E-LIGHT - Advanced Structural Light-Weight Architectures for Electric Vehicles
Overview
Background & policy context:
At the start of this project, the automotive industry had not yet decided which architecture solution for electric vehicles was optimal. This and the fact that requirements and constraints derived from an electrical power-train were much less stringent in several areas made it necessary to study new solutions specifically designed for the particularities of electric vehicles.
Objectives:
The E-LIGHT project aimed at exploring all the aspects and requirements for optimal electric vehicle architectures. These particularities were studied in the E-LIGHT project, focussing on:
- Modularity of components;
- Ergonomic designs;
- Innovative safety concepts;
- Better aerodynamic performance and lesser weight which would decrease the overall power consumption and consequently will increase the range.
The main objective of E-LIGHT project was to develop an innovative multi-material modular architecture specifically designed for electric vehicles, achieving optimal light weight and crash worthy performances while ensuring ergonomic standards on board.
Methodology:
In order to achieve this objective, the following scientific and technical objectives were defined:
- Identification of architectural requirements for future electric vehicles, focussing on lightweight for different battery and electric motor configurations(front or rear stand alone, wheel in hub);
- Identification of optimal multi-materials solution to become part of the electric vehicles architectures;
- The optimal geometries and designs for the EV architectures, taking into account previously studied architectural requirements and materials;
- Definition of design methodology and testing procedures in order to develop general design guidelines and testing procedures towards more sustainable, lightweight, modular concepts of the design process.
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