Performance analysis of EV for different mass distributions to ensure safe handling

Abstract

Centre of gravity (CG) is one of the significant parameters of vehicle mass property related to vehicle handling. Position of CG in each direction (longitudinal, lateral and vertical) affects stability of the vehicle eventually. Change in CG position depends on different architectural arrangements of drive train and sub-systems which affect mass distribution of the vehicle. Being zero-emission technology, rapid commercialization of electric vehicle (EV) requires more emphasis on production of new automobiles and retrofitting as well. In case of retrofitting, placement of all EV drive train and other sub-systems requires both static and dynamic analysis for change in CG position due to different mass distributions. In this paper, analysis has been conducted by MATLAB SIMULINK based vehicle model to demonstrate effect of CG in vehicle maneuvering. Outcome of this investigation indicates the evaluation of different retrofitted EV architectures considering different mass distributions under the constraint of vehicle mass and dimension. This study evaluates vehicle performance with different architectures to ensure safe handling and stability in both normal and sudden maneuvering conditions of the vehicle.