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The optimum driving dynamics can be achieved only when the tire forces on all four wheels and in all three coordinate directions are monitored and controlled precisely. This advanced level of control is possible only when a vehicle is equipped with several active chassis control systems that are networked together in an integrated fashion. To investigate such capabilities, an electric vehicle model has been developed with four direct-drive in-wheel motors and an active steering system. Using this vehicle model, an advanced slip control system, an advanced torque vectoring controller, and a genetic fuzzy active steering controller have been developed previously. This paper investigates whether the integration of these stability control systems enhances the performance of the vehicle in terms of handling, stability, path-following, and longitudinal dynamics.

A two-passenger, all-wheel-drive urban electric vehicle (AUTO21EV) with four direct-drive in-wheel motors has been designed and developed at the University of Waterloo. An advanced genetic-fuzzy active steering controller is developed based on this vehicle platform. The rule base of the fuzzy controller is developed from expert knowledge, and a multi-criteria genetic algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of the fuzzy active steering controller. To evaluate the performance of this controller, a computational model of the AUTO21EV is driven through several standard test maneuvers using an advanced path-following driver model. As the final step in the evaluation process, the genetic-fuzzy active steering controller is implemented in a hardware- and operator-in-the-loop driving simulator to confirm its performance and effectiveness.

A two-passenger, all-wheel-drive urban electric vehicle (AUTO21EV) with four direct-drive in-wheel motors has been designed and developed at the University of Waterloo. A 14-degree-of-freedom model of this vehicle has been used to develop a genetic fuzzy yaw moment controller. The genetic fuzzy yaw moment controller determines the corrective yaw moment that is required to stabilize the vehicle, and applies a virtual yaw moment around the vertical axis of the vehicle. In this work, an advanced torque vectoring controller is developed, the objective of which is to generate the required corrective yaw moment through the torque intervention of the individual in-wheel motors, stabilizing the vehicle during both normal and emergency driving maneuvers. Novel algorithms are developed for the left-to-right torque vectoring control on each axle and for the front-to-rear torque vectoring distribution action.

Magnesium alloys are the lightest structural metal and recently attention has been focused on using them for structural automotive components. Fatigue and durability studies are essential in the design of these load-bearing components. In 2006, a large multinational research effort, Magnesium Front End Research & Development (MFERD), was launched involving researchers from Canada, China and the US. The MFERD project is intended to investigate the applicability of Mg alloys as lightweight materials for automotive body structures. The participating institutions in fatigue and durability studies were the University of Waterloo and Ryerson University from Canada, Institute of Metal Research (IMR) from China, and Mississippi State University, Westmorland, General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Group LLC from the United States.

Electric energy storage is among the most significant hurdles to deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). Present storage methods struggle to provide the capacity and the service life demanded by automotive use. Hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) use a combination of storage types, for example, different types of batteries and ultracapacitors, to tailor the characteristics of the storage system to each application. In addition to sizing the system for the intended application, a suitable strategy for the integration of the energy storage system must be adopted. In the present application, a HESS has been designed for the electrification of a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, through consideration of a combination of high capacity batteries, high power batteries, and capacitors. Hybrid storage systems using batteries alone, batteries and capacitors, and dual batteries have been considered.