With increasing global pressure for energy conservation and emissions reduction, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have gained significant importance in China’s decarbonization goals for its better fuel economy. However, the vast number of configuration combinations and types makes selecting the optimal configuration a significant challenge. Past studies with simulation comparison of a small number of specific HEV configurations lack universality and comprehensiveness. In order to find the best-performing HEV configuration in China’s market in terms of fuel economy, this paper collect design and performance data from 902 HEV models sold in China’s market over the past 18 years and categorizes them into 13 configuration types. The fuel economy of the different HEV configuration is analyzed by applying these extensive empirical data to explore the best-performing one. The unavailable fuel consumption data are supplemented by using machine learning and coefficient conversion methods for reference, enabling the comparison of fuel consumption under different test conditions. The strengths and limitations of the configurations are reflected in the fuel consumption rankings in case comparisons and the overall analysis of fuel consumption statistical rankings or the rankings of the lowest fuel consumption. The results show that the Series, Power Split and Series-Parallel P1 + P2/P3 configuration perform better in fuel economy, with average WLTC fuel consumption per unit quality of 2.744, 3.235, 2.719, and 3.237 L/(100 km·t), respectively. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of HEV configurations in China’s market and offers actionable insights for policymakers and automakers.
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