Forecasts of Electric Vehicle Energy Consumption Based on Characteristic Speed Profiles and Real-Time Traffic Data

Despite the increased interest in battery electric vehicles (BEV), limited range abilities unsettle customers, which is often related to range anxiety. A better understanding of energy consumption and the possibility to accurately predict the remaining battery energy along an upcoming route may help to reduce this stress perception by means of advanced in-vehicle information systems. Addressing the trend towards vehicles with on-board cloud communication and information systems, the present research focuses on electric powertrain consumption and speed profile forecasts. A meaningful prediction of a speed profile for a given route is a basic prerequisite for an accurate consumption forecast. This study proposes a methodology to derive such a speed profile from real-time traffic data obtained from HERE Technologies while considering individual driving style characteristics. Given the predicted speed profile, a detailed BEV consumption model which accounts for BEV specific energy management strategies and environmental factors is used to obtain a consumption forecast. Prediction uncertainties are analyzed and parameter sensitivities with respect to energy consumption are derived as a function of the route dependent mean vehicle speed. Within a field study with Mercedes Benz EQC experimental vehicles, covering thirty-two test cycles, it is shown that the proposed methodology can accurately predict energy consumption for long look-ahead horizons and significantly reduces the variance in prediction compared to a typical baseline strategy.