AI-Powered Cyberinfrastructure Platform for Modular Electric Vehicle Product Design: Conceptual framework and architecture

Abstract

Modularity in products is a well-accepted strategy for diversifying and enabling the development of new products. A modular product not only eases the designing, construction, and testing of products, but also fits well in production, distribution, and product customization cost-effectively. In this study, we propose modularity as a keystone for the progressive development of the fast-evolving, yet nascent electric vehicle (EV) product. Specifically, we present a conceptual framework for a cyberinfrastructure-based platform for criteria-dependent customization of EV modular products/components. The cyberinfrastructure platform consists of three key parts: a standardized representation of components, their interfaces and their workflow; a central repository of components; and a system for designing modular products. The product configuration optimizer serves to customize the products based on decision criteria, customer preferences, real-time availability of supplies with components cost profile, compatibility and interface engineering of the components. A working model of the framework is presented for the use-case of modular platform configuration of the key components of an EV to meet customer preferences.