The battery size in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) directly influences its all-electric range (AER), which is the distance the PHEV can travel on electricity alone without using the internal combustion engine. Larger battery capacities provide greater electric driving ranges, allowing the vehicle to save more fuel by relying on electric power for longer distances.
Key points on how battery size affects PHEV driving range:
- Electric Range Correlation: Typical PHEVs with 19 to 22 kWh battery packs achieve about 32 to 38 miles of electric range. Increasing battery size increases the AER roughly proportionally, enabling longer distances driven solely on electric power.
- Fuel Savings and Efficiency: Larger batteries enable more fuel displacement because the vehicle uses electricity instead of liquid fuel for a longer portion of the trip. This improves overall fuel economy and reduces fuel consumption, especially for daily commutes within the electric range.
- Optimal Battery Size Trade-offs: Studies suggest an optimal battery size around 10 kWh providing about 50 km (roughly 31 miles) of electric range balances costs and benefits effectively for average driving needs. Batteries beyond this size increase range but come with higher costs and vehicle weight, which can slightly reduce efficiency for shorter trips.
- Impact on Life Cycle Emissions: PHEVs with battery sizes enabling about 25–50 miles (40–80 km) of electric travel reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions the most over their life cycle when combined with average to decarbonized grid electricity. Very large batteries decrease fuel use but at higher cost and weight.
- Other Factors: Range can also be influenced by battery state of charge and driving conditions, but the core determinant for electric driving distance remains the battery energy capacity.
In summary, larger PHEV battery packs increase driving range on electric power, improving fuel savings and emissions reduction, but there is an optimal range around 10 kWh (about 30–50 miles electric range) that balances cost, weight, and performance for typical drivers.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-battery-size-influence-the-driving-range-of-a-phev/
