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The purpose of this paper is to optimize the design and power management control fuel cell/supercapacitor and fuel cell/battery hybrid electric vehicles and to provide a comparative study between the two configurations.

In hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), the power flow control and the powertrain component sizing are strongly related and their design will significantly influence the vehicle performance, cost, efficiency and fuel economy. Hence, it is necessary to assess the power flow management strategy at the powertrain design stage in order to minimize component sizing, cost, and the vehicle fuel consumption for a given driving cycle. In this paper, the PSO algorithm is implemented to optimize the design and the power management control of fuel cell/supercapacitor (FC/SC) and fuel cell/battery (FC/B) HEVs for a given driving cycle. The powertrain and the proposed control strategy are designed and simulated by using MATLAB/Simulink. In addition, a comparative study of fuel cell/supercapacitor and fuel cell/battery HEVs is analyzed and investigated for adequately selecting of the appropriate HEV, which could be used in industrial applications.

The results have demonstrated that it is possible to significantly improve the hydrogen consumption in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) by applying the PSO approach. Furthermore, by analyzing and comparing the results, the FC/SC HEV has slightly higher fuel economy than the FC/B HEV.

The addition of electrical energy storage such as supercapacitor or battery in fuel cell‐based vehicles has a great potential and a promising approach for future hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). This paper is mainly focused on the optimal design and power management control, which has significant influences on the vehicle performance. Therefore, this study presents a modified control strategy based on PSO algorithm (CSPSO) for optimizing the power sharing between sources and reducing the components sizing. Furthermore, an interleaved multiple‐input power converter (IMIPC) is proposed for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle to reduce the input current/output voltage ripples and to reduce the size of the passive components with high efficiency compared to conventional boost converter. Meanwhile, the fuel economy is improved. Moreover, a comparative study of FC/SC and FC/B HEVs will be provided to investigate the benefits of hybridization with energy storage system (ESS).

The purpose of this paper is the investigation of the main aspects of optimal reliability allocation with respect to the design of hybrid electric vehicles. In particular, with reference to the hybrid electric vehicle propulsion system, the problem of data uncertainty, due to a scarce knowledge of the components' reliabilities, is taken into account. This problem is crucial for new technology systems and it is faced with a Bayesian approach: components' reliabilities are considered as random variables, characterised in the paper by negative log‐gamma distributions.

The main aspects of optimal reliability allocation with the design of hybrid electric vehicles are presented, pointing out the opportunity of a reliability evaluation in the planning stage.

The topic of a series hybrid vehicle reliability is addressed, nevertheless results can be easily extended to the parallel configuration. In particular, the opportunity of a reliability evaluation of the propulsion system in the design stage is highlighted, mainly when new technology components are involved.

The value of the paper consists in the methodology allowing to express the system reliability uncertainty as a function of component uncertain data. Then, as far as concern the practical implications, the optimal allocation of the components' reliabilities can be efficiently performed, in order to minimise the system total cost respecting a prefixed value of the system reliability. In the final part of the paper, a numerical application, related to a series hybrid electric vehicle propulsion system, is presented to show the feasibility of the approach.

This chapter explains how electric driving has been transforming car mobility in The Netherlands since 1990, highlighting the role of a specific Dutch policy mix as direct factor, and the conditions through which this policy mix came about as indirect factors. The analysis is based on triangulation of findings from three methods: (1) discourse analysis of national newspapers and online blogs to understand the changing meanings of car mobility as well as changing stakeholder competences; (2) interview analysis with Dutch stakeholders to understand policy effects as well as their changing competences; and (3) analysis of relevant documents that provide the numbers of vehicles sold, implemented infrastructures and policy instruments. The study describes market changes in terms of ‘reconfiguring’ (entangled) practices of Dutch motorists, vehicle manufacturers and policy-makers, constituted by the (changing) relations between meanings, materialities, competences and policy incentives. The analysis finds a gradual reconfiguration of car mobility in three stages: The hegemony of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) mobility (1990–2008), Surge in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) mobility (2009–2015), and Surge in full-electric mobility (2016–2020). The analysis shows that the specific Dutch policy incentives were critical to orchestrating the co-evolution of ICE-based and electric mobility towards low-carbon alternatives, that is, towards more electrification. The policy mix was adapted in three successive steps, in which inconsistencies towards electric mobility (e-mobility) were solved, entailing three distinct reconfiguration pathways in each period. The relatively strong policy incentives for e-mobility in The Netherlands can be explained by the absence of an established car industry as well as particular air quality challenges in cities (triggering local support for the provision of charging infrastructure). The conclusion includes policy recommendations for countries that seek to promote e-mobility, although further research should clarify how contextual differences require specific elements in the policy mix.

