Simulation study on the measured difference in fuel consumption between real-world driving and ECE-15 of a hybrid electric vehicle

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are sensitive to the driving conditions under which they are used, leading to greater fuel consumption than quoted by the manufacturer, and therefore higher CO emissions. Real-world driving can be very different from the legislative drive cycles as speeds are greater, there are faster changes in speed, and these changes occur at a greater frequency. This study aims to investigate where the differences between real-world driving and the ECE-15 urban drive cycle occur through development of a real-world drive cycle and via a system simulation study. A second generation 2004 Toyota Prius equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) data logging system was used to collect data while in use by Loughborough University Security over a period of 9 months. These data were used for the development of a drive cycle, Loughborough University Urban Drive Cycle (LUUDC), representing urban driving around the university campus and local urban area. The same vehicle was tested on a chassis dynamometer on the LUUDC against the ECE-15 cycle and others. Fuel consumption was measured and CO emissions were calculated and compared. A model based on Autonomie vehicle simulation software was used to simulate and analyse the differences. The test and modelling results showed higher fuel consumption on LUUDC than ECE-15. The reasons for this will be discussed in this paper.