A Model Based Comparison on the Efficiency of Electric Vehicles to Conventional Vehicles

A model based comparison between an electric vehicle (EV) and a conventional vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICEV) is presented in this paper. The study is performed by use of “Advanced Vehicle Simulator” (ADVISOR) in MATLAB environment. Both types of vehicles are subjected to a New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) procedure and to a combined “city-highway” fuel economy test procedure. As these test procedures are US based ones, it is not explicitly the case in terms of Bulgaria's conditions. Thus, in addition, a comparative fuel economy evaluation is presented. Based on obtained results from ADVISOR, it can be seen that NEDC's nature of fast and aggressive style of driving does not enhance EV's inherent advantages and the necessity of charging infrastructure is vividly exhibited. Emissions' results of simulated ICEV exceed the normative values of hydrocarbons and of particle matters set by US' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Europe's EURO 6 standards. However, the simulation done by ADVISOR does not account for emissions reduction techniques. In addition, the fuel consumption and fuel economy evaluation shows that to travel by EV is less expensive. This, however, is a direct comparison of “tank-to-wheel” efficiency of EVs and ICEVs. Whenever “well-to-wheel” efficiency is considered the efficiency with which the primary source of energy to respective vehicle is produced has to be included. That is to say the “well-to-wheel” efficiency is the product of the “tank-to-wheel” efficiency and the efficiency which is known as “well-to-tank”. Then, if an EV is charged with electricity generated by coal-fired power plants its “well-to-wheel” efficiency is similar to the one of ICEVs. Furthermore, albeit ICE's inherent lower efficiency, the accessibility of ICEVs is still widely needed as there are many uncertainties regarding EV's charging purely by spatial point of view at residential complexes. Thus, taking everything below into considerations a complete extinction of any type vehicle seems unlikely and it is more likely that in the future a vehicle diversification comprised of ICEVs, EVs and hybrids will be the standard.

I. Introduction

Electric vehicles (EVs) are one of the most promising contenders to replace conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) as a mean of transport. Even though an electric motor is significantly more efficient than its ICE counterpart and EVs' are characterized by significantly higher “tank-to-wheel” efficiency than ICEVs, the “well-to-wheel” efficiency of EVs appear to be heavily influenced by the method of electricity's generation [1]–[4].