Tài liệu HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: doc

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO A HYBRID VEHICLE HYBRID HISTORY With the advent of increased awareness of environmental concerns, along with the importance of fossil-

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY:

THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO A HYBRID VEHICLE

Prepared for Prof Robert Marino School of Management Nazareth College of Rochester

Prepared by Justin Dittmar Jenna Santucci Andy Dobrowski Nazareth College of Rochester November 19, 2004

MEMO

TO: Prof Robert Marino

FROM: Justin Dittmar, Jenna Santucci, Andrew Dobrowski

SUBJECT: Hybrid Technology

DATE: November 19, 2004

21st century transportation is not just a vision for the future—it is here today Clean, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles are now available, joining the alternatively fueled vehicles already on the road With every passing year, the ranks of hybrid powered vehicles on the roads in America are bolstered, therefore making this a very viable and important topic for automobile users to be knowledgeable about

This report seeks to use the history of hybrids, technology of their working mechanisms, and comparisons of available models to determine consumer benefits Specifically, these benefits inc lude increased fuel-efficiency, environmental advantages, and long-term financial benefits

Ultimately, purchasing a slightly higher-priced hybrid will reimburse the consumer through fuel-efficiency and financial incentives from the federal and state go vernment,

as well as securing a healthy environment for future generations

We enjoyed working on this project, as tedious as some portions became Hybrid

technology was a general interest of the group, and having the opportunity to further examine the topic and present our findings to a group is has been a great experience

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY:

THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO A HYBRID VEHICLE

Justin Dittmar Jenna Santucci Andy Dobrowski November 19, 2004

The emergence of hybrid technology shows not only the drive and ingenuity of the automobile industry, but also the realization of the growing costs associated with fuel consumption However, while the American public is well aware of these concerns, very few have moved to hybrid technology for their automobiles, and in many cases, continue

to purchase large, bulky sport utility vehicles, which burn gasoline at an accelerated rate This is mainly due to indifference and ignorance of the alternatives to fully gasoline powered ve hicles, which still dominate the automobile market

The reduction of fuel consumption through the use of gasoline and electric hybrid

vehicles is evident through the decreased annual fuel costs and increased mileage per gallon of gasoline used by hybrid vehicles Annual fuel costs range between $450 and

$650 for hybrid vehicles, a product of these vehicles getting upwards of 60-70 miles per gallon Emissions from fossil- fuel burning vehicles are destroying our environment Hybrid vehicles reduce emissio ns by a considerable amount, such as in the case of the Ford Escape Hybrid, which boasts a reduction of 97 percent of total hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen emissions relative to other non-hybrid vehicles that meet today’s required emissions standards

To this end, we feel that it is important that American motorists, especially the younger generations, understand not only the technology that drives hybrid vehicles, but also the benefits of reducing fossil fuel usage We feel that people should consider purchasing hybrid or other kinds of fuel efficient vehicles to help ease the gasoline reliance of the United States and reduce the harmful impacts of fuel consumption Through this report,

we intend to not only persuade, but to inform, yourself and others about the importance

of your choices on our environment, economy, and society

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION……….………

Hybrid History……… ……… 1

Purpose and Scope……… 2

BACKGROUND……… …

How Hybrid Technology Works……… 2

Repair and Maintenance of Hybrid Vehicles…… ………3

Comparison of Some Available Models……… ………3

BENEFITS………

Reduced Fuel Consumption/Environmental Benefits……… 6

Long-term Financial Benefits……… 7

OPINION……… …

Interview with 2001 Toyota Prius Owner………8

CONCLUSION………

Conclusion and Recommendation ……… 8

APPENDIX……… …

A Interview Outline………… ……… ……….9

B Photographs… ……… 10

C Bibliography……… 11

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY:

THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO A HYBRID VEHICLE

HYBRID HISTORY

With the advent of increased awareness of environmental concerns, along with the importance of fossil- fuel conservation, many alternatively powered vehicles have been launched on the American car market Technology is constantly progressing to achieve breakthroughs with alternative fuel sources

such as methanol, ethanol, compressed natural

gas, and electric (Sparrow model pictured)

promising to be “cleaner” than gasoline

(producing fewer pollutants) These options,

although an improvement from conventional

gasoline, are unrealistic because they require a

difficult modification of fuel storage and

delivery systems Other contenders for

alternative fuel are electric power from

hydrogen (a hydroge n fuel from water), and

fuel cells (“stacks” of electricity used to refuel

vehicles at “catalyst refilling stations”),

although these options are impractical because

storage-battery technology is still in progress

Most commonly, consumers are presented

with the increasingly popular and most

practical hybrid vehicle—the happy medium between electric vehicles and fuel-powered vehicles It is the most attractive choice thus far because of practicality of resources This vehicle combines a small internal-combustion engine with an electric motor to run with maximum power and minimum emissions, while also conserving fuel

