Cost/Performance Analysis of Battery Pack placed in Spare Tire Area for Extending the Range of Hybrid, and Electric Vehicles

Abstract

Recently, electric vehicles have been an alternative form of transportation promising a bright future as sales figures are increasing rapidly beyond expectations. In the near fu-ture, electric vehicles are expected to dominate the market with numerous advantages over vehicles with internal combustion engines. The hybrid electric vehicles are often con-sidered a transition between the two due to added advantages of both models. Out of hy-brid models, plugin hybrid vehicles have more resemblance to the fully electric vehicles because of longer electric range and lower cost per mile. This paper investigates the use of the spare tire location to convert an existing battery pack or to install a new battery pack for a hybrid vehicle. Cost and range calculations are performed based on two most com-monly sold vehicles that use 16”, 17” and 18” size tires. Resulting battery packs are demonstrated through various battery dimensions and chemistries. Results are provided with cost and environmental benefits of utilizing an electric power for driving.