Heat balance analysis for an electric car
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3846/enviro.2026.2323Abstract
The paper focuses on the analysis and simulation of thermal management systems in electric vehicles. In the computational section, heat exchange in the passenger cabin and the electric drive system was modeled using advanced engineering software Siemens Amesim. These models were employed to simulate the cabin’s heat balance and to calculate heat losses in the drive system in order to determine the thermal load on the cooling and air conditioning systems. Based on the results, the impact of operating conditions on heat exchange with the environment was analyzed, and directions for further development of cooling systems in electric vehicles were proposed. A well-described Tesla Model SR 2021 RWD electric vehicle was analyzed. Calculations were performed for three variants, one with a stationary vehicle, the second with a variable ambient temperature, and the third with a variable vehicle speed. The calculations revealed a significant impact of ambient temperature on heat flows penetrating the car’s structure, and in the case of increasing car speed, a significant demand for battery and engine cooling.
Keywords:
electric vehicle, heat fluxes, heat balance, thermal management systemHow to Cite
Electric Vehicle database. (2021). Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://ev-database.org/car/1485/Tesla-Model-3-Standard-Range-Plus
EVSpecifications. (2021). Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD – Specifications. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://www.evspecifications.com/en/model/4ab310f
Fayazbakhsh, M. A., & Bahrami, M. (2013, April 16). Comprehensive modeling of vehicle air conditioning loads using heat balance method. In Proceedings of the SAE 2013 World Congress & Exhibition. Detroit, Michigan, United States. https://doi.org/10.4271/2013-01-1507
Gabbar, H. A., Othman A. M., & Abdussami M. R. (2021). Review of battery management systems (BMS) development and industrial standards. Technologies, 9(2), Article 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies9020028
Grabowski, M., Urbaniec, K., Wernik, J., & Wołosz, K. (2016). Numerical simulation and experimental verification of heat transfer from a finned housing of an electric motor. Energy Conversion and Management, 125, 91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2016.05.038
Holenko, K., Dykha, O., Koda, E., Kernytskyy, I., Horbay, O., Royko, Y., Fornalchyk, Y., Berezovetska, O., Rys, V., Humenuyk, R., Berezovetskyi, S., Żółtowski, M.Baryłka, A., Markiewicz, A., Wierzbicki, T., & Bayat, H. (2024). Structure and strength optimization of the Bogdan ERCV27 electric garbage truck spatial frame under static loading. Applied Sciences, 14(23), Article 11012. https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311012
International Organization for Standardization. (2021). Ergonomics of the thermal environment – Determination of metabolic rate (ISO Standard No. 8996:2021). https://www.iso.org/standard/74443.html
Kosobudzki, M. K., & Grenzia, H. (2021). Preliminary analysis of the requirements for air conditioning systems in high mobility wheeled vehicles. Journal of Translogistics, 17, 69–84.
Ritchie, H. (2020). Sector by sector: Where do global greenhouse gas emissions come from? Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/ghg-emissions-by-sector#article-citation
Guo, R., Sun, Z., & Luo, M. (2024) Energy-efficient battery thermal management strategy for range extended electric vehicles based on model predictive control and dynamic programming. Energy, 307, Article 132769. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.132769
Sun, B., Qi, X., Song, D., & Rruan, H. (2023). Review of low-temperature performance, modeling and heating for Lithium-Ion batteries. Energies, 16(20), Article 7142. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16207142
Tikadar, A., Johnston, D., Kumar, N., Joshi, Y., & Kumar, S. (2021). Comparison of electro-thermal performance of advanced cooling techniques for electric vehicles motors. Applied Thermal Engineering, 183(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.116182
Bin, X., & Ziba, A. (2023). Parametric study on thermal management system for the range of full (Tesla Model S)/ compact-size (Tesla Model 3) electric vehicles. Energy Conversion and Management, 278, Article 116753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116753
Yu, Z., Zhang, J., & Pan, W. (2023) A review of battery thermal management systems about heat pipe and phase change materials. Journal of Energy Storage, 62, Article 106827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.106827
Zearban, M., Abdealaziz, M., & Abdelwahab, M. (2024). The temperature effect on electric vehicle’s Lithium-Ion battery aging using machine learning algorithm. Engineering Proceedings, 70, Article 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2024070053
Ziad, A. M., Jurao, F., Gandoman, F. H., & Ćalasan, M. (2024). Advancements in battery thermal management for electric vehicles: Types, technologies, and control strategies including deep learning methods. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(9), Article 102908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2024.102
Downloads
CrossMark check
Published
Conference Event
Section
Copyright
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Nordic Geodetic Commission
International Federation of Surveyors
European Sustainable Energy Innovation Alliance
New European Bauhaus Academy
The Lithuanian Roads Association
Lithuanian Water Suppliers Association
Bentley
AB "Kauno tiltai"
UAB "Kerista"
UAB "Danfoss"
UAB "EMP recycling"
UAB "ACO Lietuva"
UAB "Arginta"
UAB "Skadec LT"
UAB "GPS partneris"
UAB "Hnit-Baltic"
AB "Eurovia Lietuva"
VšĮ "RV Agentūra"
UAB "GeoNovus"