Design and Development of the 2002 Cornell University Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The 2001-2002 Cornell University Hybrid Electric Vehicle (CUHEV) team converted a 2002 Ford Explorer into a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). As one of 15 universities participating in the FutureTruck Challenge, the team's goals is to significantly improve fuel economy and decrease emissions, while maintaining or exceeding the stock Sports Utility Vehicle's (SUV) performance. CUHEV's Corona uses a four wheel drive (4WD) post-transmission parallel hybrid configuration that incorporates a turbo-charged Mazda BP-5 engine running on E85 fuel with an AC-Propulsion 150kW AC induction motor powered by a 336V sealed lead acid (PbA) battery pack. This strategy results in a 26% improvement (10.2 km/l) in fuel economy, a 50% decrease in green house gases (GHG), and a California Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) rating.