Effect of Weight Distribution and Active Safety Systems on Electric Vehicle Performance

This paper describes control methods to improve electric vehicle performance in terms of handling, stability and cornering by adjusting the weight distribution and implementing control systems (e.g., wheel slip control, and yaw rate control). The vehicle is first simulated using the bicycle model to capture the dynamics. Then, a study on the effect of weight distribution on the driving behavior is conducted. The study is performed for three different weight configurations. Moreover, a yaw rate controller and a wheel slip controller are designed and implemented to improve the vehicle’s performance for cornering and longitudinal motion under the different loading conditions. The simulation through the bicycle model is compared to the experiments conducted on a rear-wheel driven radio-controlled (RC) electric vehicle. The paper shows how the wheel slip controller contributes to the stabilization of the vehicle, how the yaw rate controller reduces understeering, and how the location of the center of gravity (CoG) affects steering behavior. Lastly, an analysis of the combination of control systems for each weight transfer is conducted to determine the configuration with the highest performance regarding acceleration time, braking distance, and steering behavior.