A continuing role for hybrids calls for high-power battery solutions

From an engineering perspective, hybrid vehicles are not an ideal solution. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are particularly troublesome, requiring two parallel drivetrain technologies when ideally just one should suffice. But even mild hybrids (MHEV), in which batteries help improve fuel economy but don’t have a direct drivetrain role, present automakers with challenges. Packaging and weight requirements are tight enough as is, so why does confidence in the market persist? And what’s driving automakers to pursue these sophisticated solutions?