Finite Element Method Based Technical Investigation of ICEV Chassis with EV Conversion Module

Nepal is shifting towards cleaner and sustainable means of transportation through import of electricvehicles and conversion of conventional vehicles into electric. The conversion process requiresstatic and dynamic analysis of vehicle chassis to ensure structural integrity. This study aims to assessstatic structural performance of a conventional car model that is the brink of 20-year age limit. CADmodelling is done using SolidWorks and Finite Element Analysis is done in ANSYS on the chassisof a Maruti 800 model with electric retrofitting components. The study carries out on-fieldmeasurements and literature review to gather vehicle specifications, and defines simulation variantsrelated to chassis material and configuration of battery and motor. The materials considered arecarbon fiber, high-strength steel, low alloy normalized steel 4140, and aluminum alloy wrought6061. A total load of 5,405.36 N was applied on different placement configurations of motor andbattery: front, trunk, motor in front, battery in front, motor in trunk, battery in trunk, motor in frontwith battery at the bottom, and motor in trunk with battery in front. The ultimate stresses for thevaried materials employed in this study for the chassis falls within the range of 3-12 MPa, all wellbelow the allowable stress range of 104-1470 MPa. It can be inferred that the selected materialsexhibit a high degree of safety for the structural integrity of the vehicle's chassis. Based on thesimulation results, the optimal placement for the motor and battery is found to be at the front of thechassis. Additionally, low alloy steel stands out as the safest material choice for the chassis. Theresults stand out by addressing Nepal specific transportation needs and offering a comparativematerial performance analysis tailored for EV retrofitting in low-to-mid-income economies. Thestudy underscores the need for identifying minimal stress conditions for maximum load capacity,and can be used as an important component to form guidelines for vehicle conversion in Nepal.