Electric Vehicle Retrofit Kit

The purpose of this project consists in the creation of a development’s process for the retrofit of different conventional combustion vehicles with an electric powertrain. Following the rules of the Model-Based Design and of the V-cycle for software development, a model has been created in MATLAB/Simulink. This model takes the name of Virtual Prototype, and his creation is fundamental for the choice of the powertrain’s components and how they must interact with the VMU (Vehicle Management Unit). The model is validated following the V-cycle that let an easier comparison between the virtual prototype, the semi-real prototype (where powertrain components are mounted on a test bench), and the real prototype (the retrofitted vehicle). The model is divided in five different sub-systems: the environment in which the car is moving, the powertrain and vehicle behaviour, the control logic of the VMU (Vehicle Management Unit), the HMI (Human Machine Interface), and the presence of a driver also simulating different speed profiles. The Virtual Prototype takes the name of MTM (Modular Technical Model) because each one of these sub-systems, called modules, can be modified and parametrized depending on the vehicle choice for the retrofit and independently from the other modules. The advantages that the MTM’s modular architecture are an enhanced product customization, a quicker time-to-market response and reduced product development and testing costs.