Getting around in electric vehicles

The article has presented the electric tilting three-wheel vehicle (ET3WV) developed at the University of Padova, Italy, for urban mobility. It is characterized by an innovative connection between the tilting front module and the nontilting rear module, and by advanced solutions for the electric propulsion system. The design of the mechanical layout, of the traction drives, of the battery, and of the control circuitry of the vehicle were described, and its characteristics and driving performance were reported. Besides excellent performance in terms of acceleration and range, superior lateral stability and good maneuverability were achieved. Further work is mainly addressed to enhance the electric propulsion systems by providing the traction drives with torque control and flux-weakening features, with the latter being helpful for increasing the cruising speed out of the urban areas.