Flexible Vehicle Control Supervisor for Hybrid and Electric Commercial Vehicles
Challenge
One of the world’s leading producers of electric and hybrid commercial vehicles set itself the goal of creating a modular powertrain platform that could support a diverse range of light to heavy-duty vehicles across multiple propulsion architecture, including full electric (single and multi-motor setups), range extenders, and P2 plug-in hybrids (a hybrid where the electric motor is positioned between the internal combustion engine and the gearbox).
Central to achieving their ambition was the development of a flexible, production-ready Vehicle Control Supervisor (VCU) that could manage the vehicle’s energy efficiency, safety and performance across different use cases.
The VCU would need to be adaptable across platforms, compliant with global emissions regulations (including China 6), and developed within a strict two-year timeline. Crucially, it also needed to be white-box and license-free to allow the manufacturer to scale independently and limit vendor reliance.
Of equal importance was the provision of end-to-end support, from systems engineering and software design through to AUTOSAR integration and in-vehicle calibration.
Approach
To meet the client’s full scope of requirements, a Ricardo team of control systems, software and calibration experts was established.
Specialists from Ricardo were embedded within the client’s own engineering teams to provide on-site support, including software calibration and vehicle-level testing. Meanwhile, a core development team worked to customise and validate software using Matlab/Simulink, the DaVinci AUTOSAR toolchain, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) environments.
To deliver a future-proof solution, we produced a white-box software platform that was fully documented and based on Simulink models. This enabled the client to take full ownership of the system, adapt it internally, and avoid long-term licensing costs.
Dedicated training and knowledge transfer activities were organised during each development stage to build the client’s internal technical capabilities.
Results
Our team successfully delivered the VCU software to production standard on schedule, enabling the client to launch its first models in June 2021.
The software platform presently supports six different vehicle variants through configuration alone, demonstrating the modularity and scalability originally envisioned.
By building on our pre-validated Vehicle Control Supervisor platform, we were able to accelerate development timelines by up to 50%, dedicating more effort to customisation, integration and validation across multiple vehicle types.
The application software was designed for seamless integration with various AUTOSAR hardware controllers, ensuring long-term portability and system flexibility. The solution also met full China 6 OBD compliance requirements for hybrid configurations, an essential regulatory milestone.
Importantly, the software was delivered royalty-free, with complete documentation and Simulink models included. This transparency has enabled the client to reduce their long-term adaptation costs by 50 percent, while giving them complete control over further system evolution.
Furthermore, through our guidance and knowledge transfer methods, the client’s internal engineering team is fully equipped to manage calibration, integration, and further development independently.