Extending Range of Battery Electric Heavy Goods Vehicles Using Energy Efficient Advanced Driver Assistance System

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**Problem**The range of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) for road freight and the initial up-front cost of ownership are widely cited as the most common reasons why fleet operators are not transitioning to ZEVs. In the case of battery-electric HGVs (eHGV), a subset of ZEVs, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) simply increase the number of battery cells in the vehicle in order to extend the range of the vehicle. While this boosts the range, it introduces new challenges. It first significantly increases the cost of the vehicle as battery cells are one of the most expensive components, pricing out most consumers. Secondly, it increases the CO2 emissions at the time of manufacturing, meaning the environmental benefits of a eHGV are less meaningful.**Observation**A key observation is that driving style---how a driver accelerates, brakes and steers---is the single biggest factor why a BEV range by the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) standard is not replicated by consumers on public roads.**What is the product & how is it disruptive**In response to this Creation Labs are developing the first Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) that is specifically optimized for energy efficiency to extend the range of eHGV. The active ADAS solution is a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level-2 autonomous system that controls the vehicle under the supervision of the driver. The ADAS is innovative as it leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to understand the context of the road, the vehicle's electric powertrain, and regenerative braking systems to control the vehicle in an optimally energy efficient manner. Intuitively, it knows when it is most appropriate for the vehicle to coast using no energy and to maximise the percentage of braking, which is regenerative, recharging the vehicle's battery.Project partner Electra Commercial Vehicles knows the challenges of eHGV range first hand from their 50 eHGVs they have sold to customers. They will be providing the test eHGV for the project and bring extensive automotive and electronics experience to the consortium.**How does the product address the problem**The ADAS helps to solve the eHGV range issue by controlling the vehicle optimally to extend the range. The device and software help to extend the range at a fraction of the price of installing additional batteries. Additionally, the extended range is achieved through a manufacturing process which has a smaller carbon footprint than alternatives.