Hybrid electric vehicles: year 2000 status

Abstract

In the year 2000, the automotive manufacturers turned their attention to Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV). This re-direction of Electric Vehicle (EV) development effort was highlighted at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS 2000), where, the World's major automobile manufacturers displayed twenty three HEVs. Thirteen HEV were configured with an internal combustion piston engine and electric traction motor, while, ten additional HEV were configured as fuel cell and battery pack hybrid vehicles (FCHV). Furthermore, the FCHV were fueled with hydrogen (H/sub 2/) from H/sub 2/ absorption metal hydride fuel tanks, or, from liquified hydrogen cryogenic fuel tanks. One conclusion for HEV was that the preferred configuration includes a compression ignition engine paired with an electric motor, and, four speed manual transmission with automatic shift. A second conclusion for FCHV was that the fuel of choice is H/sub 2/, and furthermore, these H/sub 2/ fueled FCHV were the precursor vehicles foreshadowing deployment of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure within the first quarter of the 21/sup st/ Century.