The movement towards the electrification of vehicles is well documented and the difficulties associated with it are well known. However, obtaining performance equivalent to combustion engine vehicles remains a big challenge. Indeed, although an electric driveline configuration has a lot of potential benefits, these are not always fully-exploited, and the integration of such drivelines generally means a lot of compromise decisions. For this reason, electric vehicles for urban usage are mainly developed, and few vehicles with specific characteristics such as off-road capacities, are introduced to the market.
In this paper, the advantages of using electric driveline for 4WD purposes are presented. Applus IDIADA and Metalsa have taken on the electrification of a pick-up vehicle through the development of an intelligent 4WD vehicle platform which includes active safety systems and a new vehicle chassis design.
By means of an active torque distribution between front and rear axles, not only traction capacities are optimized in all circumstances including hill climbing with grip variations, but also driving range and vehicle dynamics response in terms of handling and stability. Attention has been paid to obtaining good gradeability and maintaining trailer towing capability.
Applus IDIADA and Metalsa have also taken a fresh approach to the function of the chassis, which has been completely redeveloped for an optimal integration of the driveline and batteries and in order to achieve enhanced stability among others.