Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided

Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction

Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries Power Transmission Skewing Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design
Computer Aided Manufacturing Characteristics Control Strategies Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art
Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors Invertors EMI/EMC Induction Suspension Steering Ackermann Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics Master Cylinder Brake
Booster High Pressure Lines Overview of Electrical Machines Construction Rotational Inertia Static Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms Law Resistance Current
Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll Dive Squat Electromotive Force Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless Communication Unit
Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle Autonomous Car Multi Body Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant Charging Station Car
Repair and Maintenance Cyber Security Lab View industrial Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm Engineering Drone
Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft Engineering Drone Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and Design Drone Taxi
Ground Crew Management Drone/UAV Robotics Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable Energy &
Entrepreneurship Rocket Science UAV Designing & Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch management
Composite Material AI/ML ROBOCON Machine Learning Robofest Aeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle
Ergonomics Motors Alternating Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries
Power Transmission Skewing Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing
Characteristics Control Strategies Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors
Invertors EMI/EMC Induction Suspension Steering Ackermann Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics Master Cylinder Brake Booster High Pressure Lines
Overview of Electrical Machines Construction Rotational Inertia Static Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms Law Resistance Current Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll
Dive Squat Electromotive Force Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless Communication Unit Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle
Autonomous Car Multi Body Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant Charging Station Car Repair and Maintenance Cyber
Security Lab View industrial Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm Engineering Drone Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft
Engineering Drone Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and Design Drone Taxi Ground Crew Management
Drone/UAV Robotics Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable Energy & Entrepreneurship Rocket Science
UAV Designing & Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch management Composite Material AI/ML
ROBOCON Machine Learning Robofest Aeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating
Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries Power Transmission Skewing
Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing Characteristics Control Strategies
Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors Invertors EMI/EMC Induction
Suspension Steering Ackermann Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics Master Cylinder Brake Booster High Pressure Lines Overview of Electrical Machines
Construction Rotational Inertia Static Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms Law Resistance Current Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll Dive Squat Electromotive Force
Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless Communication Unit Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle Autonomous Car Multi Body
Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant Charging Station Car Repair and Maintenance Cyber Security Lab View industrial
Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm Engineering Drone Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft Engineering Drone
Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and Design Drone Taxi Ground Crew Management Drone/UAV Robotics
Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable Energy & Entrepreneurship Rocket Science UAV Designing &
Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch management Composite Material AI/ML ROBOCON Machine
Learning Robofest Aeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating Current AC Charging
Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries Power Transmission Skewing Computer Aided Engineering
Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing Characteristics Control Strategies Controller Efficiency Permanent
Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors Invertors EMI/EMC Induction Suspension Steering Ackermann
Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics Master Cylinder Brake Booster High Pressure Lines Overview of Electrical Machines Construction Rotational Inertia Static
Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms Law Resistance Current Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll Dive Squat Electromotive Force Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green
Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless Communication Unit Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle Autonomous Car Multi Body Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic
Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant Charging Station Car Repair and Maintenance Cyber Security Lab View industrial Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering
Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm Engineering Drone Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft Engineering Drone Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and Design Drone Taxi Ground Crew Management Drone/UAV Robotics Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design
Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable Energy & Entrepreneurship Rocket Science UAV Designing & Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous
Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch management Composite Material AI/ML ROBOCON Machine Learning Robofest Aeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics
Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-
Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries Power Transmission Skewing Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC
Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing Characteristics Control Strategies Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current
Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors Invertors EMI/EMC Induction Suspension Steering Ackermann Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics
Master Cylinder Brake Booster High Pressure Lines Overview of Electrical Machines Construction Rotational Inertia Static Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms
Law Resistance Current Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll Dive Squat Electromotive Force Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless
Communication Unit Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle Autonomous Car Multi Body Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant
Charging Station Car Repair and Maintenance Cyber Security Lab View industrial Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm
Engineering Drone Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft Engineering Drone Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and
Design Drone Taxi Ground Crew Management Drone/UAV Robotics Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable
Energy & Entrepreneurship Rocket Science UAV Designing & Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch
management Composite Material AI/ML ROBOCON Machine Learning RobofestAeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics
Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors
Batteries Power Transmission Skewing Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing
Characteristics Control Strategies Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors
Invertors EMI/EMC Induction Suspension Steering Ackermann Davis Mechanism Comparison Compression Tires Braking Hydraulics Master Cylinder Brake Booster High Pressure Lines
THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE GUIDE
Overview of Electrical Machines Construction Rotational Inertia Static Force Dynamic Force Newton's Law Wishbone Trailing Arm Ohms Law Resistance Current Voltage Mc-Pherson Anti Roll
Dive Squat Electromotive Force Electron Kirchhoff’s Law Green Steering Wheel Steering Ratio Engine Management System Wireless Communication Unit Ergonomics All-Terrain Vehicle
A Beginner’s Guide to EV Technology
Autonomous Car Multi Body Dynamics Automotive Sketching Plastic Waste Management Motorcycle Repair Course Solar Power Plant Charging Station Car Repair and Maintenance Cyber
Security Lab View industrial Application 3 D Printing Satellite Engineering Fire Safety Management Helicopter Management Wind Farm Engineering Drone Design Big Data Analytics Spacecraft
Engineering Drone Programming Vehicle Crash Business Analytics Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Web Security Airport Planning and Design Drone Taxi Ground Crew Management
Drone/UAV Robotics Fundamentals Network Security Quadrotor Design Asteroid Mining Cloud Performance Tuning and Managing Sustainable Energy & Entrepreneurship Rocket Science
UAV Designing & Development Security in Cloud Hyperloop Pod Autonomous Farming Railway Engineering Mars Rover Challenge Space Launch management Composite Material AI/ML
ROBOCON Machine Learning Robofest Aeromodelling Design Autonomous Robotics Signal Processing Collapse Electric Vehicles Vehicle Dynamics Vehicle Ergonomics Motors Alternating
Current AC Charging Simulation Modelling Performance Computer Aided Design Hyper-Works Brushless Induction Motors AC Induction Motors Batteries Power Transmission Skewing
Computer Aided Engineering Battery Management System Hybrid Vehicles Manufacturing DC Charging Magnet Design Computer Aided Manufacturing Characteristics Control Strategies
Controller Efficiency Permanent Magnet Computerized Fluid Dynamics Solid Works Direct Current Technology State-of-art Prime Mover Vehicle Convertors Invertors EMI/EMC Induction
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

The Electric Vehicle Guide Book

A Guide to Electric-Vehicle Technology

The guidebook documents the experience and knowledge gained

from DIYguru’s consultants. Using IEEE, SAE, ARAI and ASME as the
accountability tool, the resource has been designed to foster
improvement in overall technical and nontechnical knowledge of
electric vehicle. The guidebook will be continuously updated and
expanded to encompass the new technology in this domain. It is our
hope that by creating and sharing this resource, we can support others
in their learning as we all strive to meet the profound challenge of
becoming an environmentally sustainable society.

