Full Aluminum Body Design Considering Part-Specific Requirements

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In the era of electric vehicles(EVs), the need for weight reduction of the vehicle body is increasing in order to maximize the driving distance of the EV. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for research to efficiently apply lightweight materials, such as aluminum and CFRP, to the EV body parts. In this study, design methodologies and optimization measures to increase lightweight efficiency when applying lightweight materials to EVs will be discussed. Based on theoretical basis and basic performance of each part of the EV, the “Material Substitution Method” of replacing existing parts of a steel body with aluminum materials will be defined, and the optimal design process on how to overcome performance trade-off caused by material characteristics will be addressed. In applying the “Material Substitution Method” to the actual EV body design process, it was possible to convert 93% of the components from steel to aluminum and reduce the overall weight of the body by 23%. Based on these results, the “Material Substitution Method” helps secure basic performance for each part with relative ease when changing the material of the body part from steel material to lightweight material (AL, CFRP, etc.). In addition, it is verified that the optimal design process defined in this paper is effective in maximizing the weight reduction efficiency of the lightweight body.</div></div>