Siegen that can increase the range of a small EV by 35%. The new rear axle concept increases the available space for the battery in the body and with the new battery space, it can offer up to 71 miles in additional range.
“Our idea was actually very simple: we ‘turned’ the rear axle and moved the axle’s cross member to the rear, towards the trunk,” says Prof. Fang. “This increases the area available under the car for the battery at the front.
The research team then carried out test drives with all employees of the project participating at the traffic training area in Olpe. The comfort and safety of the vehicle were maintained during the tests, but the driving dynamics of the car performed slightly worse than cars with a conventional rear axle in some respects.
With all the data the scientists gathered from the tests, Prof. Fang and his team of researchers are working on further improving the new axle concept. The group is in discussions with several car manufacturers with the aim of installing the rear axle as standard in small electric cars. “We would be very proud if, in a few years, e-cars drove around with our axle,” says Prof. Fang.