Today, the need for greener technology has become vital as the resources are outnumbered. Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors, using the energy stored in batteries.
Growing sustainability concerns, robust expansion of automotive industry, fuel economy norms, and implementation of stringent regulations to curb the carbon emission are some of the primary factors pushing the adoption of hybrid electric vehicles.
Automakers are developing fuel-efficient system design to make electric vehicles more cost-effective and efficient. Availability of mild- and full-hybrid electric vehicles in China, Japan, and India, more so than European countries, is also creating growth avenues for automotive giants.
Subsequently, the demand for greener military practices is increasing the demand for hybrid electric vehicles. Preference for greener technologies in military and defense sector has made electric vehicles a potentially valuable asset.
To capitalize on this growing trend for greener mobility and technologies, automakers are developing full- and mild-hybrid electric vehicles which will allow the engine to shut off when the vehicle stops, improving fuel economy.
As full hybrids have powerful electric motors and larger batteries, they provide better fuel economy benefits than other conventional vehicles. Also, sustainable nature of hybrid electric vehicles provides reduced thermal and acoustic signatures.
Along with this, availability of charging points across developing economies have made it easier to increase the adoption of these vehicles in various sectors. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than 10 million electric and hybrid electric vehicles were sold across the globe in 2020.
Likewise, as per the report of a market intelligence firm, Fact.MR, sales of hybrid electric vehicles surpassed the valuation of US$ 29 billion by the end of 2021.
Digital Twin Technology in Hybrid Electric Vehicles to Revolutionize Automotive Industry
Climatic changes caused by the excessive consumption of fossil fuel has compelled the governments across the globe to implement stringent regulations. Due to this, consumers are transitioning towards eco-friendly and green technologies such as electrification in transportation.
This change in automotive industry has resulted in increasing adoption of electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Growing sales of hybrid electric vehicles has also increased the performance and reduced the cost of other related components such as lithium-ion batteries and electric motors, benefitting the consumers.
Hence, in order to commercialize this new-age technology, automotive companies are using smart, state-of-the-art technologies such as internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize the performance of hybrid electric vehicles.
Digital twin technology will allow automakers to accumulate, visualize, and put the data into a real form or a context by using a digital version. This technology will create a visual representation of system replicating its real behavior in a virtual or digital environment.
Adoption of IoT and real-time-analytics to exchange the data between digital twin and hybrid electric vehicle will transform the face of automotive industry. Implementation of this technology in hybrid electric vehicles will improve the performance, durability, drivability, range, safety, aerodynamics, and thermal-energy management.
As these vehicles are equipped with 5G technology compatible with smartphones and other real-time condition monitoring technologies, these hybrid electric vehicles are massively being adopted in military and defense sector, especially across India, the U.S., China, and Europe.
Gasoline Powered and Power-Split Hybrid Electric Vehicles to Usher Transformation in Automotive Sector
Power-split hybrid electric vehicles have proven highly efficient, cost-effective, and technologically advanced amongst all hybrid vehicle architectures. Adoption of two electric motors to improve the efficiency and optimization of the vehicle is propelling the demand of these hybrid electric vehicles.
These power-split hybrid electric vehicles have larger battery packs than other hybrid electric vehicles. Hence, it makes it possible to drive to longer distances using just electricity and reducing the consumption of gasoline or fossil fuel.
However, gasoline hybrid vehicles are favored more over diesel or any other hybrid vehicles due to high fuel efficiency, improved performance, and abundant availability of gasoline, especially across the U.S, Middle East, and East Asia countries.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, gasoline accounted for over 56% in the U.S. for transportation over natural gas, biofuels, and jet fuel, which accounted for 4%, 5%, and 9% respectively.
As per the market study by Fact.MR, the sales of gasoline hybrid vehicles are projected to exceed US$ 100 million by the end of 2031. Hence, increasing tilt towards reducing the carbon footprints and integration of new age technology is prompting the deployment of greener technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles.