This paper investigates the potential of localized air-curtain microclimate control to reduce HVAC energy consumption in electric vehicles while maintaining occupant thermal comfort. The study compares conventional full-cabin cooling with driver-focused and passenger-focused air-curtain configurations under controlled ambient conditions of 32 °C. The experimental framework combines analytical airflow and heat-transfer modeling with comparative HVAC performance evaluation using power consumption, time to reach thermal comfort, and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) analysis. The results show that the air-curtain configurations reduce HVAC power consumption from 3.2 kW for conventional cooling to 2.3 kW and 2.5 kW for the driver- and passenger-focused configurations, corresponding to energy savings of approximately 22–28%. In addition, localized airflow significantly accelerates thermal comfort attainment, reducing stabilization time from 8 min to 4–5 min while maintaining PMV values within acceptable comfort limits. The findings demonstrate that occupant-centered air-curtain microclimate strategies can improve HVAC energy efficiency, reduce auxiliary energy demand, and support more sustainable and range-efficient operation of next-generation electric vehicles.

Waste heat recovery from automotive exhaust gases represents an important strategy for improving vehicle energy efficiency. This study experimentally investigates the performance of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system based on TEC1-12706 modules running under different cold-side cooling conditions and incorporating a Hot Rolled Steel (HRS) protective layer on the hot side. The HRS plate was used to ensure uniform heat distribution and protect the thermoelectric module against thermal shocks generated by a 250 °C heat source. Four cooling regimes were experimentally analyzed: natural convection and forced airflows equivalent to 40, 60, and 90 km/h. The results proved that increasing airflow intensity significantly improved the temperature difference across the module, from approximately 16 ± 2 °C under natural convection to nearly 40 ± 2 °C at the highest airflow velocity. Correspondingly, the steady-state voltage generated increased from approximately 0.25 ± 0.01 V to over 0.60 ± 0.01 V under an 82 Ω resistive load. The measured hot-side temperature remained below 75 °C in all experimental conditions, confirming the thermal protection capability of the HRS layer. The experimental data also revealed a near-linear relationship between voltage and temperature difference, consistent with the Seebeck effect. The proposed configuration shows the feasibility of combining thermal protection and forced convection cooling to improve the stability and electrical performance of thermoelectric waste heat recovery systems intended for low-power automotive auxiliary applications.

Eddy-current braking is increasingly considered a promising complementary technology to conventional hydraulic braking systems in next-generation automotive platforms, particularly in electric and autonomous vehicles. Unlike traditional friction-based systems, eddy-current braking enables the contactless generation of braking torque and can reduce mechanical wear while potentially providing rapid and controllable torque modulation and facilitating integration with intelligent vehicle-control architectures. However, a consistent vehicle-level response-time advantage over conventional braking systems has not yet been established through quantitative comparative testing. This paper presents a critical review of electromagnetic braking systems intended for automotive applications. This review analyzes the integration of electromagnetic braking technologies with embedded electronic control architectures, with particular emphasis on their potential role in future Brake-by-Wire systems. This study examines the operating principles of contactless braking, control strategies, actuator behavior, and system performance under variable operating conditions. In addition, key challenges related to energy efficiency, thermal management, fail-safe operation, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities of electronically controlled braking systems are discussed. The reviewed literature demonstrates the potential of contactless eddy-current braking technologies to support the development of advanced Brake-by-Wire architectures with reduced maintenance requirements and enhanced vehicle dynamics control. However, current evidence supports their use primarily as complementary actuators within hybrid architectures combining electromagnetic, regenerative, and conventional friction braking, rather than as stand-alone replacements for conventional brakes. This review provides a foundation for future research and development of intelligent contactless braking systems for modern automotive applications.