Modeling and Simulation of Electric Vehicles Using Simulink and Simscape

The vehicular industry is in a constant state of evolution driven by rapid advancements in technology. These advancements allow electric car manufacturers to introduce more complex, higher performance, and comfortable models of electric vehicles. Many buyers value powerful motors with the capability of outperforming equivalent gasoline powered vehicles. The diverse array of options to choose from when purchasing an electric vehicle can be confusing to average consumers, with the various cost and performance levels on the market. This paper presents a tool for evaluating performance among electric vehicles with different motors, body designs, and battery capacities. The focus of this paper is on two electric vehicle models, the Tesla Type S 100D and the BMW i3, to determine the relative performance. The Electric Vehicle Simulator is implemented using MATLAB's Simulink and Simscape tools, taking into account numerous variables associated with the motor, gear box and vehicle body. These testing components include drive cycle reference, motor controller, DC motor and simulated vehicle body. Comparison of the data derived from the simulation illustrates the differences of the two test vehicles to assist the consumer in choosing the electric vehicle that best fits their needs.