Complex Evaluation of Heavy-Duty Truck Hybridization and Electrification Options

Parallel hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain topologies are easily applicable on an existing conventional powertrain, and are frequently used in passenger vehicles, with a goal to reduce the overall fleet CO₂ emissions, either with mild, full, or plug-in capability. However, for the heavy-duty trucks, the powertrain electrification progresses more slowly. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to evaluate three different hybridization options, together with two electrification options, in comparison with conventional powertrain combined with 5.9 L 6-cylinder diesel internal combustion engine in a heavy-duty 7.5-ton application. All vehicle variants are evaluated in eight vehicle driving cycles replicating different heavy-duty use-cases at different cargo levels, also considering the economical aspect of these different electrification options, calculating the payback periods for each powertrain option. The energy management control strategy, that determines the power split between the ICE and electric motor for HEV variants is an optimal one, based on Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. All models are programmed in-house in Python 3.9.0.