Evaluation of Lithium-Ion Battery Performance under Variable Climatic Conditions: Influence on the Driving Range of Electric Vehicles

Abstract

The goal of this paper is the evaluation of lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs) under variable climatic conditions to determine how the driving range of a vehicle is modified because of changes in battery performance caused by the variability of environmental conditions. The influence of sudden changes in ambient temperature on the performance of the battery that powers electric vehicles has been studied and analyzed. The study is focused on how trips across geographical zones with different climates affect the autonomy of an electric vehicle’s battery, and thus the driving range of the electric vehicle (EV). A model has been developed to reproduce on a laboratory scale the real conditions to which EVs are subject when circulating under fluctuating temperatures, which force the battery to operate in a transient or non-steady state. A simulation has been run for different climatic conditions to evaluate the performance of the battery and the driving range of the electric vehicle under variable operating conditions. A laboratory prototype has been designed and built to validate the modeling and to adjust the theoretical approach to experimental values through the corresponding correction factor in case significant deviations occur. The model has been validated for a simulated route that reproduces a real driving trip for specific geographical areas. The model indicates that there is a shortening in the global driving range of 43.5 km over a trip distance of 538 km, which means there is a reduction of 8%. The simulation has been applied to a specific geographical area in the nearby of the city of Lyon (France), for a temperature gap of 39 °C, from −6 °C to 33 °C, but can also be used for almost any other zones, although the reduction in driving range may vary because of specific climate conditions.