Component-level energy consumption and range analysis of battery electric vehicles under urban and highway driving conditions

Abstract

This study presents a simulation-based analysis of energy consumption in a battery electric vehicle (BEV) under urban and highway driving conditions, focusing on component-level power flow and subsystem contributions. The simulation accounts for battery output and recovery, motor operation, driveline losses, and auxiliary loads to evaluate energy distribution and efficiency. Urban driving enables substantial regenerative braking, recovering up to 30.0 % of battery energy due to frequent deceleration, while highway driving leads to a 25.4 % increase in energy consumption, primarily due to aerodynamic drag. A parametric study quantifies the effects of key vehicle parameters on energy consumption. Reducing vehicle weight by 15.2 % (300  kg) decreases energy consumption by 6.6 % in urban and 2.2 % in highway driving. In contrast, lowering aerodynamic drag by 15 % results in reductions of 6.0 % and 11.5 %, respectively. These findings indicate that vehicle weight has a greater impact under stop-and-go urban conditions, whereas aerodynamic drag dominates during highway driving. Enhancing motor and driveline efficiency reduces energy conversion losses under both driving conditions to a comparable degree. Meanwhile, increased auxiliary load, particularly under extremely low ambient temperatures with heater use, raises urban energy consumption by up to 90.4 %, and a reduced regenerative braking efficiency limits energy recovery and further degrades efficiency. These results offer insights into subsystem-level energy behavior in BEVs, providing guidance for optimized component design and energy management strategies.