Extending EV Range Using AV Programming

Intelligent programming of autonomous electric vehicles offers potentially big energy savings, according to a study by IAV.

Increasing the range of electric vehicles in a practical cost-effective way has become a primary challenge for the industry. However, current efforts to increase EVs' market acceptance, via advertising, typically focus on the exhilaration that comes from mashing the accelerator and enjoying the maximum launch torque compared with a gasoline engine.

An alternative approach, with customer appeal of its own, would be to increase the vehicle's autonomous driving capability. This was proposed by Jonas Gutsche, an advanced-development engineer with IAV, at the recent SAE Thermal Management Systems Symposium. He said the vehicle could produce a real-world gain in range, perhaps 50% in urban driving, up to 13% in highway use.