| dc.description.abstract | “Our house is burning down and we’re blind to it. Nature, mutilated and overexploited, can
no longer regenerate and we refuse to admit it. Humanity is suffering. It is suffering from
poor development, in both the North and the South, and we stand indifferent. The earth and
humankind are in danger and we are all responsible.”
(Chirac, 2002)
Over the last decade, ‘Sustainable Development’ became the priority of
international regulatory bodies. In order to protect the environment, significant
cuts in terms of toxic emissions have to be made. Moreover, as the world’s
feedstock of fossil resources gradually diminishes, prompt actions must be
taken in order to develop the use of renewable sources of energy.
The automotive industry, a major contributor to Green House effect, is well
aware of the necessity to develop a new technology that would enable an
environmental-friendly transportation sector. Several pathways are currently
being explored, however, the technology that will be used to propel tomorrow’s
car has not yet been selected.
Indeed, there is no consensus among the stakeholders of the industry as to
which technology will prove to be the dominant design for the future. As a
result, the industry is currently in a period of upheaval in which all emerging
technologies are competing for power, support, and momentum. Among all the
potential alternatives a technology which increasingly has gained importance is
the Hybrid technology.
This thesis will attempt to clarify to what extent the emerging alternatives
comply with the environmental requirements. As such, the true potential of
Hybrid Electric Vehicles to become a sustainable alternative will be presented.
A direct comparison with rival technologies enabled to demonstrate that Hybrid
technology offers the possibility to eliminate toxic emissions as well as the use
of fossil resources, while providing a high level of functionality at low cost. | swe |
