BACKGROUND: Currently, the problem of making wheeled vehicles more environmentally-friendly is one of the most relevant, as using electric vehicles with on-board traction batteries becomes the most popular technical solution. However, the batteries capacity remains relatively low, so efficiency of using them depends on selection the most optimal components of traction electric equipment and implementing the most advanced algorithms of traction electric drive control. Therefore, development of the methods helping to achieve maximal energy efficiency at all stages of design, manufacturing and operation is highly important. AIM: Development of fundamentals and methods of improvement of wheeled vehicles energy efficiency at the design stage with the use of virtual mathematical modelling. METHODS: The study was conducted with the MATLAB/Simulink software package. RESULTS: Theoretical basis of the improvement methods with the use of mathematical modelling of virtual operation of the vehicle’s digital twin in the MATLAB/Simulink is given in the paper. CONCLUSIONS: The practical value of the study lies in ability of using the proposed methods in development of prosperous wheeled vehicles.