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The experimental measurement of the energy consumption and efficiency of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are key topics to determine their usability and performance in real-world conditions. This paper aims to present the results of a test campaign carried out on a BEV, representative of the most common technology available today on the market. The vehicle is a 5-seat car, equipped with an 80 kW synchronous electric motor powered by a 24 kWh Li-Ion battery. The description and discussion of the experimental results is split into 2 parts: Part 1 focuses on laboratory tests, whereas Part 2 focuses on the on-road tests. As far as on-road tests are concerned, the vehicle has been tested over three different on-road routes, ranging from 60 to 90 km each, with a driving time ranging from approximately one and half to two and half hours.

The experimental measurement of the energy consumption and efficiency of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are key topics to determine their usability and performance in real-world conditions. This paper aims to present the results of a test campaign carried out on a BEV, representative of the most common technology available today on the market. The vehicle is a 5-seat car, equipped with an 80 kW synchronous electric motor powered by a 24 kWh Li-Ion battery. The description and discussion of the experimental results is split into 2 parts: Part 1 focuses on laboratory tests, whereas Part 2 focuses on the on-road tests. As far as the laboratory tests are concerned, the vehicle has been tested over three different driving cycles (i.e. NEDC, WLTC and WMTC) at two different ambient temperatures (namely +25 °C and −7 °C), with and without the use of the cabin heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

Among the research and development subjects of ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment) an important theme is the study of innovative vehicles with high energy efficiency and low emissions. Our programs are aimed at designing and setting up innovative vehicles with electric propulsion. These vehicles will be of two main types: battery-powered (pure- electric) and hybrid (fuel cell/battery and diesel/battery). At the moment, the fuel-cell technology applied to engines for vehicular applications displays broad margins of convenience over any known alternative engine for what concerns the compliance with any present and foreseeable environmental and energy saving regulations. On the other hand, the use of hydrogen, produced on board from fuels or stored as a liquid or a gas, raises new problems from the point of view of safety regulations and standards both in the design and use of vehicles and in the fuel production and distribution.

ENEA started an experimental activity aimed at characterizing particulate matter emitted from two-stroke vehicles, especially to determine its physical and chemical parameters; total mass, granulometric distribution, major chemical compounds. In this paper, results from the first phase of the experimental campaign are shown. Particulate matter emissions in terms of total mass from two mopeds, one equipped with an engine built according to the limits stated on the Directive 97/24/CE(EURO 1) and the other equipped with an engine of the last previous generation, were measured. Measures were performed under different steady regimes, varying speed and load, and according to ECE-47 cycle. Tests have shown that particulate matter emissions a total mass are related to lubricants consumption. Moreover they are considerable for both mopeds. As for the EURO 1 moped, operating conditions determine catalyst temperature, as expected, and its efficiency as a consequence.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are worldwide recognized as one of the best and most immediate opportunities to solve the problems of fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and fossil fuels depletion, thanks to the high reliability of engines and the high efficiencies of motors. Moreover, as transport policy is becoming day by day stricter all over the world, moving people or goods efficiently and cheaply is the goal that all the main automobile manufacturers are trying to reach. In this context, the municipalities are performing their own action plans for public transport and the efforts in realizing high efficiency hybrid electric buses, could be supported by the local policies. For these reasons, the authors intend to propose an efficient control strategy for a hybrid electric bus, with a series architecture for the power-train.

Two-wheeled powered motor vehicles are an important pollutant source especially in urban areas. ENEA, in cooperation with Municipality of Rome, carried out an experimental activity aimed at evaluate particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions from two-wheel motor vehicles. In this paper, cold and hot PM and particulate PAHs emissions from eight 2-stroke 50 cc in-use mopeds, (3 pre-Euro I, 3 Euro I and 2 Euro II) and four 4-stroke 150 cc in-use scooters (2 pre-Euro I and 2 Euro I), are presented. Mopeds and scooters were tested according to ECE-47 and ECE-40 driving cycles, respectively. Obtained results show that two-wheel motor vehicles are important pollution sources of PM and PAHs and their contribution should be considered in urban emission inventories. Referring to 2003 Italian fleet activity data results obtained in this work show that in urban areas mopeds contribution to particulate matter emissions is 1.6 x 106 kg.

Within the “Industria 2015” Italian framework program, the HI-ZEV project has the aim to develop two high performance vehicles: one full electric and one hybrid. This paper deals with the electric energy storage (EES) design and testing of the hybrid vehicle. A model of the storage system has been developed, simulating each cell like an electric generator with more RC circuits in series. To take account of the heat transfer, a forced convection model has been used with the air speed proportional to the vehicle speed. The model had two calibration steps: the first has determined the electrical parameters of the model (open voltage circuit, internal resistances and capacitors); the second to calibrate the heat transfer model. The first calibration has been made on a climatic chamber at 23 °C discharging one single module with different constant currents from 5C (5 times the nominal capacity) to 25C and charging with currents in the range from 1C to 5C.

Technological and commercial development of vehicles specifically conceived for urban use would certainly be a crucial aspect in making mobility sustainable in urban contexts thanks to their limited in size and low fuel consumption and emissions. Hybrid drive trains are particularly suited to this purpose: if properly designed, very small-sized thermal engines can give all the energy and power required for the application, also making pure electric driving possible when required. The authors are involved since a decade in proposing new low-cost solutions to address this market sector. Market itself explored these possibilities and nowadays offers some BEV solutions in this market share, but it is still lacking in proposing solutions for a parallel full hybrid drive. The main reason must be searched in the complexity of normally applied parallel-hybrid propulsion systems which is not compatible with the limited costs of the application.

This paper aims at providing the scientific community with an overview of the H2020 European project 3beLiEVe and of its early achievements. The project has the objective of delivering the next generation Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Oxide (LNMO) battery cells, in line with the target performance of the “generation 3b” Li-ion battery technology, as per EU SET-plan Action 7. Its activities are organized in three main pillars: (i) developing the 3b next generation LMNO battery cell, equipped with (ii) an array of internal and external sensors and complemented by (iii) manufacturing and recycling processes at scale. At present, 3beLiEVe is approaching the completion of its first project year (out of a total project planned duration of 42 months). Hence this paper, beyond presenting the overall project’s structure and objectives, focuses on its earliest results in the fields of the cell material formulation, arrangement of sensors and design of the battery pack.

The port-logistic industry has a significant impact on the urban environment nearby ports and on the surrounding coastal areas. This is due to the use of large auxiliary power systems on ships operating during port stays, as well as to the employment of a number of fossil fuel powered road vehicles required for port operations. The environmental impact related to the use of these vehicles is twofold: on one hand, they contribute directly to port emissions by fuel consumption; on the other hand, they require some of the ship auxiliary systems to operate intensively, such as the ventilation system, which must operate to remove the pollutants produced by the vehicle engines inside the ship. The pathway to achieve decarbonization and mitigation of energy use in ports involves therefore the adoption of alternative and cleaner technology solutions for the propulsion systems of such port vehicles.