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Electric Vehicle Range & Efficiency Testing

Electric vehicle range is the distance an EV can travel on a single charge. Battery systems and electric motors may perform differently in city or highway driving conditions under various speeds, temperatures and environmental conditions. The efficiency of EVs and hybrid-electric vehicles may also change depending on performance of mechanical parts, coolants and electric motor lubricants.

Southwest Research Institute provides R&D and testing services that help the automotive industry develop high-performing, highly efficient electric and hybrid vehicles. Our electric vehicle range and efficiency testing services are performed on a variety of dynamometers.

SAE J1634 Electric Car Range Testing

An SwRI dynamometer performing repeatable EV range tests

An SwRI dynamometer performs repeatable EV range tests per SAE J1634.

The SAE J1634 is the test procedure for light-duty vehicles that rely on batteries as the sole source of power. The Battery Electric Vehicle Energy Consumption and Range Test Procedure, or SAE J1634, verifies the range that an EV can achieve under different drive cycles and environmental conditions and provides an idea of vehicle efficiency as MPGe or kWh/mi. SwRI provides this electric car range test on our dynamometers at our campus in San Antonio, Texas.

DEVCon™ Automated Testing Advantage

SwRI’s proprietary Direct Electronic Control (DEVCon™) automates fuel economy and range and efficiency testing for more accurate results. DEVCon combines proprietary control algorithms and drive-by-wire technology for repeatable dynamometer measurements with computer control of the accelerator-pedal. DEVCon can be configured for SAE J1634 and even custom drive cycles.

Detail of engine in a car
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