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the design issues of permanent magnet machines for the hybrid electric and plug‐in electric vehicles, including railway traction and naval propulsion.

Focus is given on both synchronous permanent magnet and reluctance machines. An overview of the design rules are provided, covering the topics of: fractional‐slot windings, fault‐tolerant configurations, flux‐weakening capability, and torque quality.

The peculiarities of these machines and the advanced design considerations to fit the automotive requirements are analyzed.

The paper includes a wide description of innovative electrical machines for electric vehicles, including not only the traction capability, but also analysis of features as weight reduction, torque ripple reduction, increase of fault tolerance, and so on.

The aim of this study is to identify and describe the factors associated with Nissan Company's electric vehicle (EV) development. In addition, Nissan's different commercialization strategies toward EV and HEV development will be discussed.

This study uses a descriptive case study approach to provide a deep understanding of successful or failed projects of Nissan. In this term, the company's green car development between 1996 and 2012 will be analyzed. Based on the market presence, Nissan's electric vehicle production trend is divided into two different generations with different characteristics. The gap between these two generations has a structural effect on the current state of Nissan's EV development.

One key factor behind Nissan's success and lead in the current electric vehicle market is the long-term experience with specific type of market structure, which has nurtured the company with a strong green vehicle development capability. The study shows that the electric vehicles market gap acted as a catalyst for later Nissan's successful cases. Also, the authors demonstrate how the dramatic shifts in Nissan strategies helped the company to revitalize its leadership as an electric car guru.

This study provides a better insight into the importance of early stage commercialization strategies in the re-born market of eco-friendly vehicles.

The flexible mode transitions, multiple power sources and system uncertainty lead to challenges for mode transition control of four-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to improve dynamic performance and fuel economy in mode transition process for four-wheel-drive hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), overcoming the influence of system uncertainty.

First, operation modes and transitions are analyzed and then dynamic models during mode transition process are established. Second, a robust mode transition controller based on radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is proposed. RBFNN is designed as an uncertainty estimator to approximate lumped model uncertainty due to modeling error. Based on this estimator, a sliding mode controller (SMC) is proposed in clutch slipping phase to achieve clutch speed synchronization, despite disturbance of engine torque error, engine resistant torque and clutch torque. Finally, simulations are carried out on MATLAB/Cruise co-platform.

Compared with routine control and SMC, the proposed robust controller can achieve better performance in clutch slipping time, engine torque error, vehicle jerk and slipping work either in nominal system or perturbed system.

The mode transition control of four-wheel-drive HEVs is investigated, and a robust controller based on RBFNN estimation is proposed. Compared results show that the proposed controller can improve dynamic performance and fuel economy effectively in spite of the existence of uncertainty.

Purpose – Electric vehicles are very topical in developed countries. The breakthrough of new battery technologies and changing conditions driven by climate policy and growing fossil fuel prices has caused all major car manufacturing countries in the developed world to initiate R&D programmes to gain competitive advantage and to foster market diffusion of electric vehicles (EVs). This chapter looks at developments in China and compares them with observations from developed countries to draw conclusions about differences in their future paths of development.

Methodology – This chapter escribes the potentials and R&D approaches for different types of EVs in developing countries, using China as example, in comparison with developed countries. It looks at innovation strategies, policy framework and potential diffusion of EVs.

Findings – Market diffusion strategies in developed countries and China may differ, since, in the former manufacturers try to implement a premium strategy (i.e. offer high-price sophisticated EVs), while in the latter market, diffusion will probably appear at the lower end of vehicle types, i.e. via electric scooters and small urban vehicles. It is concluded that the market introduction strategies of EVs in developing countries and developed countries could converge because signs of downsizing of vehicles can be observed in the developed world, while upscaling from bikes and electric scooters can be expected for China, so that large-scale market introduction could occur via small city cars.

