Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Design Fundamentals

Iqbal Husain

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9780429956355
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

A thoroughly revised third edition of this widely praised, bestselling textbook presents a comprehensive systems-level perspective of electric and hybrid vehicles with emphasis on technical aspects, mathematical relationships and basic design guidelines. The emerging technologies of electric vehicles require the dedication of current and future engineers, so the target audience for the book is the young professionals and students in engineering eager to learn about the area. The book is concise and clear, its mathematics are kept to a necessary minimum and it contains a well-balanced set of contents of the complex technology. Engineers of multiple disciplines can either get a broader overview or explore in depth a particular aspect of electric or hybrid vehicles.

Additions in the third edition include simulation-based design analysis of electric and hybrid vehicles and their powertrain components, particularly that of traction inverters, electric machines and motor drives. The technology trends to incorporate wide bandgap power electronics and reduced rare-earth permanent magnet electric machines in the powertrain components have been highlighted. Charging stations are a critical component for the electric vehicle infrastructure, and hence, a chapter on vehicle interactions with the power grid has been added. Autonomous driving is another emerging technology, and a chapter is included describing the autonomous driving system architecture and the hardware and software needs for such systems. The platform has been set in this book for system-level simulations to develop models using various softwares used in academia and industry, such as MATLAB ® /Simulink, PLECS, PSIM, Motor-CAD and Altair Flux. Examples and simulation results are provided in this edition using these software tools.

The third edition is a timely revision and contribution to the field of electric vehicles that has reached recently notable markets in a more and more environmentally sensitive world.

1 Introduction to Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

The transition to electric road transport technologies has gained significant momentum over the past decade aided by both the technological advancements over the years and the growing interest among consumers. Electric vehicles (EVs) are now being offered with improved performances and capabilities such as increased acceleration, extended range and fast charging options. The global sale of EVs that include both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) exceeded the 5 million mark in 2019 with the ratio between BEVs and PHEVs titling more towards the former. Whereas it took 5 years for the first million EVs to be sold, it took only 6 months for the next million and the rate of adoption has been ever increasing. The compelling impetus to develop clean, efficient and sustainable vehicles for urban transportation stems from both environmental and economic considerations. Passenger vehicles constitute an integral part of our everyday life, yet the exhaust emissions of the conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) are to blame for the major source of urban pollution that causes the greenhouse effect leading to global warming [1]. The dependence on oil as the sole source of energy for passenger vehicles has economical and political implications, and the crisis will inevitably become acute as the oil reserve of the world diminishes. The number of automobiles in our planet exceeds 1.4 billion according to some estimates, and the increasing number of automobiles being introduced on the road every year is only adding to the pollution problem. There is also an economic factor that is inherent in the poor energy conversion efficiency of the internal combustion (IC) engines. When efficiency is evaluated on the basis of conversion from crude oil to traction effort at the wheels, the number for the alternative EVs is not significantly higher; however, it does make a difference. The emission due to power generation at localized plants is much easier to regulate than those emanating from ICEVs that are individually maintained and scattered all over the places. The people dwelling in cities are not exposed to power plant-related emissions, since these are mostly located outside urban areas. Furthermore, electric power can be generated using renewable sources such as hydro, wind and solar, which would provide the most environmentally friendly approach. The EVs enabled by high-efficiency electric motors and controllers, and powered from alternative energy sources provide the means for a clean, efficient and environmentally friendly urban transportation system. EVs are the only zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) possible which provide the opportunity to curb the pollution problem in an efficient way.

EVs made their way into public use as early as in the middle of the 19th century, even before the introduction of gasoline-powered vehicles [2]. In 1900, 4,200 automobiles were sold, of which 40% were steam powered, 38% were electric powered and 22% were gasoline powered. However, the invention of the starter motor, improvements in mass production technology of gas-powered vehicles and inconvenience in battery charging led to the disappearance of EVs in the early 1900s. However, the environmental issues and the unpleasant dependence on oil led to the resurgence of interest in EVs in the 1960s. The growth in the enabling technologies over the next several decades and environmental and economic concerns renewed the interest in research and development for EVs.

The interest and research in EVs soared in the 1990s with the major automobile manufacturers embarking on plans for introducing their own EVs or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). General Motors introduced the first EV Saturn EV1 for public usage in 1995, although to a limited market in California and Arizona. The vehicle has since been discontinued, but the event is undoubtedly a milestone in modern vehicle history. The consumer market is more interested in vehicles that can travel long distances on one full charge of the battery-pack. Another feature that the society desires is the reduction of the battery-pack charging time to a level comparable to that of filling up a gas tank.

The limited range of the battery-powered EVs led researchers and auto industries to search for alternatives in the 1990s. The aggressive efforts by the industry led to the rapid development of HEVs. Toyota led the way among the industries introducing the first production hybrid vehicle Toyota Prius in the late 1990s. Many other industries have since introduced hybrids for the consumers addressing the concerns about environmental pollution and excessive dependence on fossil fuels. The HEVs or simply hybrid vehicles use both electric machines and an IC engine for delivering the propulsion power; these vehicles have lower emissions compared to a similarly sized conventional ICEV resulting in less environmental pollution. The IC engine used in a hybrid vehicle is, of course, downsized compared to an equivalent ICEV. The IC engine in combination with the electric motor and an energy storage unit provides the extended range and curve down the pollution. The hybrid vehicle serves as a compromise for the environmental pollution problem and the limited range capabiltiy of a BEV. The hybrids are looked upon by many as a shorter-term solution until the range limitation and infrastucture problems of zero-emission EVs are solved.

After about a decade of reign of HEVs in the passenger road vehicle electrification sector, EVs started reappearing with battery-powered vehicles from pioneering companies like Tesla and Nissan. Although Tesla has started offering BEVs since 2008, those vehicles were targeted for a niche market in the domain of luxury vehicles. In 2011, Nissan offered the more affordable Nissan Leaf, which was soon followed by Ford with Ford Focus Electric. With rapid expansion of the global sales together with innovations in the electric powertrain, EVs are well on their way to sustainable mass-production market. Currently, traditional vehicle manufacturers and new generation EV manufacturers are all offering various types of EVs. In addition, charging stations are being installed in various urban and highway locations with many providing fast charging options. Several companies are offering wireless power chargers...