Range extender systems for electric drivetrains in medium-duty distribution vehicles

The expected growth of trade is a major challenge with regard to environmental sustainability. Especially in urban zones more distribution traffic will further worsen the local pollutant situation. Electrically driven distribution vehicles as part of low-carbon city mobility concepts can be one answer to this challenge. Based on requirements and boundary conditions of a typical distribution vehicle, representative load profiles and the demands for the electrical system are defined, leading to a power requirement for the traction motor of 150 kW and battery capacity which shall support at least 100 km of electric range. To cover longer distances of up to 200 km per day, different range extender powertrain configurations with combustion engines and also a fuel cell system are discussed in a simulation study, while the pure electrical vehicle with 200 km range is investigated for comparison. This results in investigating overall seven different vehicle configurations, covering energy consumption as well as package and costs aspects. The investigation shows that a benefit in fuel consumption is possible with all the range extended vehicles compared to the conventional vehicle. A benefit in operation cost and therefore a return of invest is highly depending on the daily mileage and prices for energy.