Rear suspension design for an in wheel drive electric car
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.