Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
Use of on-board electricity. Recharged from electrical grid.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
Electric drive system complements combustion engine.
Parallel or series drive train. Conventional or plug-in.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)
Fuel cell generates electricity from hydrogen to power motor drive system.
Hydrogen generated off-board or on-board (via hydrocarbon reformation).

Medium-Duty Fuel Cell Delivery Vehicle
UPS is involved in a research program with EPA and DaimlerChrysler to transition from small fuel cell cars to medium-duty trucks.

The Future of Advanced Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles have made a strong market entry.
-High volumes will help promote other technologies
Strong government and OEM support for fuel cell vehicles as a long-term objective
EPRI believes that there is a role of plug-in electric-drive vehicles as bridge or enabling technologies to the future.

Efficiency Factors of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

-Efficiency factors for hybrid vehicles
-Efficient electric drive system contributes to performance and efficiency
-Smaller internal combustion engine operates at higher efficiency
-Engine idle can be reduced or eliminated
-Regenerative braking can conserve energy
-Relatively small battery is high-power and recharged by the engine
-Fuel economy is up to 80% greater than a conventional vehicles

Attributes of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Combine function of EVs and HEVs

-Electric range of 10-60 miles
-Home recharging at night
-Continuous driving possible without recharge.

Plug-in HEVs use electricity while battery charge is high.
Switches to hybrid mode when:

-Battery charge is low
-Higher vehicles speeds
-Driver requires full power

Plug-in HEVs have the potential for further petroleum reduction by substitution of grid electricity.

-Disadvantage of higher upfront cost and slightly increased mass.