Torque vectoring control with integrated composite yaw targets design and comprehensive evaluation

Designing yaw control targets that balance maneuverability and stability remains a key challenge in torque vectoring control for distributed drive electric vehicles, primarily due to nonlinear and coupled dynamics. This paper proposes a torque vectoring strategy based on integrated composite yaw targets to enhance handling stability. Unlike conventional methods that compromise between the conflicting objectives of yaw rate and sideslip angle, two ideal yaw rates are constructed: a maneuverability-oriented target derived from optimised steady-state and personalised transient yaw responses, and a stability-oriented target obtained from an expert-calibrated optimal-gain model. These targets are dynamically integrated through a stability evaluation index to form a unified yaw objective, thereby improving tracking accuracy while ensuring agility and stability. A hierarchical torque vectoring framework based on a triple-step nonlinear control method with embedded linear quadratic regulation is employed to track the proposed target. Finally, a comprehensive handling stability evaluation method is established by combining a discernibility matrix-based indicator reduction system with a subjective-objective weighted TOPSIS framework. Carsim/Simulink co-simulations and real-vehicle experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in improving vehicle handling stability.