Electric Vehicle Drivetrain Efficiency and the Multi-Speed Transmission Question

Abstract

The availability of high-fidelity energy consumption estimates and the ability to evaluate drivetrain efficiency are crucial for effectively planning a large-scale transition to electric vehicles. For both new and retrofitted electric vehicles, a key question is the transmission type—single-speed or multi-speed—and the resulting impact on the vehicle’s overall efficiency. This paper presents a comprehensive simulation-based methodology for evaluating the impact of transmission selection on vehicle efficiency using high-fidelity driving cycle data. The method can be used for new vehicles and retrofit applications where a transmission is already present. The efficiency of a single-speed reduction gearbox was compared to that of a five-speed multi-speed transmission in a retrofitted vehicle, of which the impact of the manual transmission on the vehicle dynamics and efficiency was examined. The manual transmission proved to be more efficient for a perfect gear-shifting strategy.

Keywords

• electric vehicles
• energy transition
• vehicle conversion
• motor efficiency
• retrofit
• transportation