Modeling and Transient Simulation of an

All-Electric All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)

A. R. Chevrefils S. Filizadeh
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
University of Manitoba University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Canada Winnipeg, Canada
achevref@ee.umanitoba.ca sfilizad@ee.umanitoba.ca

Abstract —The paper describes a mechanical model of an the vehicle, thus the development of an accurate and highly
all-terrain vehicle (ATV) developed using a transient detailed model of the mechanical system is of great value.
simulation tool, PSCAD/EMTDC. The development of this
The electronic converters used in electric drive trains
mechanical model allows for a direct interface to a transient
electric vehicle drive train model, providing a reliable means of consist mainly of fast switching high-power static switches.
This fast switching generates high frequency transients that
analysis and testing of the transient effects of high frequency
propagate through the electrical and mechanical systems
converters directly on the mechanical system of the vehicle.
having effects on the acceleration, and speed and torque
Keywords- electric all-terrain vehicle; modeling; transient profiles of the vehicle. The combined mechanical and
simulation; electrical models will allow for a reliable means of analysis of
these effects and also serve in the development and testing of
I. INTRODUCTION effective control algorithms before their implementation.
All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are used extensively for
recreation and field work. Further to their popularity as
rugged, high performance vehicles for exploring hard-to-reach
areas both in winter and summer, they find numerous
applications among farmers and park officers who use ATVs
for frequent short trips involving excessively wasteful engine
idling. An example of a commercially available ATV is shown
in Fig.1.
Similar to the majority of other ground vehicles, ATVs use
gas engines for propulsion. While being a reliable means for
providing the required performance, a gas engine in an ATV
suffers from the same drawbacks as a conventional vehicle gas
engine. It equally generates harmful emissions, produces
Figure 1. A commercially available ATV
audible noise and has considerably low efficiency.
An electric drive train has the capabilities to replace the
inefficient gas engines as it can replace engine idling with II. OVERVIEW OF ATV
automatic shut-down of the electric motor, which eliminates In this work an electric prototype of an ATV is being
energy waste. The operation is also practically quiet. An developed by converting a commercially available ATV. The
important feature of an electric drive train is the possibility of ATV was originally powered by an internal combustion engine
recovering the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle through (ICE) and its source of energy was gasoline.
regenerative braking, thus increasing both the energy efficiency
of the vehicle and the longevity of the battery system between The gasoline engine was connected to a fixed ratio
charges [2]. transmission by a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The CVT allowed the most efficient torque-speed characteristic
With the intention of achieving a reliable means of of the ICE to be achieved. The fixed ratio transmission
connecting a mechanical model of the ATV to a transient incorporates the ability to transmit power to only the rear axle
electric drive train model, both will be developed in a transient or, if the all-wheel drive (AWD) option is engaged, to both the
simulation tool [1], PSCAD/EMTDC. This drive train will front and rear axles. The rear axle is incorporated directly into
include energy storage, high-power electronic converters, the fixed ratio transmission. Fig. 2(a) gives a general overview
electric motors, controls and instrumentation. Such of the existing mechanical system, and how they are placed
components interact intimately with the mechanical system of approximately.
Financial and technical support for this project has been provided by
Manitoba HVDC Research Center, NSERC and Polaris Industries.

401
0840-7789/07/$25.00 ©2007 IEEE
 In order to electrify the ATV, the internal combustion
engine and all of its associated components including the
radiator, the exhaust system and the fuel storage tank need to
be removed. The CVT was also removed as the torque-speed
characteristic of the electric motor does not require the
dynamic gear range. As the fixed ratio transmission
incorporates the AWD capabilities, the high/low range
selection and the rear axle, it is being used in turn to simplify
the mechanical design of the prototype all-electric ATV. The
drive train changes are being made only before the
transmission. These changes include the addition of a three
phase ac electric motor and a three phase voltage source
converter supplied by a series string of Lithium polymer
batteries. The layout of the electric ATV is shown in Fig. 2(b).
Figure 2. (a) Overview of the mechanical system of the existing ATV
(b) Overview of the electrical conversion of the ATV
All the new electrical components will have to be fitted into
the existing chassis of the ATV. This presents two challenges,
namely (i) to achieve similar performance while not increasing
the weight over the conventional ATV, and (ii) the number of
modifications that will have to be made to the frame of the
ATV should be kept to a minimum. To achieve the desired
performance a powerful electric motor will be required, and to
achieve a desirable range will require a large volume of electric
batteries.
To make the most effective use of the available space an
optimal solution of energy efficiency and performance is
required. This will allow for a resourceful allocation of space
to be provided to the electrical motor for performance and the
batteries for energy storage. To proceed to the electrical
system design stage an accurate model representing the
mechanical parameters of the ATV has been developed to
allow for suitable prediction of performance.
III. MECHANICAL MODEL OF THE ATV
For the analysis of the performance of the ATV it has been
decided to use a straight line or longitudinal model. This
model will allow measuring linearly the acceleration
performance, the top speed, the gradability and the braking
performance. Some parameters that will not be considered are
the cornering capabilities and the latitudinal roll of the body.
For most on-road vehicles these longitudinal parameters are
402
sufficient to determine a good measure of the overall
longitudinal performance [3].
To obtain these characteristics of performance certain
parameters are modeled mathematically. These parameters
include the rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag and road
grade. The rolling resistance measures the overall force that is
required to merely keep the vehicle rolling. If there is not
enough force to overcome the rolling resistance, the vehicle
will not begin rolling or if the vehicle is already rolling it will
coast to a stop. The aerodynamic drag measures the effect of
moving the vehicle through the air. It also takes into
consideration the effect of wind on the vehicle. Finally, the
road grade measures the force that is required to move a
vehicle up a constant grade. The maximum speed and the
acceleration performance are essentially the most important
parameters to assess the on-road vehicle performance [4].
An ATV is subjected to many more different conditions and
ground types than most on-road vehicles. To help in the proper
design of the mechanical model of the ATV all of the
parameters mentioned above have been modeled with the
addition of mechanical power train efficiency, two- and four-
wheel traction modes and tractive effort. Using these
additional parameters further scenarios can be analyzed and
assessed.
A. Mechanical Power Train Efficiency
The power train efficiency models the losses in the
mechanical system as the mechanical power is transferred from
the shaft of the electrical motor through the fixed ratio
transmission to the tires of the ATV. As the electrical system
model will track all electrical losses in the system, monitoring
the power train efficiency will help achieve a better picture of
the total system losses, from batteries until the power is finally
applied to the ground to accelerate the vehicle.
B. Two- and Four-Wheel Traction Modes
The prototype ATV will have the capabilities to run in a
two wheel drive mode where all the power is transferred to the
rear axle only, as well as a four-wheel drive mode or AWD in
which all the wheels are powered. The AWD drive mode
allows the ATV to accelerate at a faster rate when subjected to
different types of surface conditions, as explained in the next
section. The AWD will also allow for better control during
regenerative braking, as the vehicles weight is shifted towards
the front axle when braking the vehicle. If the ATV is in the
two-wheel drive mode when the regenerative braking is applied
there is a risk of locking the rear axle, resulting in skidding.
This occurs due to the dynamic weight shifting that occurs
during braking [3,5].
When the AWD option is enabled, further mechanical
components are engaged to transfer power to the front axle.
This will increase the overall mechanical losses. To allow for
consideration of these additional losses when the AWD option
is enabled in the simulation, an additional percentage is
subtracted from the mechanical power train efficiency.
C. Tractive Effort
The maximum tractive effort that can be applied by the tire
to the ