Abstract

The alleviation of environmental problems associated with personal, public and commercial transport in urban areas has become an important issue for both policy makers and the automotive industry. Future legislation in Europe and the USA is expected to introduce strict limits in vehicle emissions, and both electric and hybrid vehicles are considered to be strong contenders for meeting low / zero emissions targets. As a result, research into electrically driven powertrains, which have similar performance attributes as ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, has led to the development of electrically actuated wheel technologies, with increasing attention being focused on research into novel antilock braking / traction control (ABS / TCS) strategies.