Design of a Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle in a Range Extending Configuration by Colorado State University for the EcoCAR2 Competition

EcoCAR2 is a three year project in which a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will be redesigned to reduce emissions and be more energy efficient without sacrificing performance, safety, or consumer appeal. The competition includes 15 universities across North America and is headline sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy. Extensive modeling work guided the Colorado State University (CSU) Vehicle Innovation Team (VIT) to choose an all-electric vehicle architecture with a range extending hydrogen fuel cell. The team has followed the EcoCAR2 vehicle design process (VDP) in the development of the powertrain, energy storage, controls, and auxiliary systems. Details on the design process and results for these subsystems and a discussion of the integration challenges are presented.