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The rapid pace of recent progress in vehicle electrification technologies points to a bright future for electric-drive vehicles, but uncertainty regarding future technical trajectories and uncertainty in consumer response make possible a multitude of electric-drive vehicle futures. This presentation will examine a range of these possible electric-drive futures as a function of different technology and pricing scenarios. An exploration of initial conditions, market uptake, and resulting social benefits will show how HEV and PEV technology enable the attainment of stringent vehicle efficiency goals and unlock potential for lower-carbon futures. Presenter Jacob Ward, Department Of Energy

Two of the goals of the Penn State FutureTruck project were to reduce the emissions of the hybrid electric Ford Explorer to ULEV or lower, and improve the fuel economy by 25% over the stock vehicle. The hybrid electric vehicle system is powered with a 103kW 2.5L Detroit Diesel engine which operates with a fuel blend consisting of ultra-low-sulfur diesel and biodiesel (35%). Lower emissions are inherently achieved by the use of biodiesel. Additionally, the engine was fitted with a series of aftertreatment devices in an effort to achieve the low emissions standards. Vehicle testing has shown a gasoline-equivalent fuel economy improvement of approximately 22%, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 38%, and meeting or exceeding stock emissions numbers in all other categories through the use of an advanced catalyst and control strategy.