Grant: Automotive Partnership Canada Project

The proposed project was conceived in response to ever-increasing pressures felt by Toyota, and other automobilemanufacturers, to design cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles with improved drivability, comfort and safetyperformance. Specifically, this research will allow Toyota to leverage modeling, RF/microwave design, powertraindevelopment 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 fullyelectric 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 proposedcontrol technologies based on extensive lab-scale and industry-grade hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations, full vehicletesting in uWaterloo's state-of-the-art lab facilities, and also, road tests in uWaterloo test track and Toyota test tracks inWoodstock and Cambridge, Ontario. By aligning these validation steps with Toyota's model-based control developmentprocess, exploitation of the research results will be nearly immediate. Strong and continuous support from Toyotathroughout the project will further expedite technology transfer; Toyota personnel will participate directly in plannedresearch 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 theperformance 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 asenhanced fuel/energy efficiency in the range of 10% (in practice). In addition to these intelligent control systems, neartermdeliverables 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.