Autonomous control of an electric vehicle for improving energy efficiency

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Dr Anil Madhusudhanan

Autonomous driving offers significant opportunities for improving energy efficiency. This project aims to research how to improve energy efficiency of autonomous electric vehicles considering electric power train characteristics, V2X data and experimental analyses from a systems and control perspective.

Significant reduction of carbon emissions is needed to manage the effects of climate change within safe limits and to reduce air pollution. The UK government passed legislation in 2019, requiring all carbon emissions in the UK to be net zero by 2050. Widespread use of electric vehicles can help achieve this however, there are two major issues:

• range anxiety
• limited renewable electricity

Range anxiety is caused by the limited range of EVs due to the significantly lower energy densities of batteries. The production of renewable electricity is increasing however, the demand will increase significantly as the number of EVs increases. Meeting future demand will be challenging, an issue highlighted by the recent energy crisis. Improving energy efficiency of EVs is therefore an important research topic for our society.

Autonomous driving offers significant opportunities for improving energy efficiency, but most research has focused on sensing, safety, path planning and motion control. There hasn’t been significant research on energy efficiency of autonomous EVs considering the power train characteristics, V2X data and experimental analyses.

You will address these issues by:

• designing control systems considering the power train model, and V2X data
• analysing the systems using simulations, and experiments with the University Kia Niro EV and Toyota Prius PHEV

You will have the opportunity to present your work at international conferences. You will gain knowledge and skills applicable to systems such as electrical, mechanical, aerospace and chemical. These are valuable in pursuing a career in both academia and industry.

Entry Requirements:

A UK 1st class honours degree, or its international equivalent.

Experience in one of the following is essential:

• control systems
• robotics
• mechatronics
• mechanical/electrical/electronics engineering

Fees & Funding

You will compete for Lanchester Category D Excellence Studentships, Presidential Scholarships and Black Futures Scholarships.

These studentships and scholarships provide tuition fees and a tax-free stipend for up to 3.5 years for the highest quality UK applicants.

Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.

Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.

These funding schemes are highly competitive and hence the UK 1st class degree or its equivalent requirement.

How to apply:

Apply now

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)

The School of Engineering is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break.

The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.