Comparative Analysis of Electric Vehicle Energy Consumption in Urban and Highway Environments Using CAN-Based Data Collection

This study presents a comparative analysis of the energy consumption characteristics of Volkswagen Golf equipped with an electric powertrain in urban and interurban (highway) driving environments. The primary objective of the research is to determine which traffic context offers more favorable operating conditions in terms of energy efficiency for this vehicle category. Special emphasis is placed on the role of regenerative braking, particularly in urban traffic characterized by frequent acceleration and deceleration cycles, which may significantly influence the vehicle’s specific energy consumption through energy recovery mechanisms. The measurement data were recorded under real-world traffic conditions along two representative routes: a highway section between Zalaegerszeg and Keszthely, and the urban road network within Zalaegerszeg. During data collection, vehicle parameters extracted from the CAN network—including brake pressure, speed, accelerator pedal position, drivetrain power, battery voltage and current, state of charge, as well as longitudinal and lateral acceleration—were recorded using a custom program developed in Simulink and a Kvaser CAN logger device. The goal of the analysis is to compare the energy efficiency indicators of the two driving profiles and to draw conclusions, based on the recorded data, about the real-world efficiency of electric vehicle operation in urban settings. The findings may contribute to the optimization of operational strategies for electric vehicles and serve as a foundation for future large-scale investigations.