First Construction of a Hybrid Vehicle

Hybrid technology originated with diesel-electric locomotives and submarines in the early twentieth century Submarines used diesel to operate and charge a battery above water However, under water, this was not possible (diesel needs oxygen to

operate) Therefore, the fully-charged battery was essential for use under water

Although diesel is not the common choice for engines in present-day hybrid vehicles, hybrid and diesel-electric systems operate in essentially the same manner; these systems have a dependence on both an electric motor and a fuel-powered engine Ferdinand Porsche engineered the first successful hybrid car in 1928, and soon after many hobbyists constructed hybrid vehicles Production in the major automotive companies, however, did not develop until recent years Hybrids are not as uncommon as one would think; any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power that can directly or indirectly

provide propulsion power is a hybrid

The Resurfacing of Technologically Advanced Hybrid

The American car market was technically saturated by 1990, when the average American household owned one car for each of its licensed drivers However,

Americans’ desire for luxury kept them buying more vehicles, bigger vehicles One example includes the explosion of the sports utility vehicle craze American automakers marketed the SUV to sporty “urbanites” and safety-conscious families In reality, the SUV has been known to tip over, “gasoline- guzzle,” and be exempt from conventional car fuel economy standards because of its classification as a “light truck.” Although they have an average fuel efficiency of 20 percent less than the average passenger car, SUV sales have doubled between the years 1995-2001 These statistics show the concern for air pollutant reduction and the need to conserve gasoline furthering the development of the conventional hybrid vehicle, as well as the new SUV hybrid In fact, the increased awareness is proved in results such as in a R.L Polk & Co Survey of 2003 automobiles showed that hybrid car registrations in the US rose to 43,435 automobiles, a 25.8 increase from 2002 numbers.7

There are various types of hybrids available today, but Honda and Toyota were the first major automobile companies to manufacture hybrids They proposed the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight, first released in 1998 Newer designs have had decreased price tags yet perform comparably to their non- hybrid counterparts For example, the new Honda Civic Hybrid appears identical to the non- hybrid, except it has up to a 50 percent increase in fuel efficiency The redesigned 2004 Toyota Prius has improved passenger room, cargo area, and continues to increase in energy efficiency The

2004-2005 Ford Escape, the first hybrid SUV, shows the increased American trend to follow the hybrid lead 8

Purpose and Scope

In order to assure that others are well informed about hybrid technology, this report has been designed to discuss history, technical details, model specifications, and showcase benefits for consumers This report, assigned by Prof Robert Marino, requires

us to not only provide the information necessary to make an informed decision and take a stance on our topic, but also to persuade This is achieved in this report through graphs, specific details, dozens of Internet and text sources, as well as a first- hand account of a consumer’s positive experience with their hybrid vehicle purchase Careful examination

of the findings and assertions within this report will allow the reader to take their own positive stance on hybrid technology

How Hybrid Technology Works

When most people hear the words “hybrid” and “vehicle” in the same sentence, they tend to think of a car that has to be plugged into a wall to recharge in order to be used Others have the idea that hybrid vehicles do not perform at the same level as non-hybrid vehicles, and lack many of today’s available options, such as size, power and model variety In order to make an informed decision about purchasing a hybrid vehicle, one must understand how hybrid technology works A hybrid vehicle is essentially a

vehicle that combines two or more sources of power There are examples of this type of technology outside of the consumer automobile market For example, many types of trains, buses, and submarines have been using hybrid technology for years in order to provide a much cheaper alternative to relying on the internal-combustion engine Hybrid vehicles that have been introduced to the American consumers in the past few years all use gasoline-electric systems that utilize a gasoline powered engine along with an electric motor to propel the vehicle Hybrid vehicles use a standard twelve-volt battery that powers the basic car accessories, such as the radio, clock, and power locks and windows The battery pack that powers the car runs on a voltage system that can have anywhere from 140-275 volts

