A first e-scooter powertrain analysis for Fuel Cell integration

Micro-mobility is increasingly widespread in cities because of portability and low cost of the solutions. E-scooters are the emerging means of transport for short distances; however, some drawbacks are present such as the autonomy and the need of frequent recharges. The aim of this paper is to analyze an e-scooter commercial powertrain in order to evaluate the convenience of a Fuel Cell (FC) integration, obtaining an increase of autonomy. An electric model has been implemented in Matlab/Simulink, investigating the inverter control strategy behavior and the electrical waveforms flowing in the electric powertrain. Some experimental tests were performed to validate the electrical Brushless DC model and the control strategy. First, a test on a Maxon brushless DC motor was performed evaluating the inverter control strategy and battery pack coupling. Then a dynamic test was performed on a commercial e-scooter Ninebot E25E comparing the two motor behaviors and inverters control strategies. The final part of the paper presents a first evaluation of a fuel cell integration, comparing the commercial external Ninebot battery pack with a Horizon H-500 Fuel cell integration solution. The results have allowed the validation of the brushless DC model and the Fuel Cell integration feasibility.