FP7 project helps reduce electric car energy consumption

An FP7-funded project has helped develop a new intelligent energy management and recovery system for use in electric cars.

Six partners from Germany, France, Austria and Spain have been able to cut energy consumption of electric vehicles with the new technology. The OpEneR team developed new functions and better connected the components and systems, allowing the driver to receive braking tips based on traffic flows and advice on the best route to limit energy use. Up to 30% of energy can be saved without losing much time on the way. The new solutions will be progressively commercialised and integrated into production of new models, making electric cars even greener.

Commenting on the breakthrough, Dr Kosmas Knödler, co-ordinator of the OpEneR project and working for the chassis systems control division at Robert Bosch GmbH, said: “Our findings are important for the future of all electric vehicles, including hybrids; they will help unlock the market. Further road testing is planned. Then we expect the system to be progressively integrated into production as from next year onwards.”

After three years of intense collaboration and with €4.4m of EU investment, the project team presented two demonstrator electric vehicles in Spain this summer.

Engineers and researchers have worked to improve the electrical powertrain, the regenerative braking system, the navigation system and the surround sensors. They have developed a networked architecture with various functions that connect these elements with each other.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for the Digital Agenda, said it was important to develop “smarter and greener ways” to travel and that EU projects such as OpEneR were going “in the right direction”.

The European Union aims to have between eight and nine million electric vehicles on the road by 2020.