Studies on Energy Consumption of Electric Light Commercial Vehicle Powered by In-Wheel Drive Modules

Abstract

This article presents the results of energy consumption research for an electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV) powered by a centrally located motor (4 × 2 drive system) or motors placed in the vehicle’s wheels (4 × 4 drive system). For the considered constructions of electric drive systems, mathematical models of 4 × 2 and 4 × 4 drive systems were developed in the Modelica simulation environment, based on real data. Additionally, the influence of changes in the vehicle loading condition on the operation of the motor mounted in the wheel and the energy consumption of the drive module was investigated. On the basis of the conducted research, a comparative analysis of energy consumption by electric drive systems in 4 × 2 and 4 × 4 configurations was carried out for selected test cycles. The tests carried out with the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycles (WLTC) test cycle showed a roughly 6% lower energy consumption by the 4 × 4 drive system compared to the 4 × 2 configuration.

The selection of an electric vehicle for the existing photovoltaic system - case study in Polish climatic conditions

“…Electric vehicles need large amounts of electricity to cover long distances [24,46]. A compact passenger car needs approximately 15 kWh of energy to travel 100 km [14].…”