1|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

This guide is published by DIYguru Education and Research Pvt. Ltd.

Copyright 2019, DIYguru.

All rights reserved. This document or any part thereof may not be reproduced for any reason
whatsoever in any form or means whatsoever and howsoever without the prior written
consent and approval of DIYguru Education and Research Pvt. Ltd.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this
publication, DIYguru, its employees or agents shall not be responsible for any mistake or
inaccuracy that maybe contained herein and all such liability and responsibility are expressly
disclaimed by these said parties.

Published by:
DIYguru Press
Delhi NCR, India
+91-124-428-4038
[email protected]
www.diyguru.org

printed in India at New Delhi

November 2019, Inaugural edition – 3000 Copies
[email protected]
NOT FOR RESALE

2|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Project Team
• Aayush Chimurkar
• Anubhav Sen
• Nikhil Raj

3|Page
 An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Foreword

This Beginners Guide on Electric Vehicle Technology is a crucial guide for anyone who wants to have a

clear picture of what an Electric Vehicle Fundamentally constitutes and how the different part works

altogether to make the car run on the road.After reading this book, the reader will be in a position to

deep dive into the detailed Technical aspects of Electric Vehicle Engineering. The book is written in a

very simple and lucid manner explaining each and every component that constitutes the whole body.

There has been a brief discussion on the history and advancement of electric vehicles since 90’s.

I congratulate Mr. Nikhil, Mr. Anubhav and other DIYguru members and Board of Advisors on putting

forward this book with accuracy and precision. Mr. Nikhil has been instrumental in making the Formula

Electric Community stronger in India, he has been the champion of Formula Student Event in 2016 and

has been the mentor for teams from IIT’s & NIT’s in India. Mr. Anubhav has worked as a design engineer

with Volvo and has five years of experience in formulating contents and delivering it to engineers in house.

And, finally, I thank each and every entrepreneur associated with DIYguru for opening their knowledgebase

and sharing their valuable insights in E-Mobility. Strive For Excellence!

Mr. Avinash Kumar Singh

Director, DIYguru Education and Research Pvt. Ltd.

4|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Contents

PROJECT TEAM 3

FOREWORD 4

PREFACE 5

1.ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLE 11

INTRODUCTION 11
A) ELECTRIC VEHICLE 11
B) HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE 12
HISTORY 12
ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 13
BASIC DESIGN 13
A) CONFIGURATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE 13
B) VARIOUS ARCHITECTURE OF HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE 14
OPERATING MODES 14
A) ELECTRIC VEHICLE 14
B) HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE 15
CONCEPT OF HYBRIDIZATION 16

2. PNEUMATIC HYBRID VEHICLE CONCEPT 16

3. FUEL CELLS 17

FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES 18

A) HYDROGEN FUEL CELL 18
B) PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE 18
C) DIRECT METHANOL FUEL CELL 18
D) MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL 19

4. SHORT TERM STORAGE SYSTEMS 20

ULTRA FLYWHEEL 20
SUPERCAPACITORS 20

5. MOTORS 22

BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS (BLDC) 22

A) CONSTRUCTION 23

6|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

B) WORKING 24
INDUCTION MOTORS 25
A) CONSTRUCTION 25
B) WORKING 27

6. BATTERIES AND BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 28

BATTERIES 28
LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES 29
BATTERY MANUFACTURING 29
BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 33

7. MOTOR CONTROLLERS 34

FEATURES: 34
CONTROL WIRING 35
CAN BUS COMMUNICATIONS 35
INVERTER/CONVERTER TANDEM UNITS 37
TYPES 38

9. REGENERATIVE BRAKING 39

ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM 39

TURBOCHARGER 40
MOTOR GENERATING UNIT – KINETIC 41
MOTOR GENERATING UNIT – HEAT 42
ENERGY STORE (ES) 43
CONTROL ELECTRONICS 43

10. VEHICLE DYNAMICS 43

COORDINATE SYSTEM 44
EARTH FIXED COORDINATE SYSTEM 44
VEHICLE FIXED COORDINATE SYSTEM 44
TIRE AXIS SYSTEM 45
LOADS 46
STATIC LOADS ON LEVEL GROUND 46
DYNAMIC AXLE LOADS 46
LOAD TRANSFER 48
LATERAL LOAD TRANSFER 48
LONGITUDINAL LOAD TRANSFER 49
DIAGONAL LOAD TRANSFER 50
LUMPED MASS 51
EXTERNAL FORCES ON VEHICLE 52
DRAG FORCE 52

7|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

SIDE FORCE 53
LIFT FORCE 53
POWER-LIMITED ACCELERATION 54
ENGINES 54
POWER TRAIN 55
TYRE MECHANICS 58
TERMINOLOGIES OF TIRE AXIS SYSTEM 58
MECHANICS OF FORCE GENERATION 60
SLIP ANGLE 61
TRACTIVE PROPERTIES 62

11. AUTOMOTIVE CHASSIS 65

MATERIALS 65
FRAME 67
WHEELS 68
FUEL TANK 70
BODYWORK 70
FRAMEWORK DESIGN 71
FRAME RAILS 72
DESIGN FEATURES 73
TYPES OF FRAME 73
HINGE POINTS 77
VERTICAL LOADING 78
HORIZONTAL LOADING 78

12.TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND DRIVE TRAIN 79

TRANSMISSION IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES 79

TRANSMISSION IN CONVENTIONAL VEHICLES 80
A) MANUAL GEARBOX 81
B) SEMI-AUTOMATIC GEARBOX 81
C) AUTOMATIC GEARBOX 82
PROPELLER SHAFT 83
DIFFERENTIAL 84
A) OPEN DIFFERENTIAL 85
B) LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL 85
C) TORSEN DIFFERENTIAL 86

