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Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) promises automated and highly efficient charging of electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. As commercial development proceeds forward, the technical challenges of efficiency, interoperability, interference and safety are a primary focus for this industry. The SAE Vehicle Wireless Power and Alignment Taskforce published the Recommended Practice J2954 to help harmonize the first phase of high-power WPT technology development. SAE J2954 uses a performance-based approach to standardizing WPT by specifying ground and vehicle assembly coils to be used in a test stand (per Z-class) to validate performance, interoperability and safety. The main goal of this SAE J2954 bench testing campaign was to prove interoperability between WPT systems utilizing different coil magnetic topologies. This type of testing had not been done before on such a scale with real automaker and supplier systems.

In order to demonstrate the performance of a retrofitted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system while also addressing the issues associated with greater use of biodiesel, a 2005 International 9200i tractor owned by the City of Santa Monica was retrofitted with a titania-vanadia-tungsten catalyst and a urea dosing system supplied by Extengine Systems, Inc. This tractor was operated under normal service conditions within the City of Santa Monica refuse collection and transportation fleet. An on-board emissions measurement system supplied by Engine, Fuel, and Emissions Engineering, Inc. was installed on the vehicle; it measured the emissions and fuel use of the vehicle while it operated on ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD), 20% biodiesel (B20), and 99% biodiesel (B99) on consecutive days.

The Modular Automotive Technology Testbed (MATT) is a flexible platform built to test different technology components in a vehicle environment. This testbed is composed of physical component modules, such as the engine and the transmission, and emulated components, such as the energy storage system and the traction motor. The instrumentation on the tool enables the energy balance for individual components on drive cycles. Using MATT, a single set of hardware can operate as a conventional vehicle, a hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle, enabling direct comparison of petroleum displacement for the different modes. The engine provides measured fuel economy and emissions. The losses of components which vary with temperature are also measured.

Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), working with the FreedomCAR and Fuels Partnership, lead activities in vehicle dynamometer and fleet testing as well as in modeling activities. By using Argonne’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility (APRF), the General Motors (GM) Tahoe 2-mode was instrumented and tested in the 4-wheel-drive test facility. Measurements included both sensors and controller area network (CAN) messages. In this paper, we describe the vehicle instrumentation as well as the test results. On the basis of the analysis performed, we discuss the vehicle model developed in Argonne’s vehicle simulation tool, the Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PSAT), and its comparison with test data. Finally, on-road vehicle data, performed by INL, is discussed and compared with the dynamometer results.

Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) is a liquid diesel fuel produced from natural gas, which may have certain attributes different from conventional ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD). In this investigation, GTL, ULSD, and their blends of 20% and 50% GTL in ULSD were tested in an older Mercedes C Class (MY1999, Euro 2) and a newer Opel Astra (MY2006, Euro 4) diesel vehicle to evaluate the performance in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. Each vehicle was pre-conditioned on-road with one tank full of test fuel before actual testing in a chassis dynamometer facility. Both vehicles were calibrated for European emission standards and operation, and they were not re-calibrated for the fuel tests at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). In the two-vehicle EPA FTP-75, US06, and Highway drive-cycle tests, the emissions of carbon dioxide on a per-mile basis (g/mi) from all GTL-containing fuels were significantly lower than those from the ULSD.

The UC Davis FutureCar Team has redesigned a 1996 Ford Taurus as a parallel hybrid electric vehicle with the goals of tripling the fuel economy, achieving California ultra low emissions levels (ULEV), and qualifying for partial zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) credits in California. These goals were approached using a highly efficient powertrain, reducing component weight, and improving stock aerodynamics. A charge depletion driving strategy was chosen to maximize energy economy and provide substantial all-electric operating capabilities. The UC Davis FutureCar couples a Honda 660 cc gasoline engine and a UNIQ Mobility 48 kW-peak brushless permanent magnet motor within a compact, lightweight, and reliable powertrain. The motor is powered by a 15.4 kWh Ovonic Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack. The body of the vehicle has been reshaped using carbon fiber composite panels to improve airflow characteristics and reduce weight.