Low-Voltage Electric Vehicle with a Reconfigurable Powertrain Architecture for Urban and Extra-Urban Mobility

This paper presents a novel concept for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), referred to as the low-voltage reconfigurable electric vehicle (LVREV). The LVREV is designed to bridge the gap between L- and M-class vehicles by adopting a <60 V multi-phase powertrain combined with a swappable battery system, maintaining the overall vehicle mass below one ton. This configuration enables adaptable driving range, optimized energy consumption in urban environments, and enhanced safety. The LVREV features two distinct operating modes. Frugal mode is intended for urban use and employs a smaller battery pack to maximize efficiency and reduce vehicle mass, while Dual mode is tailored for longer extra-urban trips through the use of a dual-battery configuration. The key innovations of the LVREV concept include a reconfigurable vehicle architecture capable of meeting both urban and extra-urban mobility requirements, thus providing a highly versatile transportation solution. In addition, the low-voltage powertrain improves safety and lowers system costs, facilitating manual battery replacement and compatibility with domestic charging infrastructure. By integrating these technological solutions, the LVREV expands the potential of low-voltage electric vehicles and supports the development of more flexible, efficient, and user-oriented mobility concepts. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution and provide initial validation of the reconfigurable powertrain and battery architecture.