Energy Management Design of Dual-Motor System for Electric Vehicles Using Whale Optimization Algorithm

Dual-motor electric vehicles enhance power performance and overall output capabilities by enabling the real-time control of the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels, thereby improving handling, stability, and safety. In addition to increased energy efficiency, a dual-motor system provides redundancy: if one motor fails, the other can still supply partial power, further enhancing driving safety. This study aimed to optimize the energy management strategies of the front- and rear-axis motors, examining the application effects of rule-based control (RBC), global grid search (GGS), and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). A simulation platform based on MATLAB/Simulink® (R2021b, MATLAB, Natick, MA, USA) was constructed and validated through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to ensure the authenticity and reliability of the simulation results. Detailed tests and analyses of the dual-motor system were conducted under FTP-75 driving cycles. Compared to the RBC strategy, GGS and WOA achieved energy efficiency improvements of 9.1% and 8.9%, respectively, in the pure simulation, and 4.2% and 3.8%, respectively, in the HIL simulation. Compared to the pure RBC strategy, the RBC and GGS strategies incorporating regenerative braking achieved energy efficiency improvements of 26.1% and 29.4%, respectively, in the HIL simulation. Overall, GGS and WOA each present distinct advantages, with WOA emerging as a highly promising alternative energy management strategy. Future research should further explore WOA applications to enhance energy savings in real-world vehicle operations.