Barrier Weight Prediction for Vehicle Compatibility in North America Market Using Finite Element Analysis

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The proliferation of the electric vehicle (EVs) in the US market led to an increase in the average vehicle weight due to the assembly of the larger high-voltage (HV) batteries. To comply with this weight increase and to meet stringent US regulations and Consumer Ratings requirements, Vehicle front-end rigidity (stiffness) has increased substantially. This increased stiffness in the larger vehicles (Large EV pickups/SUVs) may have a significant impact during collision with smaller vehicles. To address this issue, it is necessary to consider adopting a vehicle compatibility test like Euro NCAP MPDB (European New Car Assessment Program Moving Progressive Deformable Barrier) for the North American market as well. This study examines the influence of mass across vehicle classes and compares the structural variations for each impact class. The Euro NCAP MPDB (European New Car Assessment Program Moving Progressive Deformable Barrier) protocol referenced for this analysis. Our evaluation approach comprises of two sections: (i) The impact of the barrier mass on to the vehicle structure (V2B) and (ii) vehicle-to-vehicle impact (V2V) analysis. To predict the correct segment weight representing the barrier weight for the North American market, we analyzed the 2022 year to sales data for North American market to assess the average vehicle weight. Data was then compared with CAE predictions barrier mass (~1500kg- 1600kg). Based on the sales data, the average vehicle mass found to be ~1500 kg, aligning with the CAE simulations predictions. This study aims to determine the US sales volume and conduct CAE simulations to predict the precise weight of the barrier that replicates the lightest vehicle currently available in the North American market, as per this study, a barrier weight of (~1500 -1600) kg can be considered for the future vehicle compatibility for NA market. This predicted vehicle weight aligns with the typical vehicle sale data for North American market.</div><section id="s_2" class="section"><h2 class="title">Background</h2><div class="htmlview paragraph">In 2022, Electric Vehicles (EVs) constituted 14% of all car sales globally, with every major market experiencing year-over-year sales increase. In United States, this meant that over one in five cars sold were electric. To improve the range of EVs, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are significantly increasing the weight of high-voltage battery assemblies, leading to an overall increase in the vehicle weight, this in turn, results in substantial increase in front-end-stiffness of the vehicle to meet other US vehicle regulations. The heightened front-end-stiffness is expected to significantly impact vehicle compatibility. To understand various parameters such as Occupant Loading Criterion (OLC) and Standard Deviation (deformation of barrier profile), we referenced Euro NCAP MPDB (European New Car Assessment Program Moving Progressive Deformable Barrier) test protocol. This helped determine the weight of the barrier that represents the small vehicle segment in the North American market. Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) impact CAE simulations were also conducted, selecting smaller vehicle as target vehicles (to represent the barrier mass), and impacting them with different vehicle classes such as Pick-up trucks, Large SUVs, and Compact SUVs. The impact vehicle mass varied from 1800kg to 3200kg.The primary aim of this study is to estimate the barrier weight that replicates the lightest vehicle currently available in the North American market.</div></section></div>