Grant: Automotive Partnership Canada Project

The proposed project was conceived in response to ever-increasing pressures felt by Toyota, and other automobile manufacturers, to design cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles with improved drivability, comfort and safety performance. Specifically, this research will allow Toyota to leverage modeling, RF/microwave design, powertrain development and control systems design expertise at the University of Waterloo (uWaterloo) to build novel ""intelligent"" control systems that will enhance the energy efficiency and performance of the plug-in Prius and, in particular, the fully electric SUV RAV4 built in Woodstock, Ontario. Research results will be transferable to other hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) models manufactured in Canada, for instance the upcoming Lexus RX hybrid set for production in Cambridge, Ontario, in 2014. This project will target fundamental design and development stages, as well as experimental validation of the proposed control technologies based on extensive lab-scale and industry-grade hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations, full vehicle testing in uWaterloo's state-of-the-art lab facilities, and also, road tests in uWaterloo test track and Toyota test tracks in Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario. By aligning these validation steps with Toyota's model-based control development process, exploitation of the research results will be nearly immediate. Strong and continuous support from Toyota throughout the project will further expedite technology transfer; Toyota personnel will participate directly in planned research activities, providing critical technical support in full vehicle instrumentation and road testing and in, some cases, co-leading research tasks. Ultimately, new control technologies developed through this highly integrated project will have a profound impact on the performance and subsequent marketability of Toyota's plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fully electric vehicle (EV) platforms. We anticipate significant improvements in safety, comfort, drivability, emissions reduction and battery life, as well as enhanced fuel/energy efficiency in the range of 10% (in practice). In addition to these intelligent control systems, nearterm deliverables will be achieved prior to completion of the proposed project, namely: i) High-fidelity models of PHEV/ EV systems and components produced by Toyota, and ii) Low-cost radar sensor core technologies.