A Study of Energy Losses in the World's Most Fuel Efficient Vehicle

The prototype fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) Maxwell currently holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicle" at 6,196 km/l (14,573 MPGe). The vehicle draws less than 21W of electrical power at 25 km/h. This work outlines the powertrain architecture and presents the vehicle's sources of electrical and mechanical losses, quantified through rigorous experimentation. The individual components are modelled and combined into a total model of performance representing all energy flow in the vehicle. The total model is found to have excellent predictive power with only 4.3% error compared to measured on-track performance.