The Future of Electric Vehicles: Advanced Design, Modeling, and Simulation for Next-Generation Performance Using MATLAB/Simulink

Abstract

The rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry has led to a pressing need for advanced design and simulation techniques to optimize performance, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This paper explores the future of electric vehicles through the lens of next-generation performance improvements enabled by cutting-edge modeling and simulation tools. Specifically, the paper emphasizes the role of MATLAB in simulating critical EV components, such as electric motors, battery systems, power electronics, and control algorithms. By leveraging these tools, engineers can design more efficient powertrains, develop advanced control strategies, and optimize overall vehicle performance. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the MATLAB hybrid vehicle model, simulation results were compared to the published data of ADVISOR. The results obtained from MATLAB and ADVISOR for the engine and motor/generator correlated well.  Minor discrepancies existed, but were deemed insignificant. This validates the MATLAB/ADAMS hybrid vehicle model against the published results of ADVISOR. Fuel economy of hybrid and conventional vehicle models were compared using the EPA New York City Cycle (NYCC) and the Highway Fuel Economy Cycle (HWFET).  The hybrid vehicle demonstrated 8.9% and 14.3% fuel economy improvement over the conventional vehicle model for the NYCC and HWFET drive cycles, respectively.  In addition, the motor consumed 83.6kJ of electrical energy during the assist mode while regenerative braking recovered 105.5kJ of electrical energy during city driving.  For the highway drive cycle, the motor consumed 213.6kJ of electrical energy during the assist mode while the regenerative braking recovered 172.0kJ of energy. The MATLAB vehicle model offers a simulation platform that is modular, flexible, and can be conveniently modified to create different types of vehicle models.  Through the integration of simulation-driven design and optimization, the future of electric vehicles promises improved efficiency, longer range, and enhanced overall performance, driving the evolution of sustainable transportation.