A summary of EHV propulsion technology

The quest for a commercially successful electric vehicle invariably centers around three major factors which influence buyer decisions: performance, range, and cost. Using today's technology, two items within an electric vehicle have the greatest influence on these factors. The battery is the primary determinant of range and to a lesser extent of performance. The design of the propulsion system sets the performance level of the vehicle and has a smaller effect on range. While the battery has the greatest impact on the life cycle cost of a vehicle, the propulsion system is a much larger contributor to the purchase price. Propulsion subsystem weight, efficiency, and cost are related to the specified combination of components used. Under the United States Department of Energy's Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program, propulsion component and system advancements have been made which will result in weight savings of 35-50 percent, efficiency gains of 25 percentage points, and significantly lower cost when compared to the state of the art at the inception of the program.