Optimization of the powertrain of electric vehicles for a given route

Abstract

The global challenge of reducing pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions has forced the development of alternatives to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, such as electric or hybrid vehicles. Electric engines are the most efficient for delivery trucks or city buses. Their acceleration and deceleration patterns make them inefficient for the use of internal combustion engines. However, their range and purchase cost are the main factors limiting their use in these applications. The range and acquisition cost of an electric vehicle are mainly related to the energy storage system. Therefore, the optimal size of the battery pack should be considered as a design objective when its application is known. This paper presents a methodology to optimize the battery pack of an electric vehicle based on a given travel distance in a target time. Therefore, it would be applicable to delivery vehicles, buses and any vehicle whose route and travel time are known in advance. The proposed methodology allows minimizing energy consumption by determining the optimal gear ratio for a given route, setting the travel time as a target. A complete vehicle model and a multi-objective genetic algorithm are used for this purpose.