Optimized Cabin Heating Strategy for Battery Electric CEP Vehicles

Electromobility is gaining importance in the courier, express and parcel (CEP) sector, as parcel service providers increasingly rely on zero-emission vehicles to improve their CO₂ footprint. A common drawback of battery electric vehicles is their reduced range under cold operating conditions, due to the increased energy demand for cabin heating. Another CEP-specific factor influencing both energy consumption and cabin comfort is the frequent opening of doors during parcel delivery. Additionally, during delivery phases, the cabin cools down in the driver’s repeated absence from the cabin, as the heating is inactive. Nonetheless, a sufficient level of thermal comfort must be maintained during the driving phases between delivery stops. This paper presents an optimization-based strategy for the cabin heating of battery electric CEP vehicles. The objective is to maximize cabin comfort during driving phases while maintaining efficient energy consumption. For this purpose, a nonlinear model predictive control approach is developed. Characteristic CEP load cases are identified using a k-means clustering analysis of field data to assess the optimization approach. Assuming that the phases of parcel delivery can be accurately predicted, model-in-the-loop (MiL) simulations indicate significant potential for improving comfort. The optimization potential depends on the underlying CEP load cases, particularly the stop characteristics and the accepted energy consumption. For CEP load cases with low stop density, the simulation results indicate a 16 % reduction in energy consumption and a 21 % increase in comfort compared to the baseline heating strategy. The energy reduction and comfort improvement are achieved by optimizing the air mass flow rate and the heating power. In contrast, for load cases with high stop density, a significant improvement in cabin comfort can only be achieved with an increased energy consumption. In these load cases, a 30 % increase in energy consumption results in a 44 % improvement in comfort.