Implications for China – Instead of following the Western motorisation path, an option for China could be to develop a new one-stop-shop mobility concept integrating small EVs into such a concept.

The purpose of this paper is the investigation of a new coordinated switching strategy to improve the transient performance of a fuel cell (FC)- supercapacitor (SC) electric vehicle. The proposed switching strategy protects FCs from large currents drawn during abrupt power variations. Furthermore, it compensates the poor FC transient response and suppresses the transient ripples occurring during power source switching instants.

Coordinated power source switching is achieved using three different transition functions. Vehicle model is fractioned into computational and console subsystems for its simulation using real time (RT) LAB simulator. Blocs containing coordination switching strategy, power sources models and their power electronics interface are placed in the computational subsystem that will be executed, in RT, on one of real time laboratory simulator central processing unit cores.

Coordination switching strategy resulted in reducing transient power ripples by 90% and direct current (DC) bus voltage fluctuations by 50%. Switching through transition functions compensated the difference between FC and SC transient responses responsible for transient power ripples. Among the three proposed transition functions, linear transition function resulted in the best transient performances.

The proposed coordinated switching strategy allows the control of the switching period duration. Furthermore, it enables the choice of adequate transition functions that fit the dynamics of power sources undergoing transition. Also, the proposed switching technique is simple and does not require the knowledge of system parameters or the complex control models.

The purpose of the paper is to develop high accurate and unified maximum power point tracking technique that tracks the maximum power from both the photovoltaic (PV) array and wind energy conversion system, (an unified maximum power point tracking technique implemented for both wind and solar sources to track maximum power with higher accuracy).

In recent times, multi-input Direct Current- Direct Current (DC-DC) converter has attracted attentiveness, to conserve more energy and to achieve more efficiency. The kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted to electrical energy and further stored into the battery, during the regenerative braking (moreover, the battery gets charged during the regenerative braking process by converting the kinetic energy of the vehicle into electrical energy). During such a process, only the pulse width modulation schemes of the inverter are changed. To charge electric vehicles (EVs), two renewable resources as solar and wind are combined to produce electric power. Therefore, it was conveyed that the EV will be continuously getting power without interruption using various sources and regenerated power.

The performance and effectiveness of the proposed system are studied by extensive simulations and (are) validated using a prototype of the system. The results prove that the proposed system achieves an efficiency of 95.2%, which is higher than that of the multi-input DC-DC converters existing in the literature.

A novel multi-input DC-DC landsman converter for powering plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is proposed in the research. This method proposes a new cost effective and efficient technique for HEVs with brushless DC motors. Wind power, battery and PV panel are used as the input sources for the proposed converter.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze electromagnetic performance and develop an analytical approach to find the suitable coil combination and no-load flux linkage of the proposed hybrid excited consequent pole flux switching machine (HECPFSM) while minimizing the drive storage and computational time which is the main problem in finite element analysis (FEA) tools.

First, a new HECPFSM based on conventional consequent pole flux switching permanent machine (FSPM) is proposed, and lumped parameter magnetic network model (LPMNM) is developed for the initial analysis like coil combination and no-load flux linkage. In LPMNM, all the parts of one-third machine are modeled which helps in reduction of drive storage, computational complexity and computational time without affecting the accuracy. Second, self and mutual inductance are calculated in the stator, and dq-axis inductance is calculated using park transformation in the rotor of the proposed machine. Furthermore, on-load performance analysis, like average torque, torque density and efficiency, is done by FEA.

The developed LPMNM is validated by FEA via JMAG v. 19.1. The results obtained show good agreement with an accuracy of 96.89%.

The proposed HECPFSM is developed for high-speed brushless AC applications like electric vehicle (EV)/hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).

The proposed HECPFSM offers better flux regulation capability with enhanced electromagnetic performance as compared to conventional consequent pole FSPM. Moreover, the developed LPMNM reduces drive storage and computational time by modeling one-third of the machine.