13. BRAKING SYSTEM 87

BRAKE HYDRAULICS 87
TYPES 88

14. SUSPENSION 90

8|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION 92
A) MACPHERSON STRUT SUSPENSION 92
B) DOUBLE WISHBONE SUSPENSION 93
SEMI INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION 94
TWIST BEAM 94
DEPENDENT SUSPENSION 94
DE-DIEO SUSPENSION 95
SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGIES 96
ACTIVE SUSPENSION 96
SEMI ACTIVE SUSPENSION 97
MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL DAMPER 98
INBOARD SUSPENSION POINTS 98
A) ANTI-DIVE 99
B) ANTI-SQUAT 99
C) ROLL CENTRE MIGRATION 99

15. STEERING SYSTEM 101

STEERING SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES 102

A) HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING 102
B) ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING 105
C) REAR-WHEEL STEERING 107
STEERING GEARBOX 107
EXPLANATION 108

16. ERGONOMICS 109

COMMON RISKS AND WAYS TO MINIMIZE IT 112

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (MSD’S) 112
FATIGUE 112
VIBRATION 113
SUN EXPOSURE 113

17. CASE STUDY : HOW TO DESIGN AN ELECTRIC BIKE 114

ELECTRIC BIKE 114

POWER SOURCE 114
CHARGING 114
BATTERY SWAPPING 114
COMPONENTS OF E - BIKE 114
DESIGN OF E BIKE 116
DESIGNING OF SHAFT 116
SHAFT DESIGN 116
DESIGN OF SPROCKET AND CHAIN FOR ELECTRIC BIKE 117

9|Page
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

BIBLIOGRAPHY 121

NOTES 122

10 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

1.Electric and Hybrid Vehicle

Introduction
There are two basic types of EVs:
a) Electric vehicles (EVs)
b) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)

All-electric vehicles (AEVs) run only on electricity. Most have all-electric ranges of
80 to 100 miles, while a few luxury models have ranges up to 250 miles. When the
battery is depleted, it can take from 30 minutes (with fast charging) up to nearly a
full day (with Level 1 charging) to recharge it, depending on the type of charger and
battery.

If this range is not sufficient, a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) may be a better
choice. PHEVs run on electricity for shorter ranges (6 to 40 miles), then switch over
to an internal combustion engine running on gasoline when the battery is depleted.
The flexibility of PHEVs allows drivers to use electricity as often as possible while
also being able to fuel up with gasoline if needed. Powering the vehicle with
electricity from the grid reduces fuel costs, cuts petroleum consumption, and
reduces tailpipe emissions compared with conventional vehicles. When driving
distances are longer than the all-electric range, PHEVs act like hybrid electric
vehicles, consuming less fuel and producing fewer emissions than similar
conventional vehicles.

a) Electric Vehicle

All-electric vehicles (AEVs) run only on electricity. Most have all-electric ranges of
80 to 100 miles, while a few luxury models have ranges up to 250 miles. When the
battery is depleted, it can take from 30 minutes (with fast charging) up to nearly a

11 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

full day (with Level 1 charging) to recharge it, depending on the type of charger and
battery.

b) Hybrid electric Vehicle

Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and an

electric motor, which uses energy stored in batteries. A hybrid electric vehicle
cannot be plugged in to charge the battery. Instead, the battery is charged through
regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine. The extra power
provided by the electric motor can potentially allow for a smaller engine. The
battery can also power auxiliary loads like sound systems and headlights, and reduce
engine idling when stopped. Together, these features result in better fuel economy
without sacrificing performance.

Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative

brakes which convert the vehicle's kinetic energy to electric energy, which is stored
in a battery or supercapacitor. Some varieties of HEV use an internal combustion
engine to turn an electrical generator, which either recharges the vehicle's batteries
or directly powers its electric drive motors; this combination is known as a motor–
generator.

History
The invention of the first model electric vehicle is attributed to various people. In
1828, Ányos Jedlik invented an early type of electric motor, and created a small
model car powered by his new motor. In 1834, Vermont blacksmith Thomas

12 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Davenport built a similar contraption which operated on a short, circular, electrified

track. In 1834, Professor Sibrandus Stratingh of Groningen, the Netherlands and his
assistant Christopher Becker created a small-scale electric car, powered by non-
rechargeable primary cells.
An electric vehicle held the vehicular land speed record until around 1900. The high
cost, low top speed, and short range of battery electric vehicles, compared to later
internal combustion engine vehicles, led to a worldwide decline in their use;
although electric vehicles have continued to be used in the form of electric trains
and other niche uses.

Economic and Environmental Impact

Electric cars (EVs) (also known as battery electric cars) have several environmental
benefits compared to conventional internal combustion engine cars. They have
lower operating and maintenance costs, produce little or no local air pollution,
reduce dependence on petroleum and also have the potential to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. Electric motors are significantly more efficient than internal
combustion engines and thus, even accounting for distribution losses, less energy is
required to operate an EV. Producing batteries for electric cars requires additional
resources and energy, so they may have a larger environmental footprint when new.

Reduced noise emissions resulting from substantial use of the electric motor at idling
and low speeds, leading to roadway noise reduction, in comparison to conventional
gasoline or diesel powered engine vehicles, resulting in beneficial noise health
effects (although road noise from tires and wind, the loudest noises at highway
speeds from the interior of most vehicles, are not affected by the hybrid design
alone). Reduced noise may not be beneficial for all road users, as blind people or
the visually impaired consider the noise of combustion engines a helpful aid while
crossing streets and feel quiet hybrids could pose an unexpected hazard.

Basic Design

a) Configuration of Electric Vehicle

13 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

b) Various Architecture of Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Operating modes

a) Electric Vehicle
Motor and battery only

14 | P a g e
To see the full content of this book, enroll in
DIYguru Electric Vehicle Course.
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

3. Fuel Cells

Hydrogen + Oxygen = Electricity + Water Vapor

Cathode: O2 + 4H+ + 4e– → 2H2O

Anode: 2H2 → 4H+ + 4e–
Overall: 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O

A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical potential energy (energy stored in
molecular bonds) into electrical energy. A PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) cell
uses hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) as fuel. The products of the reaction in
the cell are water, electricity, and heat. This is a big improvement over internal
combustion engines, coal burning power plants, and nuclear power plants, all of
which produce harmful by-products.

