Modelling of detailed vehicle dynamics and quantitative impact of electric motor placement on regenerative braking

Using forward type vehicle simulation, this paper aims at comparing the potential and limitations of front wheel drive and rear wheel drive electric motor placements for regenerative braking under extreme driving situations. First, the considered dynamic/data-driven modelling approach for the complete traction chain with attention to the effects of detailed vehicle dynamics has been implemented in MATLAB Simulink. Simple parallel regenerative braking technique and recuperation favouring brake distribution strategies have been employed on a performance electric car example considering front and rear wheel propulsion cases. Powertrain behaviour in a dynamic driving scenario has been investigated to understand how the two cases with their corresponding recuperation favouring braking strategies perform under elevated transient vehicle dynamics. Finally, the impact of normal load transfer, tyre slip and wheel adhesion limits on regenerative braking has been quantitatively compared for the complete range of brake pedal demands using high-speed braking tests while avoiding wheel lock-up.