Suggested Citation:
Beachley, Norman and Andrew A. Frank (1978) Improving Vehicle Fuel Economy with Hybrid Power Systems. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Journal Article UCD-ITS-RP-78-01

Suggested Citation: Beachley, N. and Frank, A., "Improving Vehicle Fuel Economy with Hybrid Power Systems," SAE Technical Paper 780667, 1978, doi:10.4271/780667.

Hybrid vehicles, i.e., those containing two or more sources of power, have the potential of increased fuel economy under certain types of driving conditions. Systems currently being investigated include combinations of heat engines, electric drives, fly-wheels, and accumulators. In order to obtain fuel economy improvements over conventional vehicles, efficient components are required as well as a good system design. Hybrid powerplants appear more promising for heavier vehicles.