• FEM Analysis
• Hub design
• Hydrogen-Solar
• Motor testing
• Suspension

This thesis bounds the development of subsystems for a hybrid electric prototype vehicle. The aim of the project is to integrate components into the car by designing and developing the necessary interfaces with a specific focus on the powertrain and suspensions. Besides the design and manufacturing process of new parts, this work also focuses on testing the electric motors within their typical operating range, with the aim of clearly understanding their behaviour to achieve accurate predictions of motor performance when integrated into the vehicle.

First, the wheel-side hub, which holds the motor with a keyway slot, and the chassis-side hub, which connects the swing arm and the pushrod, were modified to mount the motor onto the car. Then, a specially designed test rig was built to test the electric motors. A plank holding the rollers, designed to replicate a moving floor, along with a height-adjustment mechanism, was prepared and mounted on the test rig. A MATLAB tool was developed to run the motors under different speed and driving profiles. The integrity of the test rig was verified by gradually increasing the motor speed and testing scaled homologation driving cycles.

Moreover, due to the high weight of the motors, the existing rear suspension system (swing arms and pushrods) was redesigned to improve the reliability of the entire mounting. FEM analyses were performed on the suspension assembly, considering typical road-like load conditions.

The thesis concludes with the achievement of the initial objectives and shows the improvements obtained through the integration of a new powertrain into an existing platform (car prototype) with new solutions and components.

This thesis bounds the development of subsystems for a hybrid electric prototype vehicle. The aim of the project is to integrate components into the car by designing and developing the necessary interfaces with a specific focus on the powertrain and suspensions. Besides the design and manufacturing process of new parts, this work also focuses on testing the electric motors within their typical operating range, with the aim of clearly understanding their behaviour to achieve accurate predictions of motor performance when integrated into the vehicle. First, the wheel-side hub, which holds the motor with a keyway slot, and the chassis-side hub, which connects the swing arm and the pushrod, were modified to mount the motor onto the car. Then, a specially designed test rig was built to test the electric motors. A plank holding the rollers, designed to replicate a moving floor, along with a height-adjustment mechanism, was prepared and mounted on the test rig. A MATLAB tool was developed to run the motors under different speed and driving profiles. The integrity of the test rig was verified by gradually increasing the motor speed and testing scaled homologation driving cycles. Moreover, due to the high weight of the motors, the existing rear suspension system (swing arms and pushrods) was redesigned to improve the reliability of the entire mounting. FEM analyses were performed on the suspension assembly, considering typical road-like load conditions. The thesis concludes with the achievement of the initial objectives and shows the improvements obtained through the integration of a new powertrain into an existing platform (car prototype) with new solutions and components.