Powertrain Design and Control in Electrified Vehicles: A Critical Review

Electrified vehicles are considered a promising technology for energy savings and emission reductions. Both powertrain design (configuration design and component sizing) and energy management strategies (EMSs) for electrified vehicles have been studied extensively. However, powertrain design and energy management need to be examined holistically and optimized simultaneously, from a mechatronic viewpoint, for maximizing the potential of electrified powertrains. This article provides a comprehensive, critical review of the current state, and prospects of electrified powertrain design and energy management. The research status in both powertrain design and energy management development is reviewed and discussed. First, the modeling techniques for rapid configuration design are thoroughly reviewed and summarized. Then, the optimization methods for component sizing are elucidated. Next, the classical EMSs are categorized, and several near-optimal strategies used for powertrain design are elaborated. Finally, the current challenges and future trends of electrified powertrain design and control are discussed, which provides a useful reference to researchers in this area.