt, 500-ampere) batteries
• Testing to any profile over a wide range of temperatures
• Ability to conduct over 120 separate tests simultaneously
• Documentation of measurement and uncertainty principles for process and data quality
• Development of advanced analysis procedures for battery and capacitor scaling, thermal management, capacity, and power
fade
• Using hybrid electric vehicles in fleets to evaluate the batteries’ “end-of-life”
• Performance and life testing of batteries supplied by manufacturers for use in hybrid vehicles as well as electric-only vehicles
• Hardware-in-t he-loop evaluation of advanced batteries for plug-in vehicle application.”

Research is also going on in the fields of vehicle simulation where vehicle is tested on fuel economy
and performance, MATT i.e. Mobile Advanced Technology Testbed a wheeled test bed outfitted with
scalable engine components, custom instrumentation, and flexible transmission technology to allow
testing of PHEV systems ,it helps to add ,rearrange and interconnect systems.

Other than plug-in hybrids the other type of hybrid cars which has a huge potential in future are:

DIESEL HYBRIDS

Compared to the gasoline cars diesel hybrids are more efficient as with the diesel engines we get 25
to 30 percent more miles per gallon according to Charles Freese, executive engineering director at
GM powertrain.Freese said that one of the many factors which makes diesel engines more efficient
includes operating unthrottled and more efficient oxidizing of fuel. Diesel engines have a higher
compression ratio and the heavier diesel fuel has a higher density according to Freese. The scope of
development of better Hybrid Diesel vehicles in future is vast as they provide better fuel economy
.Ford has already shown off the Reflex Diesel hybrid and even small manufacturers have offered to
the public vehicles such as the Enigma diesel hybrid.

FLEX FUEL HYBRIDS

Ford is rolling out their Flex fuel ford escape hybrid, Flex fuel hybrids use bio-fuels such as ethanol
and other bio-fuels .These kind of vehicles are gaining acceptance as they offer various fuel choices
and most countries need to rely less on foreign oil .

HYDROGEN HYBRIDS

Ford and Toyota are working on hybrids which work on hydrogen and not on gasoline. Several dozen
hybrids which run on hydrogen rather than on gasoline are already operating on the roads of
California.

The hydrogen hybrids could start

laying the foundations for hydrogen fuel stations. One of the major problems that this car faces is
getting the required hydrogen. There is a lack of filling stations and industrial gas suppliers sell
hydrogen in cylinders. California has about 13 pilot stations run by utilities and carmakers and this
number is expected to go up to 170 commercial stations by the end of 2010.Another major hindrance
is the price . The Shelby Cobras start at $149,000, the pick up being $99,995.

Hydrogen can be used in two ways to power vehicles either directly or by a modified internal
combustion engine or via fuel cells.
FUEL CELL HYBRIDS

How fuel cell hybrid works

Hydrogen vehicles are seen to be a bridge to fuel cell vehicles but in all probability most of the fuel
cell vehicles will inevitably be fuel cell hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles are very much a part of
the hybrid vehicles. Toyota has developed a new fuel cell hybrid which runs on hydrogen and
electricity and can travel twice the distance compared to the previous models.

Fuel cell vehicles produce no pollution as the power of the chemical reaction runs the car where
hydrogen stored in the car combines with oxygen in the car to produce water.

Although most of the above mentioned models are available in the market they have huge future
potential.

SOURCES OF POWER FOR A HYBRID CAR

The main sources of power of a hybrid vehicle are as follows:-

 On board or out board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS)

 Liquefied nitrogen
 Hydrogen
 Compressed air
 Wind
 Electricity
 Solar power
 Coal
 Electromagnetic fields or radio waves

ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF A HYBRID CAR

Hybrid vehicles have a lot of potential in protecting and conserving the environment however have
these cars been really accepted by the general public. Here I will be discussing the economic
potential of the hybrid cars.
Perks of using a hybrid cars

Hybrid cars still remain another scientific invention which still has a very cloistered existence. This is
mainly due to the high prices of the hybrid cars being offered in the market. The prices are still high
as the entire “hybrid technology” is relatively new and it will take some time for companies to go for
large-scale production which will result in economies of scale and will bring down the prices. There
are fiscal benefits of using a hybrid car some of which are as follows:-

 The hybrid cars have a much better gas mileage compared to the normal cars. The most
effective car in today’s market is Toyota Prius which averages 45-48 miles per gallon. Since
this is comparatively more effective than the normal hybrid cars it generates more savings for
the customers inducing them to buy the car.
 Since the government too is interested in the hybrid car project due to the rising concern for
environmental issues, in order to popularise the hybrid car technology they are offering they
offer huge tax concessions to the consumers of hybrid cars. Moreover hybrid car owners are
also offered insurance benefits. This ultimately is leading towards popularity of hybrid cars.

According to a website” all about hybrid cars one can actually calculate the amount of fuel saved by a person
by using hybrid cars on the fuel calculator www.AllAboutHybridCars.com.”

