In order to continue the effort of converting traditional internal combustion engine (ICE)-based vehicles into hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV), it is important to consider a variety of design architectures in which hybrid-electric operation is achieved. Such architectures include power split, parallel, and series.
Of the previously stated architectures, the Purdue EcoMakers of the EcoCar 2 international Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) have chosen a parallel-through-the-road architecture for their 2013 Chevrolet Malibu provided by General Motors. From this, the Purdue EcoMaker vehicle design will be used as a case study for the design challenges and optimization strategies that are experienced when choosing this specific architecture for a light-duty passenger vehicle.
This paper will focus on the design procedure and structural analysis of the custom rear suspension cradle created by the Purdue EcoMakers. Additionally, this paper will consider the benefits and practicality of using the structure of the custom suspension cradle as a design format for future suspension cradles to be used in light-duty passenger vehicles.
