Abstract:

When considering buying an electric vehicle, consumers are often discouraged by range anxiety (EVs). According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, new commercial EVs may easily reach over 200 miles of range, allaying this worry (EPA). However, this range, measured in idealised conditions, is frequently not found in real-world conditions. As a result, this effort describes the simplest model that incorporates all key factors that affect the range of an EV. Calibration of the model to EPA tests found an average deviation of 0.45 and 0.57 miles for highway and city ranges, respectively, among seven commercial EVs. Subsequent predictions found significant losses based on the impact of road grade, wind, and vehicle speed over a Kansas interstate highway. For cabin conditioning, up to 57.8% and 37.5% losses in range were found when simulating vehicles at 20 ◦F and 95 ◦F, respectively. Simulated aging of the vehicle battery pack showed range losses up to 53.1% at 100,000 miles. Model extensions to rain and snow illustrated corresponding losses based on the level of precipitation on the road. All model outcomes were translated into an Excel spreadsheet that can be used to predict the range of a generic EV over Kansas-centric roads.