Hybrid electric vehicles are today being touted as the answer to the depleting petroleum reserves, growing concerns for environmental protection and in meeting stricter emission norms [4]. The fact that these vehicles offer a marked improvement in the fuel economy of the vehicle and that their usage does not call for any infrastructural change as in the case of pure electric vehicles, is bound to make these vehicles play a significant role.
This paper describes an alternate charging system for a series hybrid two wheeler, using the traditional 12V starter motor [7]. The paper presents MATLAB simulation results to compare the variation in vehicle battery voltage in case a single battery is used with a 12V starter system as compared to a combination of a lead acid and Li-ion batteries.
The second part of the paper describes a controlled power distribution system to optimize the power distribution during the charging cycle for the same vehicle [6]. MATLAB simulations are used to show that this system helps reduce the load on the alternator thereby increasing fuel efficiency and also prevents deep discharge of the vehicle battery in conditions when a large load is applied to an already discharged battery.