Contributions on optimizing the performance of a sport utility vehicle through hybridization of propulsion - gaster electricway 4wd project

The paper presents some of the results of the GASTER Electricway 4WD concept, developed within the Automotive Engineering Research Centre of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest - Pitesti branch. The aim of the project was to build a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), by implementing a hybrid propulsion system with an electrified rear axle on the Dacia Duster model. The car has a hybrid parallel system with two shafts, organized in E4WD (Electricway 4WD) motorized solution. The thermal power train, placed in the front of the vehicle, consists in an 1.6-liter engine fueled with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). The electric powertrain, located at the rear side of the vehicle, includes an electric motor coupled with a mechanical transmission, powered by a traction battery Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) type.