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Electric vehicles are receiving considerable attention because they offer a more efficient and sustainable transportation alternative compared to conventional fossil-fuel powered vehicles. Since the battery pack represents the primary energy storage component in an electric vehicle powertrain, it requires accurate monitoring and control. In order to effectively estimate the battery pack critical parameters such as the battery state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), and remaining capacity, a high-fidelity battery model is needed as part of a robust SOC estimation strategy. As the battery degrades, model parameters significantly change, and this model needs to account for all operating conditions throughout the battery's lifespan. For effective battery management system design, it is critical that the physical model adapts to parameter changes due to aging.

The components in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain include the battery pack, an internal combustion engine, and the electric machines such as motors and possibly a generator. These components generate a considerable amount of heat during driving cycles. A robust thermal management system with advanced controller, designed for temperature tracking, is required for vehicle safety and energy efficiency. In this study, a hybridized mid-size truck for military application is investigated. The paper examines the integration of advanced control algorithms to the cooling system featuring an electric-mechanical compressor, coolant pump and radiator fans. Mathematical models are developed to numerically describe the thermal behavior of these powertrain elements. A series of controllers are designed to effectively manage the battery pack, electric motors, and the internal combustion engine temperatures.

Design of Automotive Composites reports that successful designs of automotive composites occurred recently in this arena. The chapters consist of eleven technical papers selected from the Automotive Composites and other relevant sessions that the editors have been organizing for the SAE International World Congress over the past five years. The book is divided into four sections: o Body Structures o Powertrain Components o Suspension Components o Electrical and Alternative Vehicle Components The composite design examples presented in Design of Automotive Composites come from the major OEMs and top-tier suppliers and are most relevant to the automotive materials challenges currently faced by the industry. Many of the innovative ideas have already been implemented on existing or new model vehicles, although a great deal of innovation is still in the works.

Exhaust gas turbo-charging helps exploit the improved fuel efficiency of downsized engines by increasing the possible power density from these engines. However, turbo-charged engines exhibit poor transient performance, especially when accelerating from low speeds. In addition, during low-load operating regimes, when the exhaust gas is diverted past the turbine with a waste-gate or pushed through restricted vanes in a variable geometry turbine, there are lost opportunities for recovering energy from the enthalpy of the exhaust gas. Similar limitations can also be identified with mechanical supercharging systems. This paper proposes an electrical supercharging and turbo-generation system that overcomes some of these limitations. The system decouples the activation of the air compression and exhaust-energy recovery functions using a dedicated electrical energy storage buffer. Its main attributes fast speed of response to load changes and flexibility of control.