Since O2 is readily available in the atmosphere, we only need to supply the fuel cell
with H2 which can come from an electrolysis process (see Alkaline electrolysis or
PEM electrolysis).

17 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Fuel Cell Technologies

a) Hydrogen Fuel cell

b) Proton exchange Membrane

c) Direct methanol Fuel cell

18 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

d) Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell

19 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

4. Short Term Storage Systems

Ultra flywheel

Flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) use electric energy input which is stored in
the form of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy can be described as “energy of motion,”
in this case the motion of a spinning mass, called a rotor. The rotor spins in a nearly
frictionless enclosure. When short-term backup power is required because utility
power fluctuates or is lost, the inertia allows the rotor to continue spinning and the
resulting kinetic energy is converted to electricity.

Most modern high-speed flywheel energy storage systems consist of a massive

rotating cylinder (a rim attached to a shaft) that is supported on a stator – the
stationary part of an electric generator – by magnetically levitated bearings. To
maintain efficiency, the flywheel system is operated in a vacuum to reduce drag.
The flywheel is connected to a motor-generator that interacts with the utility grid
through advanced power electronics.

Supercapacitors

20 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

In the best factories cell assembly is usually carried out on highly automated
equipment, however there are still many smaller manufacturers who use manual
assembly methods.

Prismatic Cells

Prismatic cells are often used for high capacity battery applications to optimize the
use of space. These designs use a stacked electrode structure in which the anode

30 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

and cathode foils are cut into individual electrode plates which are stacked
alternately and kept apart by the separator. The separator may be cut to the same
size as the electrodes but more likely it is applied in a long strip wound in a zig zag
fashion between alternate electrodes in the stack.

Cylindrical Cells

For cylindrical cells the anode and cathode foils are cut into two long strips which
are wound on a cylindrical mandrel, together with the separator which keeps them
apart, to form a jelly roll (Swiss roll in the UK). Cylindrical cells thus have only two
electrode strips which simplifies the construction considerably.

Formation

Once the cell assembly is complete the cell must be put through at least one
precisely controlled charge / discharge cycle to activate the working materials,
transforming them into their usable form. Instead of the normal constant current -
constant voltage charging curve, the charging process begins with a low voltage
which builds up gradually. This is called the Formation Process. For most Lithium
chemistries this involves creating the SEI (solid electrolyte interface) on the
anode. This is a passivating layer which is essential for moderating the charging
process under normal use.

C-rate (hours)

Sometimes the battery specification may refer to the C-Rate or charge time (hours).
The Nominal Capacity of the battery is given at this C Rate.
The discharge current can then be worked out from the C Rate and the Nominal
Capacity.

31 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Recycling Batteries

Widespread battery recycling would keep hazardous materials from entering the
waste stream, both at the end of a battery's useful life, as well as during its
production. Work is now under way to develop battery-recycling processes that
minimize the life-cycle impacts of using lithium-ion and other kinds of batteries in
vehicles. But not all recycling processes are the same:

a) Smelting

Smelting processes recover basic elements or salts. These processes

are operational now on a large scale and can accept multiple kinds of
batteries, including lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Smelting takes place at high temperatures, and organic materials,
including the electrolyte and carbon anodes, are burned as fuel or
reductant. The valuable metals are recovered and sent to refining so
that the product is suitable for any use. The other materials, including
lithium, are contained in the slag, which is now used as an additive in
concrete.

b) Direct recovery

At the other extreme, some recycling processes directly recover

battery-grade materials. Components are separated by a variety of
physical and chemical processes, and all active materials and metals
can be recovered. Direct recovery is a low-temperature process with
minimal energy requirements.

c) Intermediate processes

The third type of process is between the two extremes. Such processes
may accept multiple kinds of batteries, unlike direct recovery, but
recover materials further along the production chain than smelting
does.

32 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Battery Management System

The BMS is the brains behind plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV),
managing battery and other vital vehicle functions, so certainly this debate is
essential in determining the proper technology and placement thereof to ensure
years of increased PHEV and EV production without rapidly aging the charging
infrastructure.
Battery management systems work in real time to control many functions including
battery monitoring, maintenance, regeneration, battery optimizing, failure
prediction and/or prevention, battery data collection/analysis and planning. BMSs
are an integral component of PHEVs and EVs to ensure proper battery operation and
to protect the highly expensive automotive component.
Apart from the battery module, the key components in the BMS include the
following:
Battery Monitoring Unit (BMU): It uses a microprocessor-based unit to monitor the
various parameters such as state of charge, cell balancing and cell temperature and
compares them with the specifications and communicate to the BCU. It also
communicates with other devices through the CAN bus.
Battery Control Unit (BCU): It receives inputs from the BMU and incorporates any
remedial measures needed to protect the battery or balance the cell or maintain
the SOC. BCU is designed with power electronics components.

33 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Control Wiring
Two aviation-style screw-lock plugs for all control/low power connections –one with
4 pins for the throttle and one with 5 pins for power input and CAN bus connections.
The diagram below shows pin identifications as viewed on the controller case.
Plug 1: Throttle

a) 5V: Output power supply for throttle. Max 50mA output (internal self-
resetting fuse).
b) Gnd: Ground connection for throttle.
c) Throttle A: First throttle input, usually the analog level, 0-5V input.
d) Throttle B: Second throttle input, either enable switch or 2nd analog,
0-5V input.
e) Plug 2: Power and CAN
f) 12V In: Connect to a key-switched 12V supply so the controller comes
on when the key is turned on. Often wired in parallel with your main
contactor. Maximum voltage range 8-18V input, approx. 200mA draw.
g) Gnd: Connect to ground / vehicle chassis.
h) CAN L and CAN H: Two wires for CAN bus communications.
i) Shield: Not required (usually for pass through of shielding on CAN-bus
cables).

CAN Bus Communications

The industry-standard CAN bus interface, allowing the user to monitor and/or log
information in real-time from the controllers such as voltages, currents, throttle
levels, controller temperature, and a variety of possible error conditions. It also
supports throttle control over CAN bus, and the reprogramming of controller
settings.