There are basically two types of systems available in today’s hybrids: parallel and series “A parallel hybrid allows for both the engine and the battery pack to work at the same time, while a series hybrid uses the gasoline engine to either charge the vehicles battery or the electric motor, however the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle”(1) The first hybrids introduced in 1998 utilized the parallel hybrid system The Honda Insight is one of the vehicles that use the parallel system to power the car Since the Insight cannot run solely on the electric motor itself, the car must rely on the internal-combustion engine The electric motor is used to provide extra power during

acceleration, utilize regenerative braking, increase torque, and to start the vehicle’s gasoline engine By allowing the electric motor to start the car and provide most of the needed power during acceleration or heavy load situations, the amount of gasoline

consumed is drastically reduced, as well as a reduction in harmful emissions The Toyota Prius also uses the parallel technology, though the Prius differs from the Insight because

it only uses the gasoline engine at speeds over 40 miles per hour This means the

gasoline engine is shut off whe n the car is stopped or idle, as it operates with virtually no gasoline and produces few emissions at speeds under 40 miles an hour The Prius came out several months later than the Insight, and focuses more on using the electric motor as

a low speed power source, rather than using it primarily to assist the gasoline powered engine In the case of both vehicles, one of the most interesting features is the hybrid’s ability to recover electrical energy from braking This energy is used to recharge the vehicle’s batteries that power the electric motor This technology is called “regenerative braking” In this situation, the hybrid uses the vehicle’s electric motor to slow the speed

of the car, rather than solely depending on the vehicle’s brakes The electric motor then generates power, replenishing batteries Therefore, there is never the need to plug in or recharge a parallel series hybrid

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF HYBRID VEHICLES

Routine Maintenance

Surprisingly, there are many similarities between a hybrid car and a conventional car Routine maintenance can be easily completed through a local garage After all, the hybrid has tires, brakes, shocks, suspension, an exhaust system, doors, and headlights— just as an ordinary vehicle does 14 They are also just as safe as conventional vehicles; the majority of hybrid vehicles are small, quick, nimble, and rank high in safety for their weight class In addition, SUV hybrids will probably have the same safety issues as conventional SUV’s

Custom Mainte nance

An alternatively powered vehicle requires a new and different

engine-management system that balances the demands of the internal-combustion engine and battery motor So, it is understandable that there is the common misconception that there

is a high probability of having to replace the batteries In fact, the battery of a hybrid vehicle is long lasting and designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 250,000 miles According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in the United States in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear If the battery should expire, the warranty covers the battery between eight and ten years, depending on the maker Another common misconception is that private

mechanics do not have the adequate resources to service hybrids In fact, hybrids are actually easier to maintain than conventional vehicles because their electric motor is a simpler system, a system with less moving parts, therefore less components prone to breakage While it is true that some custom maintenance is required, by the time the current hybrid warranty expires, the classes that are being taught in numerous states will help ensure that maintenance service workers will meet the current demands of

consumers who own hybrid vehicles

Comparison of Some Available Models

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius, first introduced in Japan in 1988, has been sold in the American car market since 2000 One of the very first hybrid vehicles to be publicly available in the United States, this 4-door, 5-seat sedan is still recognized as a standard for small, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles The Prius contains a 70 horsepower, 1.5 liter,

four-cylinder gasoline burning engine, which works in conjunction with a 44 horsepower electric motor Unlike its Honda counterparts, the Prius runs primarily from the electric motor, allowing for a heavier car which can run at the same low fuel efficiency The Prius weighs approximately 2,765 pounds, and can carry a payload of 800 pounds This model comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) standard This is an obvious advantage, as in most automatic transmission vehicles gasoline efficiency is lower than with a user-controlled manual gearshift However, the Prius is able to provide fuel efficiency and convenience in the form of automatic transmission standard In fact, the fuel efficiency of the Prius is so good, the vehicle gets upwards of 60 miles per gallon (mpg) during city driving, plus 51 mpg for highway driving The decrease in fuel

efficiency at high speeds is due to the drag coefficient, something Toyota’s main

competitor, Honda, does account for more adequately Early models of the Toyota Prius had a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of nearly 12 seconds, showcasing the car’s lack of

acceleration and power With the newest 2004 Prius model, however, acceleration time has been decreased to 10 seconds, and the Prius now performs better at achieving high speeds quickly The base cost of the Toyota Prius is $19,995, with extra features pushing the price of the car upwards of $25,000 The Prius has been modified, upgraded, and evolved for over seven years, and the newest models of the Prius show some of the best performance and craftsmanship available for hybrid vehicles

Honda Insight

The Honda Insight is one of two models of hybrid vehicles available from Honda, pairing with the Civic Hybrid A 3-door, 2-seat coupe, the Insight is not a family car Having Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist power system standard on every Insight, a small gasoline engine is coupled with a small electric motor/generator combination The gasoline motor is a 67 horsepower, 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder engine, which serves as the primary motor in the vehicle Unlike Toyota, Honda develops their hybrid vehicles to be lighter and use the gasoline powered engine as the primary engine, with the electric motor as a supplement The electric motor in the Insight is a 10 kW motor/generator that produces 13 horsepower Also unlike Toyota, the Honda Insight comes standard with a 5 speed manual transmission, though starting with the 2001 model, was also available with

