Characterization of urban commuter driving profiles to optimize battery size in light-duty plug-in electric vehicles

Electrification of light duty vehicles using plug-in electric vehicles in conjunction with new generation of renewable energy to match the new electrical load addresses global concerns of greenhouse gas emissions and is being considered as a way to reduce environmental damage from the transportation sector. A database was gathered over a year from a fleet of 76 vehicles in Winnipeg, Canada and is used to develop a daily driving profile approximating actual driving power demand and parking times for charging these vehicles. The data are utilized to construct a commuter driving cycle based on the parameters defining functionality of a light duty vehicle. The cycle is then used in an energy-based simulation to optimize battery size for a commuter sedan car. Overnight only versus overnight and day charging scenarios are then compared. It is found that the battery storage size can be decreased by up to 40% without loss of functionality with a 2.4 h daily charge. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.