Trend Towards Powertrain Electrification Gathering Pace

Abstract

with the Honda Insight, paved the way for the vehicle powertrain technologies of today. I confess that, at the time, I didn’t recognise this. The Prius was at odds with almost all other vehicles I was working on, which included some of the most powerful cars of the ‘90s. Development 20 years ago concentrated more on improving performance than fuel economy. A few years later the potential of engine downsizing had been recognised as a means to improve vehicle efficiency. I participated in a technology demonstration project for a ‘Big 3’ manufacturer, which involved turbocharging and installing a small three-cylinder engine into a midsize hatchback. The performance matched the four-cylinder engine it replaced, and the fuel economy was promising. At this stage, my contribution as an electronics engineer was limited to the integration of the powertrain with the electrical system of the vehicle. Electricity played no part in the performance of the powertrain itself. How times have changed! Today, the electrical system is firmly at the centre of many vehicle powertrains. Although not in every car, the trend towards electrification is gathering pace and spans a broad range of vehicles. Electric vehicles, plug-in, standard and micro hybrids are all in series production with multiple manufacturers today. Even those that rely solely on a conventional combustion engine often use sophisticated electronic systems to optimise vehicle efficiency.