The easy way to interface over CAN bus is to use our EVMS Monitor. The Monitor will
automatically detect the motor controller on the bus and display operating
information on its colour touchscreen. (An EVMS Core or Lite can share the same
CAN bus and EVMS Monitor if present, but is not required.)

35 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

The following settings are available:

a) Minimum battery voltage:

This setting can be useful to avoid overworking or over-discharging your

battery, by setting it to whatever voltage represents a low state of charge
(flat battery). Note that this cannot replace a proper battery management
system for protecting your cells!

b) Maximum motor voltage:

If using a motor rated to a lower voltage than your battery pack, you
can use this setting to ensure that the motor controller will not over
speed the motor.

c) Maximum motor current:

In vehicles with smaller motors, you may wish to reduce the maximum
motor current in order to avoid damaging your motor from overcurrent.
Most larger Series DC motors will be fine with the maximum 600A
setting.

d) Maximum battery current:

If using small or weak batteries, you can adjust this setting to avoid
overworking your batteries. (This typically does not affect acceleration
when setting off, but may reduce high speed performance.)

36 | P a g e
To see the full content of this book, enroll in
DIYguru Electric Vehicle Course.
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

9. Regenerative Braking

Energy Recovery System

The energy stored under braking is made available to the pilot, who can decide to
reuse it in specific situations – straight stretches, while overtaking other cars or at
strategic points of the track – providing a power boost during each lap through a
pushbutton or throttle.

The device is connected directly to the drive shaft through a motor-generator that,
under braking, driven by the same shaft, converts kinetic energy into electrical
energy, Through the control unit and through shielded wiring, this current recharge
lithium ion batteries. Under acceleration, on the other hand, kinetic energy is taken
from the batteries when the pilot operates the power boost and, again through the
electronic control unit, it is sent to the motor-generator, which rotates in the
opposite direction and applies an accelerating force on the drive shaft. The motor-
generator can reach up to 40,000 revolutions per minute.

39 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

The Advanced Hybrid Electrical Systems ingeniously recycle energy produced by the
brakes and exhaust gases. Optimizing power through these advanced efficiencies

Turbocharger

40 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Mechanics of Force Generation

The forces on a tire are not applied at a point, but are the resultant from normal
and shear stresses distributed in the contact patch. The pressure distribution under
a tire is not uniform but will vary in the X and Y directions. When rolling, it is
generally not symmetrical about the Y-axis but tends to be higher in the forward
region of the contact patch.

Because of the tire's viscos-elasticity, deformation in the leading portion of the

contact patch causes the vertical pressure to be shifted forward. The centroid of
the vertical force does not pass through the spin axis and therefore generates rolling
resistance. With a tire rolling on a road, both tractive and lateral forces are
developed by a shear mechanism. Each element of the tire tread passing through
the tire contact patch exerts a shear stress which, if integrated over the contact
area, is equal to the tractive and/or lateral forces developed by the tire.
There are two primary mechanisms responsible for the friction coupling between the
tire and the road. Surface adhesion arises from the intermolecular bonds between
the rubber and the aggregate in the road surface. The adhesion component is the
larger of the two mechanisms on dry roads, but is reduced substantially when the
road surface is contaminated with water; hence, the loss of friction on wet roads.
The hysteresis mechanism represents energy loss in the rubber as it deforms when
sliding over the aggregate in the road. Hysteresis friction is not so affected by water
on the road surface, thus better wet traction is achieved with tires that have high-
hysteresis rubber in the tread. Both adhesion and hysteresis friction depend on some
small amount of slip occurring at the tire- road interface.

60 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Slip Angle
In vehicle dynamics, slip angle of sideslip angle is the angle between the direction
in which a wheel is pointing and the direction in which it is actually traveling (i.e.,
the angle between the forward velocity vector vx and the vector sum of wheel
forward velocity vx and lateral velocity vy, as defined in the image to the right). This
slip angle results in a force, the cornering force, which is in the plane of the contact
patch and perpendicular to the intersection of the contact patch and the midplane
of the wheel. This cornering force increases approximately linearly for the first few
degrees of slip angle, and then increases non-linearly to a maximum before
beginning to decrease.

Causes
A non-zero slip angle arises because of deformation in the tire carcass and tread. As
the tire rotates, the friction between the contact patch and the road results in
individual tread 'elements' (finite sections of tread) remaining stationary with
respect to the road. If a side-slip velocity u is introduced, the contact patch will be
deformed. When a tread element enters the contact patch, the friction between the
road and the tire causes the tread element to remain stationary, yet the tire
continues to move laterally. Thus, the tread element will be ‘deflected’ sideways.
While it is equally valid to frame this as the tire/wheel being deflected away from
the stationary tread element, convention is for the coordinate system to be fixed
around the wheel mid-plane.
While the tread element moves through the contact patch it is deflected further
from the wheel mid-plane. This deflection gives rise to the slip angle, and
the cornering force. The rate at which the cornering force builds up is described by
the relaxation length.

Effects
The ratios between the slip angles of the front and rear axles (a function of the slip
angles of the front and rear tires respectively) will determine the vehicle's behavior

61 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

in a given turn. If the ratio of front to rear slip angles is greater than 1:1, the vehicle
will tend to understeer, while a ratio of less than 1:1 will produce oversteer. Actual
instantaneous slip angles depend on many factors, including the condition of the
road surface, but a vehicle's suspension can be designed to promote specific dynamic
characteristics. A principal means of adjusting developed slip angles is to alter the
relative roll couple (the rate at which weight transfers from the inside to the outside
wheel in a turn) front to rear by varying the relative amount of front and rear
lateral load transfer. This can be achieved by modifying the height of the roll
centers, or by adjusting roll stiffness, either through suspension changes or the
addition of an anti-roll bar.
Because of asymmetries in the side-slip along the length of the contact patch, the
resultant force of this side-slip occurs away from the geometric center of the contact
patch, a distance described as the pneumatic trail, and so creates a torque on the
tire, the so-called self-aligning torque.

Tractive Properties
Under acceleration and braking, additional slip is observed as a result of the
deformation of the rubber elements in the tire tread as they deflect to develop and
sustain the friction force.

