The dynamics the assembly including light trailer : vehicle with combustion engine or hybrid driving

The rising greenhouse gas emissions at a global level have caused the increasing interest in cleaner and less oildependent transportation sources. It has been carried out a lot of researches on the alternative energy sources, like biofuels, fuel cells, wind farms, etc. and on the clean vehicles (hybrids). Most major manufacturers have successfully introduced hybrid automobiles utilizing electric motors and an internal combustion engine to improve their gas mileage. To decrease the use of gasoline even further, some hybrids are being retrofitted to allow them to be pluggedinto a standard i.e. 120-volt socket to charge the batteries and potentially to provide power back to the electric grid when needed. Plug-in Hybrid Cars offer the fuel-efficiency benefits of hybrid cars with the added feature of being able to plug-in to household electricity during rest. This allows the increased mileage and fuel savings. Plug-ins requires larger batteries than normal hybrids, which drives up their cost. Lithium-ion batteries are smaller, have a higher output of energy but are more expensive than rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMh), still used in hybrid vehicles. Improvement in battery storage capacity is of the most importance for the plug-ins. Plug-in technology is developed by the major auto manufacturers, with working prototypes of both plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and plug-in electric vehicles possessing small backup gas generators. The aim of the paper has been to assess the dynamic performance characteristics of the assembly light trailer - car with classic combustion engine (in the first case) or PHEV (in the second case), using mathematical models and numerical simulations of standard driving cycles and to investigate algorithms for charging the stock battery pack.