Hierarchical Control for Distributed Drive Electric Vehicles Considering Handling Stability and Energy Efficiency

Distributed drive electric vehicles exhibit an abundance of control possibilities due to their over-actuated nature. These possibilities can be harnessed to both enhance vehicle handling stability and optimize energy efficiency. However, these goals often conflict with each other. This paper aims to address this issue by outlining a hierarchical control framework that promotes an effective reduction of energy loss attributable to handling stability control. The upper-level controller implements direct yaw moment control with a model prediction framework, while the lower-level controller employs experimental data from the motors to distribute torque vectors. This approach enables striking a balance between stability and energy efficiency. The proposed control framework has been validated through simulation experiments. Under the steering wheel angle step test at low speeds, the vehicle's direct yaw moment control can reduce the associated energy loss by 59.2%. Furthermore, the vehicle's handling stability remains unaffected in the double-lane change test.