Investigating the Energetics of Electric Vehicles, based on Real Measurements

Abstract

Electric vehicles can offer a real alternative for mobility in the 21 st Century, but the extent of their long-term wear and degradation is unknown. Obviously, both traffic and users have to adapt to the new types of drivetrains, as these cars can be driven optimally in a completely different style. A new measurement and evaluation methodology has been developed, and various tests have been defined to investigate the key questions of electric cars. We showed that energy consumption can be reduced by more than 1/3 at optimum ambient temperatures, compared to 0 °C. We examined the correlation between speed and energy consumption on highway, and found that reducing the average speed from 105 km/h to 85 km/h can increase the range by up to 40%. Finally, we calculated that at 50,000 km of mileage, the battery only degrades by 11%.