Braking deformation in the contact patch

Slip
On a dry road, when the slip approaches approximately 15-20 percent, the friction
force will reach a maximum (typically in the range of70 to 90 percent of the load)
as the majority of tread elements are worked most effectively without significant
slip. Beyond this point friction force begins to drop off as the slip region in the rear

62 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

of the contact patch extends further forward. The force continues to diminish as the
tire goes to lockup (I 00% slip).

Brake forces v/s slip

Vertical Load
Increasing vertical load is known categorically to reduce friction coefficients under
both wet and dry conditions. That is, as load increases, the peak and slide friction
forces do not increase proportionately. Typically, in the vicinity of a tire's rated
load, both coefficients will decrease on the order of 0.01 for a 10% increase in load.

Typical variation of friction coefficient with the tyre load

Inflation Pressure
On dry roads, peak and slide coefficients are only mildly affected by inflation
pressure. On wet surfaces, inflation pressure increases are known to significantly
improve both coefficients.

63 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Speed
On dry roads, both peak and slide coefficients decrease with velocity as illustrated
in Figure 10.9. Under wet conditions, even greater speed sensitivity prevails because
of the difficulty of displacing water in the contact patch at high speeds. When the
speed and water film thickness are sufficient, the tire tread will lift from the road
creating a condition known as hydroplaning.

Sliding coefficient as a function of speed on various surfaces

64 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

11. Automotive Chassis

Materials
Before deciding which material is most suitable for any particular component, we
clearly need to know something about material properties, and the main
properties of concern to us are:

• Strength
• Stiffness
• Density (or specific gravity)
• Ductility
• Fatigue resistance
• Available joining methods
• Cost of material
• Cost of machining and working

Top left shows the meaning of the term stress. The significance of strain is shown
below that. A typical stress strain curve for steel is on the right. The initial slope
of the line is the Young’s Modulus.
The stress strain curve shows the typical performance of a non-brittle material such
as the grades of steel used in frame construction. If we subject a piece of the
material to a stress below the yield limit then a certain degree of strain occurs, as
explained above, but this is elastic strain and when we remove that stress then the
material returns to its original unstrained shape and size. This is called elastic
deformation because it behaves like a spring. However, if we attempt to apply a
higher stress than the yield point, then the material gives and deforms permanently.
When the stress is removed the object does not return to its original condition. This
is known as plastic deformation. When we continue to apply sufficient load beyond
the yield point, we reach the point of ultimate failure and the material actually
breaks. The amount of strain that occurs between the yield point and the failure
point is a measure of the materials ductility.

65 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Density is a measure of mass per unit volume; hence, size for size, it compares the
masses of different materials. We get the same comparison from specific gravity,
since that is just the density of any material compared with that of water under
standard conditions. The above properties are a rough guide only, as the tensile
strength may vary considerably, depending on the metal composition or alloy and its
state of heat treatment and working. In particular the tubing used for frame
construction will lose some strength after welding, and composites vary
considerably.
The specific gravity and Young’s Modulus do not vary in this way. In the above table,
the term “relative stiffness” means the ratio of Young’s Modulus to specific gravity
referenced to that of steel, which is a measure of stiffness per unit weight.
Thus, the most efficient way to use light-weight materials is to make the sections as
large as possible consistent with maintaining a practical wall thickness. But, in
maintaining similar structural characteristics to those of steel, our light alloy tube
will weigh more than a simple comparison of density indicates. The density of
aluminum is 33 per cent that of steel but the structural weights of our bar and tube
in the foregoing examples are 58 and 70 per cent respectively.

The terms chrome-moly, T45, 4130 and 531 are frequently bandied about as though
they have some magical significance, implying extra stiffness and lightness, to such
steels. In fact, these terms are simply standards or commercial references and refer
to steels with alloying elements calculated to enhance strength, particularly
strength after welding. Their Young’s modulus, hence stiffness, is no different from
that of other steel alloys, nor is their density.

A Reynolds trade name, 531 is often referred to as chrome-moly, whereas it is

actually a manganese molybdenum steel, which Reynolds claim has superior
properties to those of a chrome-molybdenum steel. For many years this tube type

66 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

was a favorite amongst British specialist frame builders. The main alloying elements
in Reynolds 531 are as follows:

Its minimum strength properties are:

These figures indicate the excellent retention of strength after brazing, which is a
great boon. The use of this and other high-strength tubing is normally confined to
competition machines, for roadsters the extra cost is not usually warranted. Now
that we have dealt with the principles underlying the selection of materials, let us
consider the choices open for various components.

Frame
Steel is easily the most common material here, either as tube or sheet, depending
on design. There are several reasons for its choice, viz:

• Raw material cost is relatively low.

• Well-developed manipulating and joining techniques are available.
• Young’s Modulus is high, so the required stiffness can be obtained with
small tube sizes.
• Aluminum has often been used for specials and racing machines in the
form of monocoques and large section backbones such as the
fabricated Ossa and Kawasaki mentioned earlier. Cast-aluminum
backbones have been tried by Eric Offenstadt in France and Terry
Shepherd in England. However, components such as complete frames
are rarely cast because the minimum material thickness needed for the
casting process usually results in excessively heavy components.

67 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Then tubular aluminum frames started to appear on works racers, with Yamaha
taking the initiative. This trend started cautiously, when just the pivoted rear fork
was made in light alloy, before spreading to the complete chassis. In the
development of aluminum frames, however, it is interesting to note that tube sizes
increased rapidly to compensate for the low Young’s Modulus, as explained earlier.
A great help in this context would be the spread of proper triangulation. In GP racing
now, the use of aluminum alloy fabricated twin-spar frames is almost universal, and
is also widely featured on expensive sports models for the street. It must be
remembered that the fatigue characteristics of aluminum are such that failure is
inevitable eventually in components subjected to alternating stress, hence limited
life must be accepted. In the case of works racers, their natural rapid obsolescence
makes this less of a serious problem.

