Objective of Task

Electronic systems used to operate and monitor all vehicle types have benefited from substantial improvements during the past few years and have also improved the prospects for EVs. Improved power electronics have resulted in new opportunities to control and steer the increasingly complex-component configurations. Further optimization of these components is necessary – like new concepts for integrating them in the overall system and tuning them – to meet the specific requirements of different vehicle applications. These developments and the opportunities they provide have been analysed in Task 17 during the last five years.

Member Countries contributing to Task 17 were Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States. Assignment of this Task was to analyse technology options for the optimization of EVs, which will enhance vehicle energy efficiency and performance.

The scope of work has focused on the participant’s fields of expertise and basically covered the monitoring and analysis of component development and vehicle architecture relative to trends and strategies for EVs progress.

Thus, Task 17 included:

• Overview and analysis of present vehicle components/configurations
• Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)s-review of different markets, strategies and technologies for EVs and follow-up of new prototypes
• Analysis of theoretical possible operation and configuration concepts
• Comparison and analysis of different vehicle technologies
• Overview and analysis of different simulation tools
• Analysis of different methods for optimisation of components

Impacts on the following aspects of system performance are being analysed:

• Improvements in energy efficiency, operational safety, and durability
• Integration and control of software solutions
• Reductions in the cost of components
• Reductions in weight and volume
• Configurations for energy storage systems
• Market launch trough international deployment and demonstration projects

Working Method

Task 17 activities predominantly consisted of preparing a technology assessment final task report on trends and providing opportunities for member countries to exchange information.

Thus, working methods included:

• Questionnaires, personal interviews, and several workshops
• Foresight analyses of future options and opportunities
• Simulation of different component configurations
• International networking
• Information exchange and close coordination with other running Tasks
• Dissemination of results of participating countries in giving support to their policy and industrial decision makers and leading R&D representatives in their responsibility for setting of research priorities.

The most common form was represented by workshops. They enabled the dissemination of information about relevant activities in an international context:

1. Nine workshops took place, covering the following topics:
   • 2010: Vienna – “Kick Off Meeting and First Steps for System Optimization and Vehicle Integration of EVs”
   • 2011: Geneva – “Current status of R&D for EV Components with focus on Energy Efficiency Improvements”
   • 2011: Chicago – “Battery Management Systems”
   • 2012: Santa Monica – “E/E-Architecture”
   • 2012: Vienna – “System Integration and Mass Impact”
   • 2013: Chicago – “Innovative Thermal Management for EVs”
   • 2013: Vienna – “Thermal Management Concepts for EVs”
   • 2014: Schaffhausen – “Functional and Innovative Lightweight Structures and Materials in EVs”
   • 2015: Berlin – “Power Electronics and Drive Train Technologies for future EVs”
2. In total, 43 speakers from companies, institutes and policy makers participated in these workshops,
3. Additionally, about 131 participants from eight countries have been participated in these workshops and on several technical visits.

Results

Electronic systems involved in the operation and monitoring of EVs have been the subject of substantial improvements during the past few years. Further optimization of these components and new concepts for their integration in the overall system tuned to the specific requirements of different vehicle applications is necessary.

From 2010-2015, Task 17 was working on the system optimization and vehicle integration of EVs to enhance the overall vehicles performance and successfully demonstrated that lightening the car, improving the electric power control unit, optimizing thermal management solutions, and improving the battery management system can help to improve the energy efficiency and the overall system performance of such a vehicle.