Electric vehicles to run for longer
Electric vehicles (EVs) are become increasingly popular, thanks to their ability to radically reduce or even eliminate emissions. While these cars meet around 80 % of our travel needs, the concept of 'range anxiety' is encouraging manufacturers to produce more efficient, longer-range engines. The EU-funded OPTIMORE (Optimised modular range extender for every day customer usage) project worked on designing three EV prototypes with extended range capabilities. Bringing together key automotive industry players from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden, the project began by defining real-world driving conditions to identify the required technologies. It then worked on optimising different EV components that affect fuel consumption, cost, weight and emissions. This was followed by the articulation of sophisticated control strategies that reduce costs, as well as safety analyses related to electrical systems and overall functionality. By the end of the project, the team had developed a commercial vehicle prototype that boasts a 50 % weight reduction over previous models and that operates on different electric power levels. The second demonstrator or modular electric range extender vehicle from Volvo combines three drivetrains in one electric powertrain platform for maximum staying power. The third solution is represented by the city electric range extender vehicle featuring improved hardware and software to reduce costs and improve performance. Results from the project's successful demonstrators were unveiled through newsletters and events such as OPTIMORE's final conference. Several project partners expressed their commitment to exploiting the developed technologies, positioning Europe closer to achieving cleaner vehicles, in line with tightening environmental regulations. If all goes as planned, range anxiety may soon become a worry of the past.
Keywords
Electric vehicles, emissions, range anxiety, longer-range engines, range extender, fuel consumption
