Assessment of Energy Demand for PHEVs in Year-Round Operating Conditions

In this paper, particular attention is paid to an advanced variant of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, known as PHEV, which combines two functionalities: the vehicle’s internal combustion engine (ICE) and the electric motor. The study described herein also presents the influence of factors such as the ambient temperature, vehicle speed and traffic distance on the PHEV’s energy consumption. It has been shown that the vehicle’s range estimated based on its electronic control module (ECU) is about 20% shorter per annum on average for its year-round operation in everyday driving conditions. When analyzing the energy consumption based on the vehicle’s unitary energy consumption model, attention was paid to values that are strongly correlated with traffic and weather conditions. In addition, the authors emphasized that the estimated total energy consumption of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or hybrid vehicle (PHEV), relative to the normative values arising from the type approval test cycle, deviate from the actual values arising from real driving conditions and often vary substantially. As shown in this paper, the energy consumption intensity of a vehicle is significantly influenced not only by its speed but also by weather conditions, including ambient temperature. In extreme cases, energy consumption intensity can increase by up to 68% relative to a WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure) cycle.