February 2014
By, Berker Bilgin and Ali Emadi
Power electronics is at the heart of the powertrain electrification. Higher powertrain efficiency targets for our transportation system will be achieved by designing hybrid and electric powertrains with high power density and high efficiency power electronic circuits. In addition, lower cost solutions will enable more affordable electrified vehicles, leading to a more sustainable transportation system with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
By Mahesh Krishnamurthy and Jose Garcia
Traditional electric hybrid vehicles combine internal combustion engine power plants with electric motors/generators to propel the vehicle or capture its braking energy. In the same way, hydraulic hybrid vehicles couple hydrostatic transmissions and hydraulic accumulators to an internal combustion engine to achieve the same tasks of their electric counterparts. The advantage of using any of the two hybrid systems is that it allows the user to store kinetic energy and reuse it without additional fuel consumption. Additionally, hybrid systems in vehicles save energy because they are fitted with Electronic Controller Units (ECU) that manage the engine performance to for optimal operation so that less fuel is consumed without sacrificing power requirements.
By Staff Editor and Joachim G. Taiber
(Originally printed in the January issue of Elektroborse Smarthouse)
Drivers of electric vehicles should be able to charge their car in the future while they are driving. This shall be enabled via inductive charging. Hereby, alternating current generates a magnetic field within a charging plate, which induces the current into the vehicle. The alternating current is transformed into direct current and is fed into the battery. Elektrobörse Smarthouse talked to Prof. Dr. Joachim G. Taiber, professor of the Clemson University International Center of Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) and technical expert of the IEEE Transportation Electrification Initiative, about the current state of this technology.
by Brewster McCracken
Will large numbers of customers eventually choose electric vehicles (EVs)? If so, when?
This is of keen interest not just to carmakers, but also to electric utilities. Utilities, after all, will be responsible for powering most EVs once they leave the lot. The extent and rate at which EVs appear in customer garages could impact utility finances and how utilities allocate resources for expenses such as distribution capital equipment.
That’s because most EV owners consume a lot of electricity to power their cars. For the 73 drivers in the Pecan Street Research Institute’s EV research trials, car charging is the largest or second largest source of electricity use (after HVAC) in every one of them. There isn’t a close third.
About the Newsletter
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Jin-Woo Ahn
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Sheldon Williamson
Co-Editor-in-Chief
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