Design of an innovative car wheel suspension concept with a fiber-reinforced plastic spring/control arm

Batteries and drive train components in future concepts for electrified vehicles require a significant amount of space. Because of their additional cost and weight penalty it is necessary for the chassis components to claim as little space as possible and contribute to the overall cost and weight savings of the whole vehicle.To achieve these goals a suspension concept with a reduced number of parts is introduced. By functional integration only a single part made of fiber-reinforced plastic is needed to support the wheel load and provide wheel guidance. This spring/control arm and the shock absorber are the sole means to control wheel travel instead of several control arms and bushings. The required space for the suspension system is minimized without affecting vehicle dynamics and ride comfort.Test rig and misuse testing results of a prototype front axle are discussed, and simulation and road test results of a rear axle concept in a prototype vehicle are presented. Finally, possibilities of further cost and weight reduction are suggested.