A comparison of electric vehicles use-case scenarios: Application of a simulation framework to vehicle design optimization and energy consumption assessment

Electric vehicles (EVs) can contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in comparison with equivalent Internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) due to their high overall efficiency and to regenerative braking capabilities. Considering that EVs technology cannot still be defined as mature, different technologies currently coexist on the market such as extended range, hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, each one presenting advantages and disadvantages. The energy storage system, which is a critical component, can be designed in different size and characteristics depending on the configuration of the whole vehicle. The activity here presented aims at proposing a framework for the comparison of various EVs using realistic use scenarios as input. Real world driving cycles developed within the EU FP7 Project ASTERICS are used as source for scenario definition through pseudo random Montecarlo generation. Similarly, any other relevant data for vehicle performance are considered: environmental temperature, trip chaining, charging opportunities; all of them are then used as input for a vehicle simulation model. The method is implemented using energy consumption and related CO2 emissions as typical output, but in case that proper models are available to describe the ageing characteristics of vehicle components, durability analyses can also be performed. A few applications for the proposed approach are presented, using a model of electric vehicle based on a market product as case study. From the baseline model, new alternatives are modeled, differing in terms of powertrain sizing. The activity describes the use phase of the vehicles, simulating a large number of events representing several years of life. Finally, CO2 emissions are used as output for comparative analyses.