Driving speed profile optimization for electric vehicles under variable traffic conditions

The present paper optimizes the driving profile for an electric vehicle, by using an optimal control formulation and route scheduling. The slope, traffic lights timing and the trajectory limitations, i.e., speed limitations and safety speed in turns, are computed along the route for minimising the energy consumption with consideration of the time. The work also analyses how unexpected traffic conditions caused by external drivers might influence the final performance of the controller. The paper uses real experimental data in several routes between Bath and the University of Bath from a HondaE electrical vehicle and reproduces several traffic conditions by using SUMO to validate the proposed methodology and determine its limitations under traffic disturbances.