The paper presents the results of a two year study regarding the use of an innovative drive-train, having a parallel-hybrid structure, in a small scooter, in which a conventional internal combustion engine is coupled with an electric motor for the vehicle propulsion.The developed architecture enhances the maximum vehicle power, by exploiting the braking energy (by recovering it into the provided electrochemical accumulator), and operating the vehicle in zero emission mode for limited ranges. Moreover, it allows for recharging the inner battery from the electric mains, which is extremely appealing in terms of operating costs.According to the simulation results, the hybridization is able to enhance the maximum power of the scooter by 1.1 kW (around 50%), without changing the fuel consumption, and to allow a pureelectric operation with a range of 15-20 km; when the propulsion power comes only from the onboard batteries, and they are recharged from the electric mains, the operation cost per km is around a quarter the cost of corresponding fuel consumption of a vehicle without hybridization. Index Terms-Hybridization, internal combustion engine (ICE). NOMENCLATURE CVT Continuously variable transmission: a mechanicaltransmission the speed ratio of which is continuously and automatically varied so that the vehicle can be operated without the need of a gear box.DAC dc-to-ac-converter: an electronic, bidirectional converter able to convert the dc electric energy from the battery into the ac energy needed by the EMC.EMC Electromechanical converter: an electric machine operated either as a motor or as a generator. PMS Propulsion management system: a controller that receives the driver commands, interprets them and translates them into commands for the two vehicle propulsion torque sources (ICE and EMC) HOD Hybrid operation drive: it is the mode of operation of the proposed vehicle in which ICE and EMC work together to generate the propulsion power. ICE Internal combustion engine. Manuscript received March 17, 2005; revised October 26, 2005. Recommended by Associate Editor J. Shen. M. Ceraolo is with the Dipartimento

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