Fleets using or considering hybrid vehicles have been advised new technology developed in the UK has the potential to provide significant fuel savings from a minimal investment.

Current hybrid technology has not been widely adopted by fleets, who remain unconvinced about the true environmental and cost benefits of running hybrid vehicles.

Fleet managers also remain unsure about the residual performance of hybrid vehicles.

However, the new Sentience research vehicle, which has just been unveiled by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory), is claimed to provide significant additional fuel consumption improvements from a standard hybrid vehicle.

The vehicle is the result of a 15-month research collaboration project between Ricardo, Jaguar-Land Rover, TRL, Ordnance Survey and Orange Business Services, with part-funding provided by innovITS, the UK centre of excellence for intelligent transport systems and sustainable mobility.

Sentience uses internet-enabled mobile communications, GPS, advanced mapping and other real-time navigational technologies to reduce exhaust emissions and therefore save fleets money.

It works by connecting existing on-board vehicle systems with mobile communications and advanced mapping technologies to control enhanced acceleration/deceleration (EAD) systems which control the vehicle’s speed according to actual and virtual speed limits.

EAD uses an advanced form of adaptive cruise control linked to the hybrid powertrain system.

Based on route information, which could be integrated with a commercial navigation system, the Sentience can calculate and follow an optimal driving strategy.

It will control the vehicle speed, and acceleration and deceleration.

Using GPS and mapping data it takes into account the speed limits, traffic conditions, the road’s gradient and features including bends and even speed bumps, as well as less predictable road features including roundabouts and traffic lights.

The system can be manually over-ridden.

In addition, an engine load control manages the hybrid powertrain systems using advanced route knowledge to make best use of recharging opportunities.

Finally, an enhanced air-conditioning control manages the temperature more efficiently following temporary stops.

Test track fuel savings were found to up to 24% and at least 5% in evening based on-road tests.

Perhaps the most attractive result of the research is the that technology has a potentially very low cost of implementation. In a vehicle already equipped with a phone and GPS (e.g. for a navigation system) no additional hardware would be needed.

Extra software would be needed but could be integrated into almost any existing vehicle architecture.

The project team estimate that a Sentience-based system could be in production in three to four years.