Implementation of ABS/ESC systems for light weight electric vehicle

The regulatory standards concerning safety of the occupants, pedestrians & the vehicle have been made stringent in recent years. This priority of safety has led to the introduction of Antilock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems in vehicles. The presence of an electric motor, the key powertrain member in electric vehicles (EVs), makes the implementation of safety systems very effective and challenging at the same time. This is effective, since the torque response from the motor is instantaneous, aiding in ultra-low response time from & to Electronic control unit (ECU) leading to faster vehicle control. However, the challenge is the synchronization of an off-the-shelf available ABS/ESC hardware to the existing EV control architecture. In addition, low weight of the vehicle requires the control and actuators to be very fast for stable operation. The toggling of the regenerative brakes and the intervention of the ABS based on vehicle conditions needed a handful of design & testing iterations. The paper explains about ABS & ESC system implementation & its testing details in a light-weight electric vehicle.