This paper presents the development of a new vehicle simulation software, the Power- and Usage-Based Simulator Tool (referred to as the Power-Based Model), designed to predict fuel consumption and evaluate advanced powertrain technologies for off-road mobile machinery. The Power-Based Model integrates current research on fuel consumption simulation in the off-road vehicle sector and serves as a platform for development of advanced powertrain technologies such as battery-electric and fuel cell powertrains. The tool predicts the battery capacity and hydrogen storage required for the transition to these advanced powertrains, allowing users to accurately calculate component sizes and reductions in fuel consumption.
The Power-Based Model was developed with a strong focus on the unique operational characteristics of off-road machinery, ensuring that it realistically reflects real-world energy consumption and the competitive advantages of various fuel-saving technologies. This paper describes the simulation tool and its key features and summarizes the most critical future updates under investigation. In addition, we present an initial validation of the tool’s performance against real-world measurement data, highlighting its ability to accurately simulate vehicle energy consumption. While the results suggest good test reproducibility, further development is needed to accurately reflect the real-world energy consumption of off-road mobile machinery.