Simplified electric vehicle models for use in undergraduate teaching and research

In this paper, electric vehicle models are developed for use in undergraduate teaching and in vehicle range research. Versions of the material have been taught to second-year (sophomore) and fourth-year (senior) engineering students. The model can consider the power train from the plug to the road, including charging, battery management, accessory and HVAC loads, traction inverter and motor, gearing, and vehicle load forces. The model is applied to the 2012 Nissan Leaf and validated against experimental test data published by the Argonne National Laboratory. The model can easily be modified to consider the technical abilities of the module. For instance, a DC motor model can used instead of an AC motor if the students have not covered phasor theory. Sample homework problems are provided.