<p dir="ltr">Car design is a complex task because of how highly integrated system of systems it is. Fine?designed car models take years of design and optimization and are usually done by specialty teams who are dedicated to each sub-system. This thesis delves into designing a simplified electric race car from scratch with focus on the performance envelope of it. First, a 3D CAD model was done using SolidWorks. That section deals with spatial engineering and strategic placement of major car components for best performance. Having most of the parts in place gives a rough estimate of CoG (Center of Gravity) location, which is needed for vehicle dynamics analysis, which are discussed later in the report. The target for this project car is to have innovative aerodynamics features which might not have been used before because of bulky internal combustion engines restricting available space. One of them is an airfoil-like fascia which makes the center part of the car act as a one big wing. That is believed to give a significant reduction in drag loads on the car. The approach for aerodynamics design and analysis started with a model representing the car’s OML (Outer Mold line) which was simulated separately using Siemens StarCCM+. After understanding the car’s body aero behavior, a rear wing was added to provide extra rear downforce for better handling and stability. The rear wing design was explained in detail. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions as well as software access issues, the aerodynamic analysis of the full car with rear wing is left for future work. After having an estimate about aero loads acting on the car, vehicle dynamics analysis could start. The first subject studied in vehicle dynamics was front-view suspension geometry analysis. Taking the available packaging and geometry into consideration, a 2D model was done in SolidWorks to optimize camber gain. This analysis gave the motion ratio of the front and rear pushrod suspension system which was needed to analyze the performance of the one-eighth car model, ½ car pitch model, and ½ car roll model. These models gave insights into the decision-making process for spring and damping rates to reach a good balance between performance and comfort. This project acts as a hub for further development and studies related to car design.</p>

Deep decarbonisation of road transportation is challenging. One of the most potentially beneficial approaches is electrification which is the subject of this PhD thesis. A widespread penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) across a large proportion of road transport demand is needed to realise the benefits of an electrified transport sector. However, this is dependent on overcoming significant barriers. This study performs a systematic analysis of how proven power charging technologies could be used to unlock the barriers to widespread electrification of road transportation. Various road transport sectors and type of journeys are explored including aspects of autonomous operations and novel wireless power transfer technologies. For each operation, a framework is proposed that allows the exploitation of current and potential future electrification technologies to enable shifting towards EVs. Based on that, simulation tools and methods are developed to calculate the power requirements of EVs and determine a suitable charging infrastructure. The additional power demand, electric load and the implications for the electricity supply network are explored. The total expenditure needed and the CO2 emission savings are also calculated for each investigated operation. Transitional strategies include the electrification of bus routes, refuse collection functions, home deliveries and aspects of autonomous operations for public transportation within the boundaries of the cities. In the long-term, focus is given on passenger cars and freight vehicles for both urban and inter-urban journeys. A nationwide adoption of all electrification strategies proposed in this thesis would increase the peak power demand of Great Britain by approximately 38 GW (72% of the current peak) and the electricity consumption by 180 TWh per year (45% of current consumption). The total capital cost required is calculated at £225 billion which is similar to the cost of other large infrastructure projects of the country. The impact would be a significant aggregate saving of approximately 2,000 MtCO2 between the numbers calculated for today's norms (2018) and those calculated for 2050.