Validation of an OpenOCL model for energy efficient electric vehicle control

Adoption of energy-efficient automobiles has grown in importance as society grapples with the issues posed by climate change, as well as a desire to minimize reliance on fossil fuels. Vehicles of the future are predicted to be equipped with increased automation and electrified powertrains as technology progresses, making them faster, safer, and more energy efficient. A potential approach to address energy consumption issues in automated vehicles is to adopt an eco-driving approach, which involves adopting driving behaviours that result in reduced emissions and energy consumption. This research work addresses the development of an energy efficient control of electric vehicle, while incorporating driver preferences. An optimal control model is developed and implemented in OpenOCL that can mimic typical car-following behaviour and (for optimisation in future work) can accurately calculate energy losses while driving, as validated against a detailed Simulink model of an electric vehicle.