Optimized Cabin Heating Strategy for Battery Electric CEP Vehicles

Electromobility is gaining significance in the CEP (Courier, Express, and Parcel) sector, as parcel service providers increasingly rely on zero-emission vehicles to improve their CO2 balance. A general disadvantage of electric vehicles is the reduced range under cold operating conditions due to the higher energy demand for cabin heating. Another CEP-specific effect which affects the energy demand and thermal cabin comfort is the frequent door opening during the parcel delivery. Additionally, the vehicle cabin cools down during the driver’s absence because the cabin heating is turned off. Despite an acceptable level of thermal comfort must be maintained during the driving phases. This paper proposes an optimization-based strategy for the cabin heating of battery electric CEP vehicles. The objective is to maximize the cabin temperature during the driving phases compared to a baseline heating strategy while maintaining a desired energy consumption. For this purpose, a nonlinear model predictive control approach is developed. The individual optimization of the conflict is achieved by custom weighting of the corresponding terms within the objective function. Assuming that parcel delivery phases can be predicted accurately, model-in-the-loop simulations indicate a significant potential for cabin temperature optimization. The optimization potential depends on the underlying CEP usage behavior, particularly the delivery stop frequency. Furthermore, the weighting of the energy consumption has a significant influence on the optimization result. With a low weighting of the energy consumption, the cabin is proactively preheated while the driver is absent. Compared to the baseline strategy, this results in a higher thermal comfort and defined increase in energy consumption. When energy consumption is weighted high, a moderate reduction of the heating power before the delivery stop in combination with a preheating before the driver returns is shown. The cabin temperature in the driving phases is thus increased without additional consumption compared to the baseline strategy.