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The energy used for cabin cooling and heating can drastically reduce the operating range of electric vehicles. The energy efficiency and performance of the cabin heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system depend on the system configuration and ambient conditions. The presented research investigates the energy efficiency and performance of cabin thermal management in electric vehicles. A simulation model of cabin heating and cooling systems was developed in the AMESim software. Simulations were carried out in the standard test cycles and one real-world driving cycle to take into account different driving behaviors and environments. The cabin thermal management performance was analyzed in relation to ambient temperature, system efficiency and cabin thermal balance. The simulation results showed that the driving range can shorten more than 50% in extreme cold conditions.

Hybridization of heavy machinery is in its early phase but it is likely to increase in coming years. This research presents a comparison of the energy efficiency of a conventional, hybrid-electric, and fuel cell hybrid powertrains in mobile work machines. The cost effectiveness of different powertrain technologies is also analyzed by lifecycle cost calculations for an underground mining loader. The comparison is based on the modeling and simulation work carried out in the Autonomie vehicle simulation software. The conventional powertrain model, diesel engine with a mechanical driveline, corresponds to an underground mining loader. The hybrid models have series hybrid powertrain and a battery pack as energy storage. For assuring equal comparison, all powertrain models have comparable operating performance. Simulations are carried out in a specific duty cycle which had been previously measured in a real mine.