Using Physical Modeling to Design and Simulate an Electric Vehicle in MATLAB and Simulink
Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the center of modern innovation in the automotive industry. Universities, research teams, and even student competitions worldwide are actively exploring how these vehicles can be designed, tested, and optimized. But here’s the challenge—designing and testing a vehicle in the real world can be both expensive and time-consuming, especially in the early stages when hardware is not available.
This is where physical modeling in MATLAB and Simulink plays a powerful role. By creating a virtual representation of an electric vehicle, engineers and students can simulate performance, evaluate design choices, and refine their systems long before building the actual prototype. Many students turn to Matlab Assignment Experts for professional Simulink Assignment Help when creating such simulations or completing a Simulink assignment for their coursework.
In this blog, we’ll walk through the theoretical approach of designing and simulating an electric vehicle using MATLAB and Simulink. Rather than diving into formulas or equations, we’ll focus on how the physical modeling method allows us to connect different subsystems—battery, converter, motor, transmission, and the vehicle body—into a realistic closed-loop simulation.
Why Physical Modeling Matters
At its core, physical modeling is about representing real-world components as blocks in a simulation environment. Each block corresponds to a physical element—like a motor, a battery cell, or a gear. Instead of manually writing equations for every component, the simulation environment handles the complex mathematics behind the scenes.
For students, this approach offers two main advantages:
- Accessibility – You can model systems without needing to derive every equation by hand.
- Scalability – Once one part of the system is modeled, you can easily expand and connect it to other subsystems, building up to a complete vehicle.
This block-based method is especially valuable in Formula Student competitions, research projects, or coursework where quick iterations and validation are necessary. Many students rely on Matlab Assignment Experts for support when completing these complex Simulink assignments.
The Subsystems of an Electric Vehicle Model
When building an electric vehicle model in MATLAB and Simulink using a physical modeling approach, we generally break the system into five main subsystems:
- Battery Pack
- DC-DC Converter (Buck Converter)
- Motor and Controller
- Transmission
- Vehicle Body and Dynamics
Let’s look at each one in detail.
Battery Pack
The battery pack is the heart of any electric vehicle. It stores and supplies energy for all the downstream systems.
In a simulation, each battery is modeled as a simplified equivalent circuit. While a real battery involves electrochemistry and temperature effects, the model abstracts it as a combination of a voltage source, resistors, and capacitors.
The crucial step here is parameter selection. By tuning block parameters carefully, the model can mimic the behavior of a real battery cell. For instance, resistance values affect how the battery voltage drops under load, while capacitance values influence its response to dynamic changes.
To match simulation to reality, engineers often use parameter estimation. This involves comparing test data against the simulated results and adjusting block settings until both align. This ensures the virtual battery behaves as close to reality as possible, which is vital for system-level accuracy.
DC-DC Converter (Buck Converter)
Batteries often produce high voltages, but many vehicle subsystems—like controllers, sensors, or auxiliary systems—require lower voltages. This is where a DC-DC converter, specifically a buck converter, is used.
In MATLAB, we use an average-value DC-DC converter block. Instead of modeling every switching event, this block captures the overall behavior of the converter. This simplifies the simulation while maintaining accuracy at the system level.
The converter’s role is simple but critical: it ensures stable, usable power delivery across different components of the EV.
Motor and Controller
The next major subsystem is the motor, usually a Brushless DC (BLDC) motor for electric vehicles. In Simulink, this is modeled using the BLDC motor block from Simscape Electrical. Parameters such as torque constants, resistance, inductance, and rotor inertia are set based on datasheet values.
But a motor doesn’t run on its own—it needs a controller.
The controller works in several steps:
- First, the angular position of the motor is sensed using a rotational motion sensor.
- Next, this position data is processed by hall sensors, which determine the rotor’s sector transitions.
- Based on this, a commutation logic generates the correct switching sequence for the inverter.
In other words, the controller ensures the motor produces smooth and efficient torque across different operating conditions.
This subsystem highlights an important lesson in EV modeling: the motor and controller must always be designed together. Without proper coordination, efficiency, stability, and performance all suffer. Many students seek Matlab Assignment Experts for help when configuring this part in a Simulink assignment.
Transmission
The transmission system is often overlooked in electric vehicle discussions because EVs typically require fewer gears than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. However, some EV designs still incorporate transmissions to optimize torque and efficiency.
In a physical model, transmission consists of:
- Actuator block – Converts gear-shift commands into clutch plate pressure.
- Disk friction clutch – Controls torque transfer between shafts.
