MATLAB and Simulink for Electric Vehicle Development

Model, simulate, and develop batteries, motors, and controllers with Model-Based Design

MATLAB®, Simulink®, and Simscape™ enable engineers to front-load the development of electric vehicles (EV) through the systematic use of data and models. You can use pre-built reference applications to lower the barrier for simulation. With MATLAB and Simulink, you can:

  • Use Model-Based System Engineering to design complex EV architectures and optimize systems
  • Model batteries and develop battery management systems (BMS)
  • Model fuel cell systems (FCS) and develop fuel cell control systems (FCCS)
  • Model traction motors and develop Motor Control Units (MCU)
  • Deploy, integrate, and test control algorithms
  • Use data-driven workflows and artificial intelligence (AI) in EV development
Electric Vehicle overview

Develop System Architecture and Perform System Simulation

Electric vehicles require design and analysis at the vehicle level involving multidomain systems integration. With MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape, you can:

  • Get full EV simulation with motors, generators, and energy storage components up and running quickly using pre-built reference applications for common powertrain configurations
  • Perform analyses such as architecture tradeoff, motor and battery sizing, and control parameter optimization
  • Integrate, analyze, and test multidomain systems
  • Capture system architecture, detailed design, and implementation details in a single environment with digital trace across models from different process steps
  • Reuse models throughout design flow from architecture, analysis, to hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing

Model Batteries and Develop BMS

Accurate battery modeling front-loads development of batteries and BMS for diverse charge-discharge and environmental conditions. With MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape, you can:

  • Model and simulate batteries and develop BMS
  • Model batteries with equivalent circuits and add fidelity with elaborate circuit topologies
  • Simulate non-linearities, thermal effects, SOC/SOH, and degradation of batteries
  • Enable BMS development, including control logic, automatic code generation, and closed-loop simulation for AUTOSAR and certification workflows
  • Achieve functionalities like voltage and temperature monitoring, thermal and overcharge protection, and cell balancing and isolation in BMS

Model Fuel Cell Systems and Develop Fuel Cell Control Systems

Accurate fuel cell systems (FCS) modeling, such as Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), frontloads development of FCS and fuel cell control systems (FCCS) across diverse operating and environmental conditions. With MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape you can:

  • Model and simulate FCS and develop FCCS
  • Model PEM fuel cells using first principles based on electro-chemistry or experimental data
  • Simulate fuel economy, performance, and thermal effects in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)
  • Enable FCCS development, including control logic, automatic code generation, and closed-loop validation with support for AUTOSAR and certification workflows
  • Achieve functionalities like current, voltage, and power monitoring and thermal management

Model Inverters, Traction Motors, and Develop Motor Control Software

Accurate motor modeling frontloads the design of motor and motor control units (MCU) before hardware testing. With MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape, you can:

  • Model and simulate motors, power electronics, and MCUs
  • Model motors at the desired level of fidelity from the system level, control design level, and motor design level using features like automated parameter estimation
  • Design, simulate, and validate power conversion systems using model libraries of energy sources, power semiconductors, and machines such as permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and induction motor (IM)
  • Enable MCU development using blocks for creating and tuning field-oriented control, automated tuning of PID controllers, automatic code generation, and validate in closed-loop simulations, including HIL with support for AUTOSAR and certification workflows

Deploy, Integrate, and Test Control Algorithms

EV developers increasingly need to comply with safety standards. With MATLAB and Simulink, you can:

  • Automatically generate optimized C and HDL code
  • Trace requirements, measure quality of code/models, and generate test cases automatically
  • Comply with an ISO 26262 reference workflow to meet functional safety requirements
  • Use tools that are pre-qualified for ISO 26262
  • Leverage AUTOSAR Blockset (classic and adaptive) to model AUTOSAR software components, simulate compositions, and import/export ARXML files
  • Integrate with CI/CD/CT pipelines, generate code, package for deployment, and automate regression testing

Use Data Driven Workflows and AI in EV Development

Use Data-Driven Workflows and AI in EV Development

Using test data and real-world driving data, you can make design decisions, build reduced-order models that speed simulations, and develop maintenance services. With MATLAB and Simulink, you can:

  • Leverage the complete AI workflow: Data preparation, AI modeling, simulation and test, and deployment on embedded hardware, edge devices, cloud, or enterprise servers
  • Start with pre-built algorithms, models, and reference examples for AI modeling
  • Access data from databases, cloud sources, binary files such as MDF and more
  • Train models with point-and-click apps for machine learning and deep learning
  • Import models from the broader AI community for transfer learning and deployment
  • Integrate AI into system-wide models, and simulate and verify before moving to hardware
  • Use AI capabilities for predicting remaining useful life, predictive maintenance, building digital twins, and bringing AI in Simulink

Why MATLAB and Simulink for EV Development?

Simulink integrates with 153+ third-party tools and languages making it a popular integration platform.

Pick from a wide range of models to get the right trade-off between model fidelity and execution speed for your use case.

Lower the barrier to simulation using reference examples, training courses, and documentation.

Leverage the expertise of MathWorks Consulting to speed up development projects.

Meet compliance and certification standards (ISO 26262, ASPICE, MISRA-C, and more) with Model-Based Design workflows.

Go from concept to deployment within the MATLAB and Simulink environment.

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