Automotive Experiences

Articles

Impact-Based Energy Consumption Mitigation by Changing the Light Electric Vehicle Weight on the Drive Cycle

Hamdy Abo El Daheb , Ragab Attia Sayed , Mohammad Salah , Mohamed A. Mosbah

Abstract

Given the energy challenges facing the world, particularly regarding fossil fuels, therefore, recent years, the demand for electric vehicles has increased. Electric vehicles are one of the innovations that have become environmentally friendly, as it decreases fuel consumption and reduce pollution. As LEVs play an increasingly important role in sustainable urban transport, optimizing their energy efficiency is essential. This study investigates the impact of vehicle weight variation on energy consumption in Light Electric Vehicles form change Weight 800Kg to 1400Kg (LEVs) across one of the drive cycles. Through simulation and modelling, we evaluate the impact of incremental changes in vehicle mass on energy demand during standard driving scenarios, including urban, suburban, and highway profiles. The model research was developed in MATLAB/Simulink. The analysis highlights that vehicle weight significantly affects energy consumption, particularly in stop-and-go urban environments where acceleration demands are higher. Results indicate that reducing LEV weight leads to measurable improvements in energy efficiency, thereby extending range and reducing battery strain. These findings support light-weighting strategies as a practical and impactful method for enhancing LEV performance and sustainability in real-world conditions, and change the energy consumption from 0.011 kWh to 0.017 kWh. These values highlight how increasing vehicle weight leads to higher energy consumption, even under the same driving cycle 500 sec.

Keywords

Drive cycle; Light Electric Vehicle (LEV); State of charge (SOC); Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

