Modeling and Simulation of a Fully Autonomous Electric Vehicle (AEV)
Qasim Ajao, Lanre Sadeeq
TL;DR
This paper develops an integrated autonomous electric vehicle model in MATLAB/Simulink by coupling driver, battery, motor, transmission, and body subsystems into a pure vehicle model. It evaluates performance under the UDDS driving cycle, demonstrating precise speed tracking ($\leq 1.5\%$ error), substantial range (>350 km with energy recovery), and solid acceleration (~$9.5\,\text{s}$ to 100 km/h). A key contribution is the energy brake recovery mechanism, which, at $\eta_{rec}=0.5$, extends range by approximately $23$–$25\% and improves overall energy efficiency. The work provides a detailed framework for AEV simulation and highlights the practical impact of regenerative braking in enhancing urban autonomous electric mobility.
Abstract
With continuous advancements in science and technology, there is increasing focus on environmental sustainability, leading to heightened interest in autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs). AEVs hold significant potential for enhancing electric mobility, energy efficiency, environmental preservation, and driving capabilities. They offer numerous advantages that could revolutionize transportation and urban lifestyles, notably by improving road safety through the reduction of human error, a leading cause of accidents. This paper presents a comprehensive simulation of an AEV by developing and integrating models for the driving system, battery, motor, transmission, and vehicle body within the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Each component is configured and interconnected to create a pure vehicle model. The simulation is conducted under UDDS cycle conditions to evaluate the vehicle's performance in speed maintenance, driving distance, acceleration capabilities, and battery state-of-charge (SoC) dynamics. The results demonstrate that the vehicle exhibits strong output characteristics. Furthermore, the driver model incorporates an energy brake recovery function, which, when set to a 50% recovery efficiency, increases the driving distance by 25% compared to a vehicle without this function.