LAUSR

Abstract The paper presents a methodology and an analysis applied to a real-life dataset, which refer to an extended period that lasted more than one year, pertaining to trips undertaken in Europe by more than one thousand vehicles. The results in this paper are an example of the detailed information that can be extracted from rough data to support the decisions of stakeholders and final users (e.g. car makers, authorities, drivers), as well as to understand which road vehicle features will be able to comply with the observed daily usage of automobiles. The main scope of the paper has been to focus on variables concerning the duration and lengths of trips, the idle times, and the energy consumed by engines. These variables have been correlated and compared with the current and expected hybrid and electric ranges of autonomy, as constrained by the present and next generation of electric batteries, both in terms of autonomy and time required for their recharging. Therefore, the aim of the study has been to find answers to the following research question: considering the daily mileage, actual fuel consumption and idle time structure, can hybrid and electric powertrains represent adequate alternatives to traditional engines, considering the present battery ranges and charging alternatives? Long distance trips have been analysed in detail to obtain a better understanding of whether they can be covered by electric cars in the same ways as they are with those based on internal combustion engines. In the extensive sample that has been analysed, in order to satisfy 99,9% of the daily trips, it would be necessary to raise the range to 400 km. This target could be reached by adopting a PHEV (plug-in) or a full-electric car with an equivalent range. This study provides a quantitative analysis of the energy needs, obtained over a wide range of usage of road vehicles, and attempts to correlate them with the opportunities of recovering energy during the idle time detected over real-life 24h driving cycles, assuming the availability of intermediate charges.