BEV thermal management
Coordinating battery, cabin, and powertrain thermal demands under real-world constraints.
Vehicle intelligence · Electrification
Designing the intelligence behind electric vehicles.
I’m Prashant Lokur—an automotive controls engineer and Industrial PhD researcher focused on BEV thermal management, energy optimization, model predictive control, and embedded vehicle systems.
11+ years in automotive engineeringGothenburg, Sweden
MPC
THERMAL
ENERGY
CONTROL
About
Advanced control theory, grounded in real vehicle engineering.
My work sits at the intersection of system modeling, optimization, controls, embedded implementation, and vehicle integration.
I focus on converting complex physical and operational constraints into control strategies that improve efficiency, robustness, comfort, performance, and component protection.
The objective is not only to develop a clever algorithm—it is to make the complete system work.
Model Predictive Control
Using prediction and optimization to make energy-aware decisions over a future horizon.
Energy management
Balancing efficiency, performance, comfort, component protection, and range.
Embedded controls
Turning algorithms into robust, testable, production-oriented vehicle software.
Experience
From production controls to next-generation research.
A multidisciplinary career connecting automotive product development with research in intelligent electrified-vehicle systems.
2021 — Present
01
Doctoral Researcher
Chalmers University of Technology · Geely Technology Europe
Industrial PhD on predictive thermal and energy management for battery-electric vehicles, developing optimization-based control that holds up under production constraints.
2017 — 2021
02
Function Developer
Volvo Cars
Led function development of route-based energy optimization for plug-in hybrid vehicles, alongside advanced engineering projects, requirements work, and test development. Also served as Scrum Master and acting Product Owner for the team.
2015 — 2017
03
Analysis Engineer
Volvo Cars
Owned system testing for the vehicle dynamics node — verification methods, test plans, design verification, and requirement reviews with internal and external stakeholders.
2012 — 2015
04
Early career
Volvo Car Group · Tata Consultancy Services
Master's thesis on driver modelling for evasive manoeuvre steering assist, using an LQR preview controller and neuromuscular dynamics. Earlier work on battery control module verification and CAD automation.
Research & intellectual property
Industrial PhD
Predictive thermal and energy management for BEVs
Researching methods that coordinate thermal systems and vehicle energy flows using prediction, optimization, and system-level intelligence.
Published patent application
Dynamic routing system for selecting charging stations
Inventor on work related to intelligent EV charging-stop selection, route planning, battery considerations, availability, and dynamic journey adaptation.
US 2025/0198782 A1
Selected publications
2026
Linear Quadratic Regulator Control for Integrated Thermal Energy Management in Battery Electric Vehicles
P. Lokur
17th International Symposium on Advanced Vehicle Control (AVEC '26), Tsukuba · Conference paper
2026
Energy-Optimal Thermal Management of Heat-Pump Battery Electric Vehicles
P. Lokur, N. Murgovski
IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology (in press) · Journal article
2025
Control-oriented Model for Thermal Energy Management of Battery Electric Vehicles
P. Lokur, N. Murgovski, M. Larsson
IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 74(4), 5467–5478 · Journal article
2024
Optimizing Thermal Energy Management in BEVs via Distributed Optimization
P. Lokur
Chalmers University of Technology · Licentiate thesis
2024
Maximizing the Energy-Saving Potential of Declutchable BEV Powertrains via Eco-Driving
Y. Xu, P. Lokur, S. Klacar et al.
IEEE ESARS-ITEC 2024 · Conference paper
2023
Distributed Model Predictive Controller for Thermal Energy Management System of Battery Electric Vehicles
P. Lokur, N. Murgovski, K. Nicklasson
IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 8363–8368 · Conference paper
2022
Modeling of the Thermal Energy Management System for Battery Electric Vehicles
P. Lokur, K. Nicklasson, L. Verde et al.
IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC) 2022 · Conference paper