Electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry. There are already more than 2.5 million BEVs and PHEVs in the United States this year, which is expected to increase. There are more than 2.3 million electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe. In India, the number exceeded 1.3 million.
Battery aside, a key factor for a successful EV that is rarely discussed is the embedded software. An embedded system is a mix of hardware and software applications designed to perform specific tasks.
A conventional internal combustion (IC) engine has complex mechanical systems to control and manage the vehicle. This engine is made up of more than 2,000 mechanical parts. However, an EV's electric motor is simpler in that control and management of the vehicle are entirely attributed to onboard software.
Software is essential for proper EV management. For example, predictive maintenance software is a critical component for the safe operation of your battery and battery management system.
Let's review some of the other important roles that automotive software plays in an electric vehicle.
Operation
Essentially, the software in an electric vehicle replaces the mechanical system found in IC vehicles and is responsible for multiple aspects of an EC. It controls the battery management system, the car's engine and power electronics. For example, the power electronics is responsible for converting the battery's DC voltage into the AC voltage required by the engine. Built-in software controls this process and ensures that power is delivered efficiently and reliably.
Additionally, engine control software controls engine speed and torque, determining how quickly the vehicle accelerates and how much energy is used. This software also ensures that the motor operates within safe temperature limits and protects it from overloading.
Maintenance
EV maintenance and repairs are different from traditional vehicles, in part due to the significant role of embedded software. This is where predictive maintenance is important to ensure optimal vehicle performance, prevent breakdowns and extend the life of your car.
Predictive maintenance software can send real-time alerts to schedule maintenance before a failure occurs. This software monitors and collects data from the EV's different components and systems, notifying the driver of any potential concerns based on the vehicle's specifications. This helps avoid unexpected downtime and potentially reduces repair costs.
Predictive maintenance software also analyzes data from various sensors installed in the EV, such as those that measure battery voltage, engine temperature and tire pressure.
Navigation
Because electric vehicles have a limited range based on battery charge, it is common to pre-plan most routes. No one wants to be delayed or stranded because of a dead battery.
The EV's software provides data on battery status and can predict the distance traveled between charges. Smart navigation software can also offer the shortest, least crowded route to a destination to make best use of the battery – and locate the nearest charging stations.
Security
Embedded software is critical to the safety of electric vehicles, ensuring they function correctly while protecting against potential hazards. An EV's electronic control systems are more tightly coupled than in any IC engine. Connectivity between an EV's embedded systems must ensure the vehicle's safety and performance.
In addition to monitoring and helping maintain vehicle performance, some EVs have software that can detect potential collisions, using sensors and cameras that warn the driver or automatically apply the brakes if necessary.
Car performance
In EVs, software is not only essential for operation, but also supports improvements in vehicle design. Diagnostic data is shared with cloud servers that analyze the data to improve security and performance. This is important because EV manufacturers still have challenges to overcome.
The industry must find viable ways to reduce additional cost while increasing autonomy and reducing charging times. Battery safety is another area that requires more R&D.
The data collected by EV software is also useful in determining locations and improvements for new charging infrastructure.
Software Updates
Software updates in traditional vehicles are typically done via cables. On the other hand, EV software is primarily done wirelessly, through over-the-air (OTA) updates. It is extremely important that EV software is updated regularly and updated as necessary to ensure the safety, security and functionality of the vehicle. OTA updates will continue to be the way to maintain electric car software.
Embedded software includes cybersecurity features such as encryption and secure communication protocols to protect against hackers and unauthorized access to vehicle systems.
Autonomous driving
EVs have paved the way for the development of connected and autonomous driving. The reliance on software control for all EV operation means they can be automated more easily than IC-engined vehicles. Using electric motor technology, electric cars can be controlled precisely, even if their movement is managed remotely by a cloud service.
EV software that enables autonomous driving has the potential to improve safety, reduce congestion and increase efficiency on the road. The software features advanced sensors, machine learning algorithms and mapping technology.
However, there are still hurdles before autonomous driving becomes mainstream. For example, connected cars require extensive infrastructure involving the Internet of Things that must operate to communicate and navigate securely in real-time without failure. Traffic safety is also a concern that needs to be addressed before driverless cars can hit the road.
Furthermore, while electric vehicles continually improve battery efficiency to achieve the longest possible driving range, autonomous cars require a large energy overhead for sensors, connectivity and computing. The electric car industry must address the need to achieve higher driving ranges while cutting costs and reducing charging times.
Despite these challenges, electric vehicles are a significant first step towards the development of autonomous and connected cars. As technology continues to evolve, we expect continued improvements in electric and autonomous vehicles, bringing us ever closer to a fully autonomous future.
Conclusion
Embedded software is crucial to the operation of the EV as it plays a vital role in the operation, maintenance, navigation, safety and security of the vehicle. This technology has already reached significant milestones, but there is room for improvement. The main objectives of developing electric vehicles are to increase range, reduce charging times and reduce costs, while ensuring compliance with safety standards.
Only fully electric vehicles with embedded software will be able to become fully autonomous in the future. Automotive software involved in communicating with sensors, connecting to IoT infrastructure, and computing navigation and motion will play a key role in achieving this.
Overall, the continued development of embedded software for electric vehicles is essential to the growth and success of the industry and the future of autonomous driving.
