Hybrid Vehicles from edX

Why are hybrid vehicles still more common than battery electric ones? Why are electric vehicles still more expensive than conventional or hybrid ones? In this course, you will get the answers to this and much more.

While electric motors can improve vehicles regarding performance, energy consumption and emissions, they suffer from high cost and weight of batteries. Smart combinations of electric motors and combustion engines in a hybrid powertrain can combine these strengths with the advantages of combustion engines.

This course is aimed at learners with a bachelor's degree or engineers in the automotive industry who need to develop their knowledge about hybridpowertrains.

Inthis course, we willexamine different mechanical layouts of hybrid powertrains and how they influence the performance and complexity of the powertrain. Different sizing of powertrains in micro, mild, full hybrids, as well as plug-in hybrids, is also discussed and you'll learn how they can be modelled and analyzed for example by simulation of driving cycles. You will also learn about the Energy Management system and how this controls the hybrid powertrain modes and when to charge and discharge the battery.

As a result of support from MathWorks, students will be granted access to MATLAB/Simulink for the duration of the course.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to combine the strengths of electric and conventional powertrains
Pros and cons of different types of hybrid powertrains
Sizing of theelectric machine, battery and combustion engine

How to control a hybrid powertrain
Simulate a hybrid powertrain and its controller
Analyze cost-effectiveness of different types of hybrid powertrains

How to combine the strengths of electric and conventional powertrains
Pros and cons of different types of hybrid powertrains
Sizing of theelectric machine, battery and combustion engine
How to control a hybrid powertrain
Simulate a hybrid powertrain and its controller
Analyze cost-effectiveness of different types of hybrid powertrains

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Introduces students to the growing market of hybrid vehicles that leverage electric motors' benefits without their drawbacks

Provides foundational knowledge for students who work or want to work in the automotive industry

The course is part of a series of courses on hybrid powertrains

Students will acquire valuable modeling and simulation skills for hybrid powertrain analysis

The program is created by renowned academic instructors with expertise in automotive engineering

Students will gain an understanding of how to optimize hybrid powertrains for performance and cost-effectiveness

Reviews summary

Understanding hybrid vehicle powertrains

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation in understanding hybrid vehicle powertrains, covering the differences between types like series, parallel, and plug-in hybrids. Students particularly value the sections on powertrain sizing and energy management systems. The use of MATLAB/Simulink for simulation is highlighted as a very practical and useful component, although some found this aspect challenging without prior software experience. The course is generally considered highly relevant for engineers and professionals in the automotive sector aiming to deepen their technical knowledge in this specific area.

Requires prior technical background.

"This course is quite technical and assumes a certain level of engineering background."

"Some sections were challenging, especially the simulation part without prior MATLAB experience."

"Requires dedicated effort and potentially supplementary resources if you're not already an engineer."

Hands-on practice with industry tools.

"The MATLAB/Simulink assignments were excellent for applying the theoretical concepts."

"Working with Simulink models was a great way to solidify learning."

"I appreciated the opportunity to use industry-standard simulation tools like MATLAB/Simulink."

Directly applicable to automotive careers.

"Highly relevant information for anyone working in the automotive industry, particularly on electrification."

"The topics covered are directly applicable to my job as an automotive engineer."

"Provided valuable insights that are current and useful for career development in e-mobility."

Covers key hybrid concepts thoroughly.

"Provides a solid overview of hybrid powertrain types and concepts."

"Gave me a much better understanding of the different hybrid architectures and how they work."

"The content covers the fundamental technical aspects required for this field."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Hybrid Vehicles with these activities:

Compile Resources on Hybrid Powertrains

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Organize and expand your knowledge by compiling a collection of resources related to hybrid powertrains.

Browse courses on Resources

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Search for articles, studies, and websites on hybrid powertrains
Create a document or spreadsheet to organize your findings

Review Hybrid Powertrains: Theory and Design

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Review a definitive source on hybrid powertrains to solidify your understanding of the core concepts.

View Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell... on Amazon

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Read the preface
Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 to understand the basics
Read the sections of further chapters that are relevant to this course

Solve Hybrid Powertrain Design Problems

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Sharpen your problem-solving skills by working through practice problems related to hybrid powertrain design.

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Find practice problems online or in textbooks
Attempt to solve the problems independently
Check your solutions against the provided answers

Two other activities

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Build a Model Hybrid Powertrain

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Practice designing and modeling a hybrid powertrain to apply your knowledge practically.

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Choose a suitable software tool for modeling
Design the powertrain layout
Develop mathematical models for each component
Integrate the models into a system-level model
Simulate the model under various operating conditions

Develop a Cost-Benefit Analysis for a Hybrid Powertrain

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Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of implementing a hybrid powertrain.

Browse courses on Cost-Benefit Analysis

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Identify the relevant costs and benefits
Quantify the costs and benefits
Perform a comparative analysis
Draw conclusions and make recommendations

Career center

Learners who complete Hybrid Vehicles will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Automotive Engineer

As an Automotive Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and testing new vehicles or making improvements to existing ones. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different types of hybrid powertrains. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design vehicles that are more efficient and environmentally friendly.

See salaries and explore the career path for Automotive Engineer

Powertrain Engineer

As a Powertrain Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and testing the powertrain systems of vehicles. This includes the engine, transmission, and drivetrain. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they can be used to improve vehicle performance and efficiency.

See salaries and explore the career path for Powertrain Engineer

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer

As a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and testing the suspension, steering, and braking systems of vehicles. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand how the different types of hybrid powertrains affect vehicle dynamics. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design vehicles that are safe and handle well.

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Control Systems Engineer

As a Control Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and testing the control systems of vehicles. This includes the engine control system, the transmission control system, and the braking system. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand how the different types of hybrid powertrains are controlled. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design control systems that are safe and efficient.

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Automotive Technician

As an Automotive Technician, you will be responsible for diagnosing and repairing vehicles. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to diagnose and repair hybrid vehicles.

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Mechanical Engineer

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and testing the mechanical systems of vehicles. This may include the engine, transmission, drivetrain, and suspension. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design mechanical systems that are efficient and reliable.

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Electrical Engineer

As an Electrical Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and testing the electrical systems of vehicles. This may include the lighting system, the ignition system, and the charging system. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design electrical systems that are safe and efficient.

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Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer, you will be responsible for designing and testing the software that controls the different systems of vehicles. This may include the engine control system, the transmission control system, and the braking system. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they are controlled. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to design software that is safe and efficient.

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Data Analyst

As a Data Analyst, you will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. This data can be used to improve the performance and efficiency of vehicles. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to collect and analyze data that can be used to improve the performance of hybrid vehicles.

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Sales Engineer

As a Sales Engineer, you will be responsible for selling vehicles and related products and services. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to sell hybrid vehicles to customers.

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Marketing Manager

As a Marketing Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing campaigns for vehicles and related products and services. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to develop marketing campaigns that are effective in selling hybrid vehicles to customers.

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Product Manager

As a Product Manager, you will be responsible for managing the development and launch of new vehicles and related products and services. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to manage the development of new hybrid vehicles that meet the needs of customers.

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Business Analyst

As a Business Analyst, you will be responsible for analyzing the business needs of organizations and developing solutions to meet those needs. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to develop solutions that can help organizations improve their performance and efficiency.

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Consultant

As a Consultant, you will be responsible for providing advice and guidance to organizations on a variety of topics. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to provide advice and guidance to organizations that are considering adopting hybrid vehicles.

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Teacher

As a Teacher, you will be responsible for teaching students about a variety of topics. You will study the course Hybrid Vehicles to understand the different types of hybrid powertrains and how they work. This knowledge will be essential in helping you to teach students about the benefits of hybrid vehicles and how they can help to reduce emissions.

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