With its hybrid cars enjoying a surge in popularity, the Ford Motor Company is anxious to accelerate their development and has turned to the University of Michigan to help it fulfil its goals.
Researchers are analysing data from 2,500 road trips to determine how internal electronic vehicle controls can be altered to further improve the attributes of the cars and in particular, their fuel efficiency.
Ford has tested close to one million design simulations of hybrid vehicle control systems to date, and continues to test at a rate of around 50,000 a week. Together with the University of Michigan, Ford hopes to find solutions for both fuel economy and drivability.
According to Jessy Grizzle, the professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan, the new hybrid controller design method offers consumers more choice in how efficient and drivable their vehicles are. It is hoped that the hybrids of the future will offer motorists the chance to customise their driving experience.
For now, the research remains in its infancy, but the partners are hopeful with initial results proving promising. At the moment Ford has four hybrid vehicles on sale and has enjoyed a 73 per cent increase in hybrid sales this year (see article).
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