| Estimation of the Impact of Wind on Vehicle Energy Consumption in Battery Electric Vehicles |
| Vivek A. Jairazbhoy |
| Energy Optimization & Range Extension Department, Stellantis N.V., Auburn Hills, MI, USA |
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Received: December 30, 2024; Revised: June 3, 2025 Accepted: June 10, 2025. Published online: October 10, 2025. |
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| ABSTRACT |
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Vehicle aerodynamics can have a considerable impact on energy consumption. We show that wind can make a significant contribution to aerodynamic drag and present a methodology to capture drag over the entire operating range of vehicle speed, wind speed, and wind direction. The approach entails performing a 2D aerodynamic characterization of the vehicle by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and/or experimental methods, modeling the 2D aerodynamic force in the presence of wind, and calculating the longitudinal component of that force. The relationships developed facilitate the real-time estimation of drag in the presence of wind, and the general methodology is applicable to streamlined vehicle design over the entire operating range of yaw. Wind-affected aerodynamic drag calculations show that the aerodynamic power loss is strongly dependent on wind direction and, in certain cases, wind could more than double the loss. In a vehicle simulation study estimating the relative contributions of several inputs on consumption, road grade, ambient temperature extremes, and windy conditions were found to be the most important influencing factors. |
| Key Words:
Energy consumption · Aerodynamic characterization · Wind consumption model · Electric vehicle |
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Corresponding Author.
Vivek A. Jairazbhoy , Email. 
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