a continuously variable transmission as an option The major advantage of the Insight over other hybrid vehicles in fuel efficienc y is its low drag coefficient With a drag coefficient of a mere 25, the Insight requires 30 percent less power than a conventional automobile at highway speeds In addition, the Insight is extremely lightweight Made

of primarily aluminum, plastic, and magnesium, the Insight weighs just 1,847 pounds, which is 40 percent lighter than comparable steel-bodies vehicles A drawback of this construction is that the Insight can only handle a payload of 365 pounds, which in some cases may not even be enough to accommodate two occupants The Insight is more fuel-efficient than its Toyota counterpart, getting highs of 68 mpg at highway speeds, as well

as 61 mpg for city driving This means the Insight can run approximately 690 miles on a full tank of gasoline The acceleration of the Insight, much like the Prius, has improved over the years, and currently the Insight can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in

approximately 10.5 seconds The base cost of the Honda Insight is $19,235, with extra features pushing the price of the car upwards of $21,280 While the Insight is quite possibly the most fuel efficient publicly available hybrid vehicle in the United States, it lacks performance and payload, limiting its potential use and consumer market

Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape Hybrid is a brand-new model of hybrid vehicle, and the first such vehicle distributed by a Detroit automobile manufacturer The Escape Hybrid, a fuel efficient version of Ford’s popular Ford Escape sport utility vehicle (SUV), is one of the best performing hybrid vehicles on the market Ford claims that the performance and acceleration of the Escape Hybrid will match that of its standard V6 model, a claim that most reviews have, at least in part, agreed with Combining a 2.3 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 28 kW generator, a 65 kW permanent- magnet electric motor, and

a 300-volt battery pack, the Escape Hybrid is loaded with power All of these different components allow for the first truly “full hybrid” vehicle produced by Japanese or

American manufacturers This means that the Escape Hybrid can run without the

gasoline motor running at all In fact, the Escape Hybrid can run up to 25 mph without consuming any gasoline Ford has estimated that the Escape Hybrid can run on electric approximately 40 percent of the time during bumper-to-bumper traffic This heavy reliance on electric power significantly decreases harmful emissions from the Escape Hybrid This SUV produces 97 percent less hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen than

other vehicles meeting today’s required emissions standards Plus, it produces as little as half of the carbon dioxide as conventional vehicles While the electric motor does

decrease dependence on fuel, the overall size of the vehicle and the relatively large gasoline engine does hurt its fuel economy For city driving, the Escape Hybrid averages

35 to 40 mpg In conjunction with the 30 mpg it averages at highway speeds, the overall average for fuel consumption is 27 mpg, or about 500 miles on a full tank of gasoline Despite the environmental and performance advantages of the Escape Hybrid, some of the more intriguing characteristics of the SUV are its look and options Unlike other hybrids, which tend to have a curvy and “futuristic” look, the Escape Hybrid model looks almost identical to the standard V6 Escape model In addition, the Escape Hybrid comes with a four-wheel-drive option, allowing customers to use the power and control of a four-wheel-drive transmission in a fuel-efficient hybrid ve hicle The Escape Hybrid also has the ability to haul large loads; at a tow rating of 1,000 pounds, the Escape Hybrid is more of a work vehicle than any other car, truck, or SUV in the hybrid class The few drawbacks to this model are its relative low fuel efficiency for a hybrid vehicle, loss of cargo room from the V6 model (a loss of 6%), and increased weight (increase of 325 pounds) As the lone American manufacturer to produce a hybrid vehicle as of the 2005 model year, Ford has created to sound alternative to the traditional SUV with the Escape Hybrid At a starting price tag of $19,000 (which can climb to $27,000 with options), the Escape Hybrid is a powerful, efficient, and low-cost alternative to the traditional SUV

Some Upcoming Models

2005 Saturn Vue Hybrid (pictured)

2005 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 2005 Lexus RX400h

Both the Highlander and RX400h will share the

same size gasoline engine as their non- hybrid models;

each will be equipped with a 3.3 liter six-cylinder

engine that will produce 270 horsepower The fuel

economy on these models should be approximately

27.6 mpg, as well as a range of 600 miles to a full tank

of gasoline As with the Escape Hybrid, four-wheel-drive will be an option, however in the four-wheel- vehicles, two electric motors will be employed to handle the extra power drain

2006 Chevrolet Equinox

2007 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

The Mariner Hybrid will be a small SUV with a design based on a sedan With that in mind, the drive should be smoother and cargo room decreased from Ford’s other standard SUV models On a full tank of gasoline, the Mariner Hybrid should get about

500 miles, or about 40 mpg Like Ford’s first hybrid SUV, the Escape Hybrid, the Mariner Hybrid will be a full hybrid, running only the electric or the gasoline motor at any one time