Rear suspension design for an in-wheel-drive electric car

Abstract

The in-wheel motor configuration can provide more flexibility to electric car design, making the car more compact and lightweight. However, current suspension systems are not designed to incorporate an in-wheel powertrain, and studies have shown deterioration in ride comfort and handling when more unsprung mass is added to a vehicle. In order to develop a battery electric vehicle with an in-wheel powertrain, a new rear-suspension design is proposed after considering several designs that are currently used in cars. The suspension is designed specifically for an in-wheel powertrain and, by efficiently using the available space, all the components of the powertrain and the battery pack can be fitted compactly within the limited space available in a subcompact (B-segment) car. The design also mitigates some issues of the high unsprung mass as simulations were conducted to determine the ride comfort and the handling characteristics of the vehicle. The in-wheel module is currently being tested at the Eindhoven University of Technology.