Comparative Analysis of Differential Ratios in Electric City Bus Energy Consumption Using MATLAB Simulink

Year 2025, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 71 - 86, 29.12.2025

Yunus Kizilarslan , Oğuzhan Arı , Sezgin Kaçar

https://doi.org/10.70395/cunas.1821869

https://izlik.org/JA38LL69LE

Abstract

This study presents a MATLAB/Simulink-based analysis to investigate the effect of differential gear ratios on the energy consumption of a 13-meter low-entry electric city bus. Four differential ratios (5.12, 5.73, 6.19, and 7.36) were simulated under SORT-1, SORT-2, and SORT-3 driving cycles, representing different urban operation patterns. The developed simulation model incorporates vehicle longitudinal dynamics, motor efficiency maps, and battery energy flow. Results indicate that increasing the differential ratio reduces the specific energy consumption in all driving cycles. The lowest value of 1.747 kWh/km was obtained at a 7.36 ratio under the SORT-3 cycle. The recovery ratio remained stable around 27 ± 1 %, confirming consistent regenerative braking performance. The findings highlight the importance of differential ratio selection for optimizing the drivetrain efficiency of electric buses and can serve as a guideline for future powertrain configurations in urban public transport applications.

Keywords

electric city bus , differential ratio , MATLAB Simulink , energy consumption , regenerative braking , SORT cycle

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