Design and Control Strategy Optimization for Four-wheel Independently Actuated Electric Vehicles

This paper presents a methodology to realize design optimization for a four-wheel independently actuated electric vehicle. The optimization objectives are to minimize the equivalent fuel consumption while prolonging the driving range. The principal powertrain parameters are set as the optimization variables, with the driving performance requirements formulated as the constraint conditions. An adaptive torque distribution strategy is adopted to appropriate the torque demands to each in-wheel motor to make use of the high-efficiency working zone as more as possible. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) method is then used to search for the optimal design. Simulation results show that the power consumption per hundred kilometers and the driving range can be effectively improved by 2% and 6%, respectively.