Estimating Energy Consumption of Battery Electric Vehicles Using Vehicle Sensor Data and Machine Learning Approaches

Transport electrification, which entails replacing fossil fuel-powered engines with electric drivetrains through the use of electric vehicles (EVs), has been identified as a potential strategy for reducing emissions in the transportation sector. As the adoption of EVs increases, there is a growing need to understand their performance and characteristics, particularly the factors that influence energy consumption under actual driving conditions. This study sought to investigate the actual energy consumption of commercial battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Thailand by conducting real-world driving tests under various route conditions, including urban and rural route modes. Data collection was performed through the use of onboard diagnostics and global positioning system devices. The result shows that the average energy consumption of the BEVs in this study was 148.03 Wh/km. Moreover, several machine learning (ML) techniques were utilized to analyze the collected dataset to predict energy consumption and identify the key factors influencing energy consumption. A comprehensive investigation of factor significance was carried out by employing a specific algorithm in conjunction with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach. This investigation provided insights into the influence of battery current and vehicle speed on the energy consumption of BEVs, particularly in the context of urban route conditions. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the energy consumption of BEVs and the factors affecting it, which can aid in improving energy efficiency and informing policy decisions related to transport electrification.