References

  1. M. Choi, J. Cha, and J. Song, “Impact of lightweighting and driving conditions on electric vehicle energy consumption: In-depth analysis using real-world testing and simulation,†Energy, vol. 323, p. 135746, May 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135746.
  2. W. Gołębiewski and M. Lisowski, “Theoretical analysis of electric vehicle energy consumption according to different driving cycles,†IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng., vol. 421, p. 022010, Oct. 2018, doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/421/2/022010.
  3. H. Gong, Y. Zou, Q. Yang, J. Fan, F. Sun, and D. Goehlich, “Generation of a driving cycle for battery electric vehicles:A case study of Beijing,†Energy, vol. 150, pp. 901–912, May 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.02.092.
  4. T. Settey, J. Gnap, F. Synák, T. Skrúcaný, and M. DoÄkalik, “Research into the Impacts of Driving Cycles and Load Weight on the Operation of a Light Commercial Electric Vehicle,†Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 24, p. 13872, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.3390/su132413872.
  5. D. Berjoza and I. Jurgena, “Effects of change in the weight of electric vehicles on their performance characteristics,†Agron. Res., vol. Spesial Is, no. 1, pp. 952–963, 2017.
  6. C. Fiori, K. Ahn, and H. A. Rakha, “Power-based electric vehicle energy consumption model: Model development and validation,†Appl. Energy, vol. 168, pp. 257–268, Apr. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.01.097.
  7. M. U. Karaoğlan, N. S. Kuralay, and C. O. Colpan, “Investigation of the effects of battery types and power management algorithms on drive cycle simulation for a range-extended electric vehicle powertrain,†Int. J. Green Energy, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 1–11, Jan. 2019, doi: 10.1080/15435075.2018.1529592.
  8. S. Campanari, G. Manzolini, and F. Garcia de la Iglesia, “Energy analysis of electric vehicles using batteries or fuel cells through well-to-wheel driving cycle simulations,†J. Power Sources, vol. 186, no. 2, pp. 464–477, Jan. 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2008.09.115.
  9. M. Mądziel, “Energy Modeling for Electric Vehicles Based on Real Driving Cycles: An Artificial Intelligence Approach for Microscale Analyses,†Energies, vol. 17, no. 5, p. 1148, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.3390/en17051148.
  10. P. Nyberg, E. Frisk, and L. Nielsen, “Driving Cycle Equivalence and Transformation,†IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 1963–1974, Mar. 2017, doi: 10.1109/TVT.2016.2582079.
  11. R. Faria, P. Marques, P. Moura, F. Freire, J. Delgado, and A. T. de Almeida, “Impact of the electricity mix and use profile in the life-cycle assessment of electric vehicles,†Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 24, pp. 271–287, Aug. 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2013.03.063.
  12. B. Joseph and D. V. Bhoir, “Design and Assessment of Electric Vehicle Performance Parameters based on Drive Cycle,†ITM Web Conf., vol. 40, p. 01007, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1051/itmconf/20214001007.
  13. N. V. Martyushev, B. V. Malozyomov, S. N. Sorokova, E. A. Efremenkov, and M. Qi, “Mathematical Modeling the Performance of an Electric Vehicle Considering Various Driving Cycles,†Mathematics, vol. 11, no. 11, p. 2586, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.3390/math11112586.
  14. C. Reynolds and M. Kandlikar, “How hybrid-electric vehicles are different from conventional vehicles: the effect of weight and power on fuel consumption,†Environ. Res. Lett., vol. 2, no. 1, p. 014003, Jan. 2007, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/2/1/014003.
  15. D.-M. Kim, Y.-H. Jung, K.-S. Cha, and M.-S. Lim, “Design of Traction Motor for Mitigating Energy Consumption of Light Electric Vehicle Considering Material Properties and Drive Cycles,†Int. J. Automot. Technol., vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 1391–1399, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1007/s12239-020-0131-7.
  16. A. Desreveaux, A. Bouscayrol, R. Trigui, E. Castex, and J. Klein, “Impact of the Velocity Profile on Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicles,†IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 68, no. 12, pp. 11420–11426, Dec. 2019, doi: 10.1109/TVT.2019.2949215.
  17. M. Redelbach, M. Klötzke, and H. E. Friedrich, “Impact of lightweight design on energy consumption and cost effectiveness of alternative powertrain concepts,†in European Electric Vehicle Congress, 2012.
  18. G. Sandrini, D. Chindamo, M. Gadola, A. Candela, and P. Magri, “Exploring the Impact of Vehicle Lightweighting in Terms of Energy Consumption: Analysis and Simulation on Real Driving Cycle,†Energies, vol. 17, no. 24, p. 6398, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.3390/en17246398.
  19. Y. Wang, N. Zhang, Y. Wu, B. Liu, and Y. Wu, “A strategy of electrical energy management for internal combustion engine vehicle based on driving cycle recognition and electrical load perception,†Adv. Mech. Eng., vol. 10, no. 11, Nov. 2018, doi: 10.1177/1687814018809236.
  20. P. Lakshmanan, A. Abhishek, B. K. Verma, and S. K. Ram, “Performance Assessment of Two-Wheeler Electric Vehicle Batteries Using Multi-Mode Drive Cycles,†World Electr. Veh. J., vol. 15, no. 4, p. 145, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.3390/wevj15040145.
  21. T. Mamo, G. Gebresenbet, R. Gopal, and B. Yoseph, “Assessment of an Electric Vehicle Drive Cycle in Relation to Minimised Energy Consumption with Driving Behaviour: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Its Suburbs,†World Electr. Veh. J., vol. 14, no. 11, p. 302, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.3390/wevj14110302.
  22. A. Pradhan and C. Mbohwa, “Development of biofuels in South Africa: Challenges and opportunities,†Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 39, pp. 1089–1100, Nov. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2014.07.131.
  23. M. Messagie, K. Lebeau, T. Coosemans, C. Macharis, and J. Van Mierlo, “Environmental and Financial Evaluation of Passenger Vehicle Technologies in Belgium,†Sustainability, vol. 5, no. 12, pp. 5020–5033, Nov. 2013, doi: 10.3390/su5125020.

Most read articles by the same author(s)