Kameel Kishek

Range loss, both short-term and over a vehicle’s life, is of concern to fleet owners considering electrification. Electric vehicle (EV) range is influenced by multiple factors, including driving behavior, terrain, and environmental settings, and short-term loss relating to driving behavior and conditions and increased energy demand in extreme heat or cold driven by cabin comfort, auxiliary loads, and battery thermal management can significantly impact energy consumption, reduce fuel economy, and provide a poor owner experience.

To address this challenge, CLEAResult developed a route analysis tool that assesses real-world driving behavior and data and estimates energy requirements under extreme weather conditions. This tool incorporates industry-sourced degradation coefficients to evaluate an EV’s ability to reliably replace an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle effectively and includes the option to assess additional energy needed for refrigeration trucks, towing, and other large auxiliary loads.

The tool was primarily applied to school bus electrification programs, evaluating reported daily mileage against electric school buses (Types A, C, and D) under extreme hot and cold scenarios. The tool also analyzed other medium- and light-duty commercial vehicle fleets under these extreme temperatures. CLEAResult included this analysis in their electrification assessments for several utilities to provide fleet managers with more accurate and practical recommendations.