Drive Mode Optimization and Path Planning for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Drive modes are driver-selectable pre-set configurations of powertrain and certain vehicle parameters. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles typically feature the special options of drive modes that can affect the hybrid energy source management system; for example, electric vehicle mode (which draws fully on battery) and charge sustaining mode (which utilizes internal combustion engine to charge the battery while propelling the vehicle). This paper studies an optimization problem to enable the driver to select the appropriate drive modes for fuel minimization. We develop the optimization algorithms that optimize the decisions of drive modes based on trip information and, integrated with path planning to find an optimal path, considering intermediate filling and charging stations. We further provide an online algorithm that is based on the revealed trip information. We evaluate our algorithms empirically on a Chevrolet Volt, which shows significant fuel savings.