Shawn Scott Hawkins

Propulsion System Design of a Battery Electric Vehicle

Governments all around the world are mandating a greater level of vehicle electrification due to environmental and energy concerns. There are different levels of electrification in vehicles starting from mild hybrid to full battery electric vehicle (EV). These increasing levels of electrification result in rising levels of gasoline displacement with electricity and a subsequent improvement of fuel economy and reduction in emissions. Hybrids and their variants are being introduced. However, a full electrification of the vehicle is widely believed to be the future in addressing the above issues. General Motors (GM) has its own strategy for powertrain electrification, which includes a wide range of propulsion architectures from light hybrid systems, such as the eAssist, to fully electric systems, such as the Chevrolet Spark EV. The Spark EV has been introduced as a key part of GM?s overall strategy for powertrain electrification.