Plug-in hybrid conversion of a series hybrid electric vehicle and simulation comparison

Recently there has been a lot of interest in the concept of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). PHEVs are the next generation of hybrid vehicles that offer important advantages over even the cleanest and most efficient of today´s vehicles. They use significantly less gasoline and have lower emission rates compared to the current hybrids and conventional vehicles and also have the ability to charge from the electric grid. In this paper conversion of a series hybrid vehicle into a plug-in hybrid without the need to neither change the power train design nor the rating of the electric motor and engine is discussed. Also the performance of a series hybrid vehicle is compared with the converted plug-in model of the same vehicle using the advanced vehicle simulator (ADVISOR). The comparison outlines the benefits of the plug-in version in terms of fuel consumption and emissions and indicates that for distances more than twice the all-electric range, a PHEV is not considered economical taking into account the extra battery cost. Therefore, choosing the right electric range to handle the daily driving needs is essential and car producers are expected to produce PHEVs with different all-electric ranges for their customers.