Impact of the Range Extender Engine Configuration on Powertrain Performance and Vehicle Integration

The light-duty transportation sector is experiencing a worldwide push towards reduced carbon intensity. One pathway that has been developed focuses on replacing internal combustion engine-based vehicles with full-electric battery electric vehicles (BEV), which offer local CO2-free mobility. However, batteries offer a limited mobility range and require unfavorable long recharging times, leading to a limited range perception among some customers. Range-extended electric vehicles (REEV) utilize a small internal combustion engine to mitigate the range concerns of BEVs, while also enabling a battery size reduction with its associated improvements in cost, weight, and manufacturing CO2 intensity. A previous study by the authors discussed evaluation criteria for range extenders and compared additive technology options to enable cost-, efficiency, or power-optimized REEV applications using a modular approach. This study contrasts the dedicated range extender engine and associated modular additive technology packages with an OEM engine-based range extender for integration into an REEV powertrain. This study furthermore investigates the impact of range extender engine configurations on vehicle powertrain parameters, including battery sizing, total system cost, and total vehicle range.