Wheels
For most of motorcycle history, the traditional wheel was a composite of hub, spokes
and rim. Hubs have been made in steel, cast iron, aluminum and magnesium. In the
days of drum brakes, the light alloy hubs usually had a cast-iron brake drum.
Although some people experimented with various forms of plating or other hard
surfacing direct on the drum surface to improve heat dissipation and save weight.
Spokes were of steel, sometimes titanium, usually with brass nipples, though these
were sometimes in aluminum for racing. Rims have mostly been of steel, except that
aluminum took over for sports and competition machines and some roadsters.
Since the late 1960s, however, cast wheels have become increasingly popular, first
for racing (where magnesium predominates) then on roadsters, where cost and
corrosion problems favor aluminum. Even cheap mopeds now use die-cast aluminum
wheels.
In magnesium, a properly designed cast wheel may well be lighter than a steel-
spoked wheel with an aluminum rim and magnesium hub; but cast-aluminum wheels
usually have a weight penalty though in some cases they may be stiffer laterally and
run more accurately.

68 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

An ingenious sheet-aluminum design by Tony Dawson consists of left and right

pressings riveted together at the rim and bolted to a cast hub. The higher strength
of the wrought material used enabled these wheels to compete with cast magnesium
for weight, while the greater ductility of the sheet material gives a high safety
factor. It would be interesting to see this technique tried with magnesium sheet.

Honda developed a multi-part wheel called the Comstar. As with conventional wire
spoked wheels this comprised separate rim, hub and spokes, but where it was
different was in the spokes. In place of the normal wire spokes they used aluminum
stampings and these were bolted to the hub and riveted to the rim. The rims for
these wheels had a rib running around the inner circumference on which to fix the
spokes.

A similar rim can also be used in another type of composite wheel. The hub and
spokes are cast, like a complete cast wheel without the rim, and the end of the
spokes are machined to fit the aforementioned rib inside the rim. This form of
construction is useful for low volume production “specials” because it is considerably
cheaper to make patterns and castings made and machined than for full cast wheels.
It also has the advantage that various width rims can be tried without the expense
of new castings. Compared to full cast wheels it has the disadvantage that the rim
would not run so true, although it will likely spin truer than a conventional spoked
wheel. Standard aluminum rims are available with this inner rib and the central
spider could be cast in either aluminum or magnesium.

Where expense was of little concern, complete wheels have been machined from an
Aluminum billet and this has become a more practical proposition for one-offs and
show machines, with the spread of CNC machine tools.

69 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Fuel Tank

Steel is the traditional material here for roadsters, aluminum for racers. To prevent
cracking, care must be taken to isolate aluminum tanks from vibration. Plastic tanks
– both glass fibre-reinforced and moulded thermoplastics (ABS or similar) – have been
successfully used for competition duty (particularly on off-road machines) but the
Construction and Use regulations forbid the use of non-metallic tanks on public roads
in Britain. As with many other components Carbon Fibre reinforced material is now
making an appearance in fuel tanks also.

Bodywork

The use of steel or aluminum for seats, mudguards, fairings and suchlike has been
largely superseded in racing by reinforced plastics. Initially this was GRP or Glass
Reinforced Plastic, polyester being the plastic or resin most used. This has been
overtaken by the use of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic, polyester has given way to
the stronger and more stable epoxy resin. Carbon fibre has the advantage of having
a very high Young’s modulus, that is, it is very stiff. Some of this stiffness is given
up when imbedded in the epoxy but the overall resulting composite material is still
stiffer than most other forms of construction. This enables thin and hence light
weight panels and shapes to be moulded, without undue flexibility in the finished
component.

Like GRP, carbon fibre parts can be made at home or in a small workshop, but for
the best results the work needs to be done with specialist facilities. The final setting
or hardening of the material is done in autoclaves (ovens) and some form of pressure
moulding (such as vacuum bagging) is best to ensure an even thickness and uniform
matrix. It is important to expel any air trapped in the liquid resin. Working with the

70 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

the lower wishbone longer while keeping the upper wishbone pick up points at their
desired position relative to chassis design.

Roll centre static height

As the front view IC is determined by the inboard pickup points, by changing the
position of the inboard pick up points along the Z axis, the static roll centre height
can be fixed. The static roll centre height at the front is generally kept greater than
the rear to allow the rear of the car to catch up during cornering with the front.
However too high a roll centre will cause jacking which is unwanted.

d) Anti-Roll Bar

The anti-roll bar itself is a simple piece of engineering. It’s essentially a U-shaped
cylindrical piece of metal that connects both the left and right ends of an axle. When
you round a corner, the mass of your car shifts to the outside of the turn due to
centrifugal force, causing the car to “roll”. By connecting both ends, the anti-roll
bar forces both ends of the axle – the wheels in this case – to raise or lower to a
similar

100 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

height, preventing roll. The bar resists twisting, or torsion, through its torsional
rigidity. The stiffer the bar, the less the car leans in turns. One benefit of such bars
is that the vehicle can be made to lean less without increasing the stiffness of the
suspension, which compromises ride quality. Some bars are even adjustable via the
positions of the mounting position of the bar to the end links, or through a computer-
controlled setup.

15. Steering System

101 | P a g e
To see the full content of this book, enroll in
DIYguru Electric Vehicle Course.
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Hydraulic fluid

Power steering fluid is a sub type of hydraulic fluid. Most are mineral oil or silicone-
based fluids, while some use automatic transmission fluid, made from synthetic base
oil. Automatic transmissions use fluids for their lubrication, cooling and hydraulic
properties for viscous couplings.
Use of the wrong type of fluid can lead to failure of the power steering pump

Steering fluid reservoir

Just like how we have a petrol tank for petrol, we have a steering fluid tank for
steering fluid. Whenever we are using fluid, we always have a container that holds
them when we are not using them.
There is nothing too fancy about this part here, and its purpose is quite self-
explanatory too. But, the journey of a hydraulic power steering begins here. When
we fill the steering fluid, we put it into this reservoir. It holds the fluid, and supplies
them to the steering pump through rubber hoses.

Steering pump

You can find the steering pump attached to the car engine, usually right next to the
car alternator and A/C compressor. We connect the steering pump to the engine
through a belt-pulley mechanism using an engine belt.
When your car’s engine is running, the engine belt turns in a loop and that also turns
the steering pump. With that, the pump pulls the steering fluid from the steering
fluid reservoir and pressurizes them.

