eVehicle Technology
FEV a leading independent international service provider of vehicle and powertrain development for hardware and software has improved their system for real time vehicle weight determination, allowing for an optimised operating strategy for everything from energy management to navigation routing and charging strategy.
Vehicle weight is a massive factor when it comes to electric vehicles efficiency and range, so having the ability to accurately determine the environmental factors and vehicle payload is huge. The software can accurately provide the vehicle payload at any time meaning that it is able to provide precise forecasts for range and optimal route navigation whenever the weight is changed, this is particularly useful for commercial vehicles where weight continuously changes.
Under a new EU directive, all commercial vehicles also need to have a device to determine weight on board to be registered in the EU, starting in May 2021.
The approach taken by FEV – a globally leading service provider for vehicle and drive train development – is cost efficient and precise. “Our in-house software solution analyses vehicle sensor data, correlates it, and compares it with a dynamic vehicle model that is also based on sensor data,” said Dr. Thomas Hülshorst, Group Vice President Electronics & Electrification at FEV. “This means that compared to other approaches, FEV’s solution is affordable, is flexible, and can be integrated into any vehicle type – whether a gas vehicle, an e-vehicle, a compact car, or a truck. What ultimately matters are that the algorithms are accurately calibrated for the specific vehicle.”
The gross vehicle weight needs to be precisely determined for various areas of application. For instance, range can be determined very accurately for e-vehicles, and FEV’s system allows for an optimized operating strategy for everything from energy management to navigation routing and charging strategy. This truly enhances end user comfort and thus creates another selling point.
In addition to this, FEV’s solution helps fleet operators to accurately map out their fleet strategy. In the supplier industry, weight load, recipient addresses, and traffic conditions can be used to generate automated dynamic routes and thus reduce costs for energy and staffing. On top of this, all commercial vehicles sold in the EU need to have an integrated, permanently installed system to determine gross vehicle weight as of May 2021, pursuant to a new EU directive. By eliminating additional cost intensive hardware, the Aachen (Germany) based company offers a genuine alternative to other solutions.
FEV’s system has already been tested in real applications and operating scenarios. “Our engineers have successfully configured and tested numerous vehicle types as well as trailer, tire, and axle configurations combined with various powertrain set ups,” says Dr. Hülshorst. “We therefore are very pleased that the automobile industry is showing great interest in our solution.”
The software has been successfully integrated and tested in various vehicle types in collaboration with leading manufacturers in the passenger vehicle and truck segment. The algorithms are currently undergoing further development and validation for use in series production of the next generation of vehicles.
