Vehicle Gear Shifting Optimization for Fuel Consumption and Emissions Minimization

Vehicles powered by internal combustion engines play a crucial role in urban mobility and still represent the vast majority of vehicles produced. However, these vehicles significantly contribute to pollutant emissions and fossil fuel consumption. In response to this challenge, various technologies and strategies have been developed to reduce emissions and enhance vehicle efficiency. This paper presents the development of a solution based on optimized gear-shifting strategies aimed at minimizing fuel consumption and emissions in vehicles powered exclusively by internal combustion engines. To achieve this, a longitudinal vehicle dynamics model was developed using the MATLAB/Simulink platform. This model incorporates an engine combustion simulation based on the Advisor (Advanced Vehicle Simulator) tool, which estimates fuel consumption and emissions while considering catalyst efficiency under transient engine conditions. Based on these models, an optimization method was employed to determine the optimal gear-shifting strategy, enabling the analysis of vehicle performance, fuel consumption, and emissions over a driving cycle under different gear-shifting configurations.