High Performance Electric Vehicle Powertrain Modeling, Simulation and Validation

Accurate electric vehicle (EV) powertrain modeling, simulation and validation is paramount for critical design and control decisions in high performance vehicle designs. Described in this paper is a methodology for the design and development of EV powertrain through modeling, simulation and validation on a real-world vehicle system with detailed analysis of the results. Although simulation of EV powertrains in software simulation environments plays a significant role in the design and development of EVs, validating these models on the real-world vehicle systems plays an equally important role in improving the overall vehicle reliability, safety and performance. This modeling approach leverages the use of MATLAB/Simulink software for the modeling and simulation of an EV powertrain, augmented by simultaneously validating the modeling results on a real-world vehicle which is performance tested on a chassis dynamometer. The combination of these modeling techniques and real-world validation demonstrates a methodology for a cost effective means of rapidly developing and validating high performance EV powertrains, filling the literature gaps in how these modeling methodologies can be carried out in a research framework.