Whole-Day Driving Prediction Control Strategy to Minimize PHEV Cost

Electric vehicles must reduce in cost and pose minimal range concerns in order to become viable options for the masses. This paper proposes the Whole-Day Driving Prediction concept which aims to meet these objectives: a plug-in hybrid vehicle uses a very small engine that is turned on at the start of a day's driving if the total driving for the day is expected to exceed the electric range. With this strategy, the engine and generator can be very small (around 5kW) yet extend the electric range greatly, allowing the battery size to be nearly halved. This paper presents simulation results and analysis of the proposed concept.