BP Plays EV Catch-Up With AI For Accurate Range
Global oil producer BP is trying to muscle into EV transportation with plans to use AI to overcome wildly fluctuating range estimates currently being calculated by vehicles.
It has teamed up with UK start-up, Spark EV Technology, to use real-time data points to accurately predict when a car will run out of charge. BP says it tested the technology over 10,000 miles of driving with an EV, entering journey details into a smartphone app, with the results 10 times more accurate than those currently given by BEVs.
These vehicles estimate remaining range by using the most recent driving efficiency data, a process that can result in inaccurate when driving conditions and use change radically, such as when leaving an urban environment for a high-speed highway. Spark’s technology uses the car’s navigation system to calculate range based on where the car is going and how it will be driven to suit road types on the route.
Naturally, the move is part of BP’s attempt to transform itself from an old-school fuel company into a clean energy supplier for the new generation of electrified vehicles hitting the roads. It acquired electric vehicle charging company Chargemaster last year and is aiming to become the main EV charging company in the UK.
