Control Systems for High Performance Electric Cars

Electric vehicle technology opens doors to a wide range of research and improvement possibilities which can be used to develop a High Performance Full Electric Competition Car. However, in our modern-day society, there are numerous prejudices against electric vehicles which lead to their slow introduction in the market. In this context, IDIADA has been commissioned to build Volar-e with the aim to help overcoming the current technological and social barriers of electric vehicles and to set new standards in their behaviour. In order to achieve this target, Volar-e incorporates four independently controlled electric motors. What is more, a central concept to the vehicle is the integration of an intelligent torque distribution strategy to enhance road holding, handling and performance. Applus IDIADA’s knowledge of torque vectoring technologies has led to further developments and, thus, to the incorporation of four active systems in the prototype: iTORQ+, iTORQ-, Traction Control and Launch Control. These systems have been designed with the objective of both maximizing lateral acceleration while maintaining vehicle stability and drivability and, in the overall, minimizing lap time around IDIADA’s tracks. This paper highlights the improvement of Volar-e’s behaviour thanks to implementing in it the previous mentioned control systems. A detailed model of Volar-e has been parameterized in CarSim©, encompassing not only a thorough powertrain model obtained from testing Volar-e’s electric motors on a test-bench, but also a complete suspension model defined from K&C tests. By means of different simulation manoeuvres, the systems have been finely developed and adapted to fulfil the premise of achieving a high performance electric vehicle and to define the best initial set of parameters before passing from theory to practice. Last but not least, some conclusions are presented.