- Gear blocks – Represent different gear ratios to switch between high and low torque conditions.
A three-speed transmission model is often chosen for EV simulations to explore how different gearing affects acceleration, velocity, and energy consumption.
This subsystem demonstrates the interaction between mechanical systems and electrical systems. Even though the motor provides power, it’s the transmission that ultimately defines how that power is delivered to the wheels.
Vehicle Body and Dynamics
The final subsystem is the vehicle body itself, modeled using Simscape Driveline components. This captures how the car behaves when forces are applied.
It consists of:
- Brake system – Modeled with friction blocks to represent torque transfer during braking.
- Vehicle body block – Represents the mass, inertia, and longitudinal motion of the car.
- Tire blocks – Capture the interaction between the wheels and the road.
- Sensors – Measure velocity and distance traveled.
This subsystem is where everything comes together. The electrical power from the battery, converted through the buck converter, regulated by the controller, and transmitted through gears, is finally applied to the vehicle body to produce motion.
Closed-Loop Vehicle Simulation
Once all subsystems are built, the next step is to integrate them into a closed-loop model.
Here’s how it works:
- A reference speed signal is defined as the target velocity.
- A PI controller generates duty cycle signals to regulate power delivery.
- Subsystems interact in real-time, feeding back velocity and position data.
In simulation, the vehicle model successfully tracks the reference velocity of around 40 km/h, and changes in gear position are reflected as sudden drops or jumps in speed. This kind of output provides critical insight into how the design behaves under different driving conditions.
Many students completing a Simulink assignment rely on Matlab Assignment Experts to ensure their closed-loop simulations are accurate and effective.
What Students Can Learn from This Model
For students working on projects or assignments, modeling an electric vehicle in MATLAB and Simulink provides a number of theoretical insights:
- System Integration – Understanding how electrical, mechanical, and control systems come together in one platform.
- Parameter Sensitivity – Learning how changing a small parameter (say, battery resistance) can impact the entire vehicle’s behavior.
- Design Tradeoffs – Exploring how decisions about motor type, gear ratios, or control strategies affect efficiency and performance.
- Simulation First, Hardware Later – Realizing the importance of validating concepts virtually before spending resources on physical prototypes.
These lessons are not just academic; they mirror the same design processes used by professional automotive engineers. Students often consult Matlab Assignment Experts to better understand these lessons while completing a Simulink assignment.
Learning Resources for Students
If you’re new to MATLAB and Simulink, don’t worry—there are excellent learning pathways available to build these skills step by step.
Some key resources include:
- MATLAB Onramp – A beginner-friendly introduction to MATLAB.
- Simulink Onramp – A guided path to learn how to build and simulate models.
- Student Tutorials and Videos – Covering everything from battery modeling to motor control.
- Physical Modeling Tutorials – Focused on connecting real-world physics with simulation blocks.
- Motor Control Series – Deep dives into designing controllers for electric motors.
For students preparing for competitions like Formula Student, these resources provide a direct bridge between classroom knowledge and applied engineering. Expert guidance from Matlab Assignment Experts can make these learning paths more effective, especially for complex Simulink assignments.
Why This Matters for Assignments
From the perspective of university coursework, projects like this are incredibly valuable. They combine theory, simulation, and application in one exercise.
Assignments on EV modeling often test a student’s ability to:
- Break down a complex system into subsystems.
- Select appropriate modeling blocks in MATLAB and Simulink.
- Tune parameters to mimic real-world performance.
- Interpret simulation results in a meaningful way.
What this really means is that students aren’t just learning software—they’re learning how to think like engineers. Matlab Assignment Experts help students navigate these challenges and successfully complete their Simulink assignments.
Conclusion
Modeling and simulating an electric vehicle using MATLAB and Simulink is more than just a technical exercise. It’s a way of understanding how modern vehicles are designed from the ground up. By using physical modeling, students can gain hands-on experience with concepts like batteries, converters, motors, transmissions, and vehicle dynamics without needing access to expensive lab setups.
For universities, competitions, and research groups, these simulations provide a cost-effective, scalable, and highly educational tool for exploring the future of electric mobility.
At our team, we specialize in helping students with MATLAB-based assignments like these. Whether you’re tackling EV simulations, control systems, or other complex projects, our guidance ensures you not only complete your tasks but also understand the theory behind them.
The road to mastering electric vehicle design may seem challenging, but with MATLAB, Simulink, and the right guidance from Matlab Assignment Experts, it’s entirely within reach.