Enabling the Future – By Guus Arts, DAF Trucks

By combining both the advantages of an electric vehicle, the driving range, and speed of an internal combustion powered car, the hybrid electric drivetrain came into existence already in 1898. In 1904 Henry Ford began assembly-line production of low-priced, lightweight, gasoline-powered vehicles, available in any colour as long as it was black. With his invention Ford made cars accessible for ordinary people and, from that time, the hybrid electric vehicle slowly disappeared from the streets. Today, the time has come to again make a change in powering vehicles: hybrid electric powertrains have renewed potential to be the popular choice. Based on this short lesson in history and the success of Ford’s vision of car manufacturing, hybrid powertrain technology should, therefore, be made affordable and accessible for anyone. Hopefully the ECOCHAMPS project will contribute to achieving this!