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The objective proposed by EU to reduce by about 4%/year CO2 emission of internal combustion engines for the next years up to 2030, requires to increase the engine efficiency and accordingly improving the technology. In this framework, hybrid powertrains can have the possibility of a deep market penetration since they may recover energy during brake, allow the engine to operate in better efficiency conditions and with less transients, Moreover, they can recover a large amount of energy lost through the exhaust and use it to reduce fuel consumption. This paper concerns the modification of a conventional two in-line cylinders Diesel engine (440 cm3) adding a variable geometry turbine (VGT) coupled with a generator. The turbine is used to recover exhaust gas energy that otherwise would be lost. The generator, connected to the turbo shaft, converts mechanical energy into electrical energy and is used to charge the vehicle battery or the auxiliaries.

The experimental measurement of the energy consumption and efficiency of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are key topics to determine their usability and performance in real-world conditions. This paper aims to present the results of a test campaign carried out on a BEV, representative of the most common technology available today on the market. The vehicle is a 5-seat car, equipped with an 80 kW synchronous electric motor powered by a 24 kWh Li-Ion battery. The description and discussion of the experimental results is split into 2 parts: Part 1 focuses on laboratory tests, whereas Part 2 focuses on the on-road tests. As far as on-road tests are concerned, the vehicle has been tested over three different on-road routes, ranging from 60 to 90 km each, with a driving time ranging from approximately one and half to two and half hours.

The experimental measurement of the energy consumption and efficiency of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are key topics to determine their usability and performance in real-world conditions. This paper aims to present the results of a test campaign carried out on a BEV, representative of the most common technology available today on the market. The vehicle is a 5-seat car, equipped with an 80 kW synchronous electric motor powered by a 24 kWh Li-Ion battery. The description and discussion of the experimental results is split into 2 parts: Part 1 focuses on laboratory tests, whereas Part 2 focuses on the on-road tests. As far as the laboratory tests are concerned, the vehicle has been tested over three different driving cycles (i.e. NEDC, WLTC and WMTC) at two different ambient temperatures (namely +25 °C and −7 °C), with and without the use of the cabin heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

This paper reports the results of experimental tests performed at ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Environment and Sustainable Development) in its “Casaccia” Energy Research Center to evaluate the energetic and environmental performances of a Heavy-Duty Compressed Natural Gas (HD CNG) engine fuelled with a hydrogen-methane blend of 15% in volume. A lean burn Mercedes 906 LAG engine has been optimized properly calibrating ECU engine maps regarding both ignition advance and air to fuel ratio (AFR). It was therefore possible to correct ignition advance to take into account the faster combustion speed given by the hydrogen content of the fuel mixture. Equivalence ratio (Lambda) has instead been modified in order to minimize the NOx emissions. All the tests were performed on a steady engine test-bed focusing the attention on the most important parts of the engine maps.

The Municipality of Rome stimulated the introduction in town area of innovative and demonstrative large fleet of scooter for personal transports, referred to the electric technology. This experience was motivated by the need of a real evaluation and characterization of an innovative technology that yields promises of reduction of pollutant emission and of energy saving, in view of a possible massive introduction in the congested and polluted urban areas. This paper reports the results of this real experience in terms of the fundamental performances of these scooters (energy consumptions, reliability) and demonstrates also how the experimental results can constitute a feedback to the design phase to improve the vehicle performances. This experience also demonstrates that the electric scooter is a useful and practicable idea that confirms many of its presuppositions and takes on an important role in the innovative zero emission vehicle technology.