Energy optimization for electric vehicles using dynamic programming

Electric vehicles (EVs) are one of the key technolgies for a sustainable mobility, reducing fuel consumption and traffic related emissions. Until today the energy density of the traction battery is low compared to fossil fuels, resulting in a limited range of EVs. Therefore, an optimization of the overall energy consumption of an electric vehicle is crucial. This paper proposes an optimized velocity planning methodology able to find the best trajectory with minimal energy consumption for a desired driving route. To perform this optimization a simplified vehicle model and dynamic programming algorithm is implemented. A prescribed driving route is divided into equidistant steps and a range of acceptable speed is defined. The algorithm determines the optimal speed for each step, minimising an optimal control criterion regarding energy-consumption under constrains on the battery state and travelling time.