Ricardo to optimise in-car climate control systems to extend the range of electric vehicles

As part of its mission to support the decarbonisation of the global transport and energy sectors, Ricardo, a world-class environmental, engineering and strategic consulting company, has received Government funding to optimise in-car thermal and energy management systems to improve electric vehicle range and battery performance. This technology innovation will help accelerate consumer adoption of battery electric vehicles.

Partnering with Jaguar Land Rover and using a Jaguar I-PACE as a demonstrator vehicle, Ricardo engineers will take the novel approach of looking holistically at whole vehicle thermal management and use state-of the art digital modelling techniques to optimise the thermal and control systems. The research will optimise energy consumption and driver/passenger comfort, with the aim of increasing electric vehicle range by 5% while reducing overall cost by 10%. The project has been funded by the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV) in partnership with Innovate UK.

Teri Hawksworth, President, Ricardo Automotive and Industrial EMEA said: “The UK Government has committed to banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. There is a real need for innovative technology solutions which will drive cost out of electrification and enhance electric vehicle performance, efficiency, safety and cost, to encourage consumer take-up. Leveraging Ricardo’s proven track record in electrification engineering and green mobility solutions, we are very pleased to have received the funding, which will enable us to support the mass adoption of electrification by making it more affordable and help the UK reach its ambitious net zero goals.”

Read More