Vehicle Dynamics Modeling for Electric Vehicles

Abstract

Electric vehicles have become more popular in the last few decades due to governmental regulations and environmental awareness. This increased demand has allowed manufacturers to explore new methods of controlling vehicle motion. One technique called torque vectoring allows independent electric motors to output different torques without the use of a mechanical differential. This process necessitates the use of a robust dynamic model of vehicle motion to better predict how a car will respond to changes in torque and to control the stability of the vehicle. This thesis presents equations of motion for two-wheel and four-wheel models of a vehicle and applies them to lane changes, turns, and vehicle roll. The models can be applied to a vehicle with torque vectoring capabilities to aid in the creation of a controls algorithm.