Range Extenders for Battery Electric Commercial Vehicles: An Enabler for Last Mile Connectivity and 100% Fleet Electrification

Authors

D. Velmurugan PhD, C. Wang-Hansen PhD, F. Strömstedt MSc, Aurobay, Gothenburg:

Year

2023

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

Producing accurate forecasts on customer powertrain demands at the horizon of a product development cycle is a complex matter in a transitioning sector. Consequently, many OEMs decide to develop and maintain multiple powertrain solutions, which can become financially exhausting. Moreover, a competitive powertrain solution must have the potential to, with renewable energy sources, reach net-zero GHG impact over the complete vehicle lifecycle without compromising customer utilization. To fulfil this demand and enable full fleet electrification Aurobay has designed a modular range extender, the Aurobay REx, which we present in this paper. Targeting a wide range of applications including medium-/ heavy-duty commercial and mobile machinery, a critical design target has been to enable flexibility in utilization degree. In the Aurobay REx solution we combine our high power-density energy-efficient light-duty combustion engines with a high voltage generator to a compact unit with size corresponding to about 230 kWh battery module. We have adapted our emission solutions for a variety of charging strategies and verified our engines for renewable drop-in fuels at 65% GHG reduction compared to fossil. Finally, we have acknowledged the requirements following installation in a battery electric platform and kept the vehicle interfaces to a minimum.

ISBN

978-3-9504969-2-5