Battery plug-in electric car : (design and integration of suspension and braking systems)

Abstract

The world has been facing the persistent problem of global warming. Environmental pollution is engulfing problem faced by the mankind today and it is deteriorating the health of the living population. Exhaust gases released by the conventional internal combustion engine driven vehicles are one of the major sources of these problems today. By 2020, it is estimated that the total number of vehicles in the world will be around 1.8 billion. And the constant increase in oil prices have obliged for the application of a sustainable & alternative mobility technology. Plug-in and hybrid vehicles are some really good alternatives present today and will play a crucial role in the near future. This project is an initiative by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore in research and development of an electric car designed by the students. Electric car are gaining high ground across the world as they are more eco-friendly and emit no harmful gases. NTU’s BEV (Battery electric vehicle) is an electric car designed & developed as an urban concept and Singapore having small geographical area makes it an ideal place for adaption of electric cars. Two teams have worked on this project in the last two years and made significant progress. The author was one of the team member of current BEV team who worked on the BEV as a part of his final year project. The author designed, fabricated and integrated suspension and brake systems of the BEV. This report includes detailed explanations on design & fabrication processes of suspension and brake systems of the BEV.