Design Challenges And Opportunities For Electric Powertrain With Vehicle Autonomy

According to recent studies, nearly 25% of all miles driven in the United States could be shared autonomous electrical vehicles (SAEVs) by 2030. Electric powertrain is indispensable for autonomous vehicles as it offers a) higher fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, b) an easier platform to support drive-by-wire systems needed for vehicle autonomy, and c) as battery prices keep dropping sharply, an attractive proposition of lower cost of ownership and maintenance, especially for fleet owners in ride-sharing ecosystem. However, the integration of vehicle autonomy with electrification is not going to be simple additive manufacturing. For instance, in a level 5 autonomous car, autonomous functionality-enabling electronics power demand can be up to 2-4 kW, when fed by the main battery can reduce electric drive significantly (up to 35%, especially in city drive). However, other factors such as smoother driving profile of a connected autonomous vehicle compared to human driving can help enhance electric drive range, especially as the market penetration of autonomous vehicles increase. Automakers and Suppliers need to account for these tradeoffs from earliest design/conceptualization phase for an autonomous electric vehicle.

In this white paper we will explore how the Simcenter 1D system modeling can enable companies to evaluate electric powertrain design implications for autonomous electric vehicles. We will examine the importance of accounting for autonomous vehicle usage profile for not only for electric drive range but also for overall thermal management requirements for battery, motor and power electronics. For autonomous electric vehicles, Simcenter portfolio can enable automakers and e-powertrain component suppliers to correctly spec, design and integrate battery, motor and power electronics for the electric powertrain and ensure the range, cost and life expectations are met.

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