Motor Vehicle Mass Property Envelopes

A vehicle may be loaded in varying configurations that affect its mass properties during normal use. These properties include total mass, center-of-gravity (Cg) location, and moments of inertia. The ranges of these parameters, which are determined by the varied load configurations, define the vehicle's mass property envelopes. These envelopes are useful for evaluating the effect of any load configuration relative to vehicle performance/design specifications. Mass property envelopes provide a clear visual representation of a range of key parameters that significantly affect motor vehicle control. Examples are provided in this paper that illustrate the usefulness of the vehicle mass property envelopes.