Perpustakaan Digital ITB

The automotive sector is one of the largest earning industries that generates 4.3 trillion dollars annually. However, the growing number of automobiles causes a rise in air pollution. In Indonesia, a large portion of the air pollution are produced from trucks and motorcycles. Thus, in support of net zero goals, electric vehicles are actively developed. Currently, several auto manufacturers have successfully manufactured electric passenger cars, but the development of electric trucks is still limited. In this undergraduate thesis, the effects of battery placement will be analyzed on the electric truck’s driving performance, handling, and ride quality. In this study, the electric truck will be designed as a battery-electric vehicle. Additionally, the battery will be placed in two configurations which are the center layout and rear layout. In terms of driving performance, the maximum speed will be calculated whereas for the handling and ride quality, the design’s understeer coefficient, bounce, and pitch frequency will be analyzed. Based on the two battery configurations, there are several differences in their performance. Both designs can produce a maximum speed of 106 km/h, however, due to the shift in center of gravity, the rear layout can produce more traction which will lead to a higher acceleration. However, both designs still fulfill the minimum speed requirement of 60 km/h. Moreover, both designs show neutral steer characteristics with a slight understeer as both designs yield an understeer coefficient close to zero. For the ride quality parameter, the center layout model has preferable bounce and pitch frequency because the rear layout would require stiffer leaf springs to achieve acceptable ride quality. Thus, the center layout is preferable.