MOTIVE BEHIND INVENTION OF HYBRID CARS

One basic question that continues to haunt us till now is why hybrid cars was invented in the
first place....as we all know that need is the mother of all inventions, then the basic question
arises what or why was the need of hybrid cars felt....In this section of the paper I will try to
throw some light on the needs or reasons of existence of a hybrid car

 One of the basic reasons as to why the need of hybrid cars was felt so strongly
was the dependence of some countries on others for fuel. Three major oil price
shocks which were faced by the U.S was in 1973, 1979 and also in 1991 which
was then followed by a recession. The U.S realised that it was very vulnerable as
far as oil was concerned and could be held as hostage by other countries which
had better oil reserves. They also faced a strong competition from third world
countries like India and China. Thus one of the main need or reason for the
development of hybrid cars was to reduce the dependence on oil so that the
 countries which had lesser oil reserves could not be held at ransom by other oil
rich countries

 Another reason is the rising concern about global warming .As the world wakes
up to the need of alternative sources of energy the idea was to use these kind of
energy for vehicles which are one of the major reasons for emission of carbon
dioxide which is one of the greenhouse gases which causes global warming.

 Another reason for development of hybrid cars is that they are fuel efficient i.e.
they run more gallons per mile and hence save costs as far as fuel is considered.
The fuel efficiency is mainly due to improvements in aerodynamics and weight
reduction.

 Fuel and gasoline are scarce resources and due to heavy usage these resources
they are on the verge of drying up and with the help of hybrid cars which uses
battery, electricity, hydrogen etc we can actually conserve these resources for our
future generations.

MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE FIELD OF HYBRID CARS

The major players in the field of hybrid vehicles are:-

 HONDA
o Accord
o Civic
 LEXUS
o GS 450 h
o LS 600 H L
o R X 400 h SUV
 SATURN
o Aura Green Line
o Vue Green Line
 NISSAN
o Altima
 TOYOTA
o Camry
o Prius
o Highlander SUV
 FORD
 Escape SUV
 MURCURY
 Marnier SUV

The major players are Toyota Prius, both Honda Accord and civic, Ford Escape SUV and
Lexus.
 COMPARISON OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS

Size:-According to the cost and mileage Honda Civic is the best buy. It is one of the best in
terms of availability as well as it is available across 40 cities .It is followed by Volkswagen
Jetta which is available roughly in 30 cities .This was the comparison of the major players in
terms of the size of the market.

CHALLENGES FACED BY HYBRID VEHICLES

Someone once said that a jackass is a cross between a donkey and a horse .i.e. is a hybrid
basically. Some of the challenges faced by Hybrid Vehicles are as follows:-

 One reason for low acceptability is the exorbitant price .Many in the auto industry believe that
in case of hybrid vehicles the cost outweighs the benefits

 Another reason for low acceptability is the fact that hybrid car is a relatively new technology
and there is lack of records about performance of the cars and their durability and expected
lifecycle so consumers are somewhat reluctant to purchase hybrid cars.

 Another major hurdle is that a lot of R&D is required to develop the hybrid vehicle technology
and these calls for huge investments on the part of the companies

 In case of hydrogen fuelled vehicles the availability of hydrogen is a major problem. There is a
dearth of hydrogen power stations

 One of the major problems that hybrid car faces is that it tends to accelerate at a lower speed.
In other words expected speed cannot be attained in cases where the vehicles are totally
powered by gasoline. It is because of this many drivers feel unsafe and avoid driving a hybrid
car

 The lightweight material used in the hybrid cars makes it vulnerable to destruction. This
increases the risk factor and makes them prone to accidents. The high voltage required for
running the hybrid cars make them prone to accidents.

STEPS TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES

Some of the challenges that hybrid vehicles face can be overcome in the following manner:-

 The prices will come down once the car production is done on a massive scale
 To facilitate speed hybrid cars are normally small and lightweight
 Hydrogen power stations can be introduced to power hydrogen run vehicles.
 Since hybrid cars are green cars which help in keeping the environment clean and help in
conserving energy the government should provide companies involved in the production of
hybrid cars with financial aid in the form of grants and tax concessions.
 Overtime as the environmental issues gather more momentum people will start accepting
hybrid cars.

SUCCESS POTENTIAL OF HYBRID VEHICLES

According to www.reseach-reports.com” Upcoming technologies such as HEVs and EVs use many
electronic components, leading to a high demand for discrete power semiconductors, especially MOSFETs (Metal
Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) and IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors)

Global warming and energy concerns have been forcing automobile vendors and also consumers to adopt green and
energy efficient technologies such as HEVs and EVs.

During 2000–2008, the HEV market revenues grew at a CAGR of 42.8% with volumes growing at a CAGR of 46.8%.
In 2008, the global HEV market earned revenues of $12.1 billion on shipments of 512,000 HEVs. The following graph
shows the increase in sales revenue for the components used in HEVs.”

Expected sales of hybrid electric vehicles

The above graph shows that the sales of the hybrid cars is increasing with each passing year and is
expected to increase in the coming years as this technology grows and with the increase in global
warming concerns.

SUMMARY

To sum up one can say that in the future technology is here in the form of hybrid vehicles .Though
hybrid cars as a concept has been there for a long time but with surge in concern levels of the world
about global warming it is gaining the approval of the sceptics and more and more people as well as
governments and companies are accepting this technology with open arms .Though the adoption rate
is not very high it has increased over the years and is expected to go on increasing with each passing
year. If we want to survive and keep our environment green, clean and healthy then hybrid vehicles
will help us a lot in reaching there. Though there are risks associated with these cars they will improve
gradually as more research is done in this field. Hybrid cars are definitely the way forward......

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

http://www.transportation.anl.gov
http://www.hybridcarrevolution.com

http://ezinearticles.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

http://www.wired.com

http://www.allabouthybridcars.com

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/

http://www.hybridcars.com

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com

http://www.fueleconomy.gov

http://www.fueleconomy.gov

http://cars.about.com

http://clean-and-green-cars.blogspot

http://www.reports-research.com

http://www.inhabitat.com