AUTO 330 - Hybrid/Electric Vehicles

This course explores the use of hybrid and electric power for vehicle transportation. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are studied and examined, with particular attention paid to power flows, losses, and energy usage as these things relate to isolated powertrain components and HEV configurations. Topics include powertrain architecture, vehicle testing, fuel consumption, aerodynamics and rolling resistance, engines, batteries, electric machines, power electronics, idle reduction, and regenerative braking. Concepts that are explored include power flows, losses, energy usage, and drive quality over drive cycles to determine vehicle performance measures; HEV analysis to examine the operation, integration, and design of powertrain components; vehicle applications and integrated systems from various manufacturers, with emphasis placed on the design of the system parts; and the operation characteristics of components and subsystems. Current, industry-approved diagnostic and troubleshooting techniques and relevant case studies are discussed and demonstrated throughout the course.