Battery Thermal and Range Simulation of an Electric Two-Wheeler Using ESP32 Based 2RC Equivalent Circuit Model
Dr. M Baritha Begum¹, P Aakash², U H Varunkumar³, J Prawinkumar4, R Ragul5
¹Department of Electronics and communication Engineering, Saranathan College of Engineering
² Department of Electronics and communication Engineering, Saranathan College of Engineering
³Department of Electronics and communication Engineering, Saranathan College of Engineering
4 Department of Electronics and communication Engineering, Saranathan College of Engineering
5 Department of Electronics and communication Engineering, Saranathan College of Engineering
Abstract
Electric two-wheelers are becoming an important solution for sustainable transportation due to their reduced emissions and lower operating cost. However, battery overheating, high current stress, and inefficient energy usage remain major challenges that affect performance, safety, and lifespan of electric vehicles. This research presents a real-time battery thermal and range simulation model for an electric scooter implemented using an ESP32 microcontroller. The system integrates vehicle longitudinal dynamics with a second-order RC equivalent circuit model (2RC-ECM) to simulate lithium-ion battery behavior.
The model evaluates parameters such as throttle input, rider load, ambient temperature, regenerative braking, battery current, temperature rise, C‑rate, power consumption, state of charge (SoC), and vehicle speed. Three analog inputs using potentiometers simulate real‑world driving conditions. The ESP32 executes the simulation algorithm at 100 ms intervals and outputs the computed values through serial communication.
Simulation results demonstrate that aggressive acceleration, heavy rider load, and high ambient temperatures significantly increase battery temperature and current stress. Regenerative braking improves overall energy efficiency by returning kinetic energy back to the battery pack. The proposed embedded simulation platform provides a low‑cost and flexible solution for studying electric vehicle battery behavior and evaluating overheating conditions. The system can be further extended for battery management system development and predictive thermal monitoring in electric vehicles.
Key words: Electric Vehicle, Lithium‑Ion Battery, Battery Thermal Modeling, ESP32 Simulation, State of Charge, Regenerative Braking, Electric Scooter.
