Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2nd Edition

18 Commercialization and Standardization of HEV Technology and Future Transportation

18.1 What Is Commercialization and Why Is It Important for HEVs?

By commercialization we normally mean that a product is produced in volume quantities and whose technology has been developed to a reasonable degree of maturity such that systematic large‐scale production is viable and sustainable. One important reason behind commercialization is that it allows mass production, hence the price can come down, and more people can afford the product. Without commercialization, a technology may be good yet remain unused. In connection with HEVs, the situation is no different. It involves various technologies and with the commercialization of HEVs all these technologies will benefit.

18.2 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Enablers of Commercialization

There are several benefits of commercialization. As noted above, it allows mass production of the product where the whole manufacturing process can be streamlined. This leads to a fall in price, and more people can then afford the product. As more people use it, its price can fall further – but only, of course, up to a certain point. In HEVs, various technologies are involved, such as electric motor technology, power electronics, control system technology, microcomputer technology, high power cables, and electromagnetic interference (EMI), to name but a few, which have to be addressed. Hence to commercialize HEVs, for mass production it is necessary ...