103 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

room want more space as well! Very quickly, this becomes a tug of war where the
stronger team pushes the wall to the other side.
Anyway, this “pushing of the wall” is what gives us the extra power. Since both ends
of the steering rack is connected to the car wheels, when the steering rack move to
the right, so will the car wheels. And… Voilà! The car changes direction and steering
fluid flows back to the steering fluid reservoir to repeat the entire process again.

b) Electronic Power Steering

An Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system’s advantage over a hydraulic system is if

the engine stalls, you will still have steering assist. This advantage can also be a
disadvantage if the system should shut down while the engine is running you lose
steering assist.
A driver unaware of this condition would become concerned if an electrical or
electronic failure occurred while the engine was running, as the loss of assist would
not be expected.
Electronic power steering systems eliminate the need for a pump, hoses and a drive
belt connected to the engine using variable amounts of power. The configuration of
an EPS system can allow the entire power assist system to be packaged on the rack
and pinion steering gear or in the steering column.
The system does not drag on the engine from either a power steering pump or
alternator because it will not provide assist until required by driver input. Also, there
is no hydraulic fluid.
An EPS steering application uses a bidirectional brushless motor, sensors and
electronic controller to provide steering assist. The motor will drive a gear that can

105 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

be connected to the steering column shaft or the steering rack. Sensors located in
the steering column measure two primary driver inputs — torque (steering effort)
and steering wheel speed and position.
The steering wheel is referred to as a hand wheel in the service information. The
torque, speed and position inputs, vehicle speed signal, and other inputs are
interpreted in the electronic control module.
The controller processes the steering effort and hand wheel position through a series
of algorithms for assist and return to produce the proper amount of polarity and
current to the motor. Other inputs that will affect assist and return are vehicle
speed, engine speed and chassis control systems such as ABS and electronic stability
control (ESC).The brushless motor uses a permanent magnet rotor and three
electromagnetic coils to propel the rotor. Most applications use a motor worm gear
to drive the gear on the steering shaft or rack.

106 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

c) Rear-Wheel Steering

At the rear axle is a steering system containing an electrical spindle drive and two
track rods.
They activate to turn the wheels a few degrees in the same or opposite direction
relative to the front wheels, depending on the car’s speed.
At low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels.
That reduces the car’s turning circle by about one meter, making the car more agile.
The rear-wheel steering is most significantly felt when maneuverings the car through
tight spaces like car parks or parking gantries.
At higher speeds around 60km/h, the rear wheels follow the direction of the front
wheels. Turning all the wheels in the same direction improves on the steering
response and further increases stability in evasive maneuvers.

Steering Gearbox

a) Rack and Pinion

b) Worm and roller
c) Worm and sector
d) Cam and Roller
e) Reciprocating Ball
f) Worm and Ball Bearing

107 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Explanation

Rack and Pinion

A rack and pinion are commonly found in the steering mechanism of cars or other
wheeled, steered vehicles. Rack and pinion provide less mechanical advantage than
other mechanisms such as recirculating ball, but less backlash and greater feedback,
or steering "feel". The mechanism may be power-assisted, usually by hydraulic or
electrical means.
The use of a variable rack (still using a normal pinion) was invented by Arthur Ernest
Bishop in the 1970s, so as to improve vehicle response and steering "feel," especially
at high speeds. He also created a low-cost press forging process to manufacture the
racks, eliminating the need to machine the gear teeth.

Reciprocating Ball

The recirculating ball steering mechanism contains a worm gear inside a block with
a threaded hole in it; this block has gear teeth cut into the outside to engage the

108 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

sector shaft (also called a sector gear) which moves the Pitman arm. The steering
wheel connects to a shaft, which rotates the worm gear inside of the block. Instead
of twisting further into the block, the worm gear is fixed so that when it rotates, it
moves the block, which transmits the motion through the gear to the Pitman arm,
causing the road wheels to turn.

Bearing balls

The worm gear is similar in design to a ball screw; the threads are filled with steel
balls that recirculate through the gear and rack as it turns. The balls serve to
reduce friction and wear in the gear, and reduce slop. Slop, when the gears come
out of contact with each other, would be felt when changing the direction of the
steering wheel, causing the wheel to feel loose.

16. Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and

systems so that they fit the people who use them.
When it comes to car, it involves almost everything that is related to the passengers
sitting inside the car. First thing that comes to our mind is seats. seating position,
sitting posture, seat bolstering, under thigh support, lumbar support etc. are the
few things which comes first to my mind when we talk about automobile ergonomics.

109 | P a g e
An Electric Vehicle Manual A DIYguru Presentation

Next comes the position and reach of the Pedals, Dials and Stalks. Pedals are very
important part, for example, there are many people who enjoy laid back sitting
position while driving. So, even when they push back the seat to enjoy their
comfortable sitting position, ABC pedals should be within their reach. if they are
not, driving experience will become cumbersome and tiring. this is where
ergonomics comes into play.
Similarly, for stalks and dials, it’s not just that they should be positioned where one
expects them to be, they should be well within the reach of your hand. for example,
I expect the volume control dial should be positioned just below the stereo system
and its present there as well. But what if the dashboard is placed too far and its not
in my reach or even if it's in my reach, dashboard is tilted towards the passenger
rather than the driver. in both the cases, it’ll be extremely uncomfortable for me
to use the dials.
So, it’s the Ergonomics which deals with all these designs and makes our journey not
only more comfortable and plusher but enhances security as well

Prolonged periods of sitting can place heavy demands of our posture, particularly
when sitting in a vehicle due to added effects of movement and vibration on the
body. Being comfortable and well positioned in a vehicle aims to reduce driver
fatigue and the development of musculoskeletal disorders.
It is imperative that everyone using a vehicle for work observes adequate ergonomic
requirements to minimize the risk of injury.

a) Seat Height
• Raise the seat to ensure the driver has maximum vision of the road.
• Ensure there is adequate clearance
• From the roof.

b) Lower Limb Position

• Knees should be bent, in order to comfortably operate
• The accelerator/Clutch and break.
• The steering wheel should not come into contact with the top of the legs.

c) Seat Pan
• Thighs supported along the length of the cushion.
• Avoid pressure behind the knees.

d) Back Rest
• Adjust the backrest so it provides continued support along the length.
• Shoulders slightly behind the hips.

110 | P a g e
To see the full content of this book, enroll in
DIYguru Electric Vehicle Course.