Power in a Box: Innovative Technology May Make it Easier to Get That Hybrid By Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The most popular selling brand of hybrid electric vehicle saw a drop in sales last May. But it wasn't due to lack of demand. The manufacturer simply didn't have any more cars to sell.

For automakers accustomed to a one-hundred-day supply of any given vehicle, this is a problem - particularly when sales of other products are falling. One manufacturer endured a thirteen percent decrease in truck sales from February to May, and another is actually closing four truck plants while adding shifts to others that make smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

It's no wonder hybrids are such an appealing alternative to so many these days. In ten years, the price of crude oil has risen as high as ninety dollars per barrel. HEVs, in the meantime, can get fifty, sometimes even sixty miles to the gallon in the city where gas mileage is usually the worst - a huge advantage.

Part of the shortage problem is a lack of batteries. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) require batteries to operate, but availability of certain cells, particularly lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is low. The Li-ion is a more efficient battery with a higher power density than its nickel metal hydride (NiMH) counterpart and is therefore being integrated into newer HEV models. But with a lack of supply comes a shortage of cars. The public is clamoring for vehicles promising to ease their gas burden, but there have been supply and demand challenges. Many automakers are concerned about the capability of hybrid components suppliers to keep up. One manufacturer has faced delays in the launch of its new hybrid Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), due to a labor dispute at one of its key Li-ion battery suppliers. Another manufacturer launching a new hybrid sedan in spring 2009 has already indicated concerns about how quickly suppliers can provide parts.

A solution can't be far behind considering the market's demand. March 2008 saw a twelve percent drop in overall automotive sales while hybrid sales increased by close to the same margin - ten percent. (This figure doesn't include one major automaker, which doesn't separate hybrid car sales from their overall statistics.)

More creative solutions may lie in technological innovations, such as power box hybrid vehicle systems. The best manufacturers produce self-contained hybrid drive system power boxes, including a traction inverter, DC/DC converter, battery pack, bus distribution center, battery management controller, safety circuit and thermal management subsystems. A drop-in solution for belt alternator starter (BAS), integrated starter generator (ISG) or full hybrid vehicle applications, the system operates over a wide range of voltages and power levels.

Power Box systems are complete systems within a single housing (easing installation), a simple package design that can fit behind the rear seat. Using building block technology, flexibility is increased while cost and complexity are reduced. Power box systems are likely to be applicable across multiple platforms and powertrain configurations, as well as compatible with any Li-ion or NiMH battery cell manufactured globally. Such technology may make it easier to produce more hybrid vehicles at an affordable rate.

So if you're one of the many interested in the purchase of a new hybrid, don't fret. New innovations for getting you into that car are already here, and every day new ones arrive.

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