OPTEMUS

OPTimised Energy Management and USe

Optimised energy management and use (OPTEMUS) represents an opportunity for overcoming one of the biggest barriers towards large scale adoption of electric and plug-in hybrid cars: range limitation due to limited storage capacity of electric batteries.

The OPTEMUS project proposes to tackle this bottleneck by leveraging low energy consumption and energy harvesting through a holistic vehicle-occupant-centered approach, considering space, cost and complexity requirements. Specifically, OPTEMUS intends to develop a number of innovative core technologies such as battery housing and insulation as thermal and electric energy storage or passenger localised conditioning, comprising the smart seat with implemented thermo electric devices and the smart cover panels. In addition intelligent controls such as eco-driving and eco-routing strategies, predictive cabin preconditioning strategy with minimum energy consumption and electric management strategy will be developed.

The combined virtual and real-life prototyping and performance assessment in a state of the art, on-the-market A-segment electric vehicle (Fiat 500e) of this package of technologies will allow demonstrating a minimum of 32 % of energy consumption reduction for component cooling and 60 % for passenger comfort, as well as an additional 15 % being available for traction, leading to an increase of the driving range in extreme weather conditions of at least 38 % in a hot ambient and 70 % in a cold ambient.