Performance Comparison of Fuel Cell and Electric Vehicles on Different Road Gradients
Abstract
The importance of green energy is increasing day by day. Hence, research on zero-emission transportation technologies has been advancing rapidly. In this study, the performances of electric and fuel cell vehicles, which are emission-free vehicles, are compared. These vehicles are designed with reference to the actual parameters of fuel cell and electric vehicles of the vehicle manufacturer Toyota. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure was applied to these vehicles incorporating road gradients of -1.5%, 5%, 10%, and 15% into the driving cycle. The range, battery temperature, battery energy consumption and state of charge values of these vehicles were analyzed. The results show that increasing gradient leads to an increase in energy consumption and battery temperature in both vehicles and a decrease in battery state of charge. However, the electric vehicle shows a decrease in range, especially on steeper gradients, and is more sensitive to significant gradient increases. On the other hand, the fuel cell vehicle-maintained battery stability against increasing gradients and did not experience any range loss despite the increase in battery temperature and consumption. These results emphasize the role of road gradient on vehicle performance and sustainability.
Keywords
Fuel cell vehicle, Electric vehicle, Battery, Energy consumption, Road grade
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