ABSTRACT
Conventional vehicles with internal combustion (IC) engines provide good performance and long operating range by utilizing the high-energy-density advantages of petroleum fuels. However, conventional IC engine vehicles have the disadvantages of poor fuel economy and environmental pollution. Battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), on the other hand, possess some advantages over conventional IC engine vehicles, such as high-energy efficiency and zero environmental pollution. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which use two power sources (a primary power source and a secondary power source), have the advantages of both IC engine vehicles and EVs and overcome their disadvantages. In this chapter, the basic concept and operation principles of HEV power trains are discussed.
