A hybrid energy storage system for electric vehicle using supercapacitors and a battery is studied. Using energetic macroscopic representation formalism, an inversion-based control (IBC) can be deduced. A comparison between IBC and two other control schemes is performed within a practical aspect. Simulation and experimental tests with a reduced-scale test bed are provided using a real driving cycle of an electric car. The results point out a more effective behaviour for the IBC than the other control schemes in terms of dynamical response.