Forward looking operating strategy for a subcompact class hybrid vehicle

Hybrid drives have made it possible to improve the energy efficiency of vehicles. However, the actual reduction in fuel consumption varies considerably with the driving profile, the individual road behavior (driver) as well as the operating strategy of the drive-train. The Institute for Automotive Engineering at the RWTH Aachen University (ika) in collaboration with two German automobile manufacturers and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has undertaken a project to develop a forward looking operating strategy for vehicles. As part of the project, a sub compact class vehicle was converted to a full-hybrid and equipped with a forecast system based on a next generation digital street map containing static data like speed profile, road gradients and curve radii. Dynamic information pertaining to actual traffic scenarios is provided by distance sensors.