Performance of an all-electric vehicle under UN ECE R101 test conditions: A feasibility study for the city of Kaunas, Lithuania

• This paper examines the perspectives for electric vehicles use in Lithuania.
• We used standardized test procedure UN ECE R101 (urban cycle).
• The study found that the BEVs (battery-only electric vehicles) can cover approximately 75% of all daily driving.
• Inspection of the results highlights the importance of BEVs introduction.
• We have shown that battery-only electric vehicles are economically rational.

Transport activity has been a key facilitator and driver of economic prosperity in Lithuanian (hereinafter LIT) and it is likely to continue to grow. It can produce both positive and negative effects on the quality of life and the environment depending on country-specific circumstances.This research paper sets the stage for a look at the LIT passenger vehicle fleet and its transition towards sustainable mobility through the use of all-electric vehicles. The large multi purpose vehicle from French car-maker Renault, model Renault Espace, was used for test drives, according ECE R101 (urban cycle) requirements. The conventional spark ignited internal combustion engine of the vehicle was replaced by the electric one and equipped with the new generation LiFePO4 Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Three streets of Kaunas city (LIT) with different categories B1, B2 and C2 were selected for the test procedure. Estimation of the power demand (depending on displacement and daytime) and evaluation of battery performance characteristics were discussed in detail. Calculation of the driving distance of the one charge of the traction battery estimates several driving conditions and variation of the mass of the investigated vehicle. Comparison of consumption of different fuel grades for 1 km showed that costs of electric power driven vehicle is 4 times as low as with A95 grade petrol and 2.4 times as low as with diesel fuel.

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