Electric Vehicle Drive Cycle Simulation Constrained by Time and Current with Validation via Benchtop Testing

The Shell Eco-marathon competition requires engineering students to design and build a functioning vehicle and complete several laps of the road course circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; for 2025, the JMU Shell Eco-marathon team chose to build an electric vehicle. Based on known specifications and requirements, the JMU Shell Eco-marathon team sought to develop a mathematical model and simulation that would estimate the optimum speed and current draw from the onboard lithium-ion battery. The simulation can be used to estimate the optimum speed and current draw for any electric vehicle with a predetermined driving behavior. The team then applied an amperage schedule to the battery as prescribed by the simulation to test the response of the battery to the anticipated duty cycle. The results are intended to inform the team’s race strategy.