2019 E-UTV Driveline

Electric utility vehicles (E-UTV)\u27s are becoming more popular in the commercial industry. The design team has a prototype E-UTV that has been tested for a local manufacturer. One problematic area on the prototype E-UTV was the mechanical driveline from the electric motor to the wheels of the vehicle. The driveline determines important characteristics of the vehicle such as; efficiency, power, and drivability. The previous driveline had several problems in its design such as an old electric motor connected to a belt/pulley driven transaxle, which resulted in loss of efficiency and less than desirable drivability. A more efficient motor was built and implemented. This motor had two output shafts, allowing it to be mounted inline. This change eliminated the transaxle and belt system, reducing frictional losses and increasing space. New motor mounts were made which reduced weight compared to the older mounts. Different front and rear differentials were needed to maintain the necessary wheel speed after the motor switch. Once the new driveline was installed on the E-UTV its performance was validated through vehicle testing. Wheel torque improved slightly with the new design which means improved drivability. Overall, the new driveline is more efficient, uses less space, and increased drivability. The driveline successfully held up to all testing and has proven to be a much better option for a production E-UTV