"Researchers improve efficiency of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by almost 12%"

"Researchers have shown in their lab tests that blended discharge strategies wherein power from the battery is used throughout the trip, have proven to be more efficient at minimizing fuel consumption and emissions, but until now they haven’t been a realistic option for real-world applications. Xuewei Qi, a graduate student in the Bourns College of Engineering’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) who led the research, said that blended discharge strategies have the ability to be extremely energy efficient; however, one of the biggest hurdles in implementing this strategy is that prior knowledge of the nature of the trip, road conditions and traffic information are needed and this is something that is impossible to obtain and provide. Qi is working with CE-CERT Director Matthew Barth, a professor of electrical and computer engineering."

from dispatchterminal.com

article here.