Concepts for the Enhancement of Driving Safety of Electric Vehicles Without Wheel Individual Rear Axle Brakes

Abstract

Regenerative braking reduces the use of friction brakes for electric vehicles. This can offer a potential for downsizing or, in extreme cases, even elimination of the friction brakes particularly on the rear axle of vehicles with reduced dynamic requirements. However, the elimination of wheel individual rear axle brakes makes wheel individual brake interventions of electronic stability control impossible jeopardising state-of-art vehicle safety. This paper investigates how driving safety can be enhanced for such vehicles by specifically designed torque distribution devices that allow for uneven distribution of centrally generated brake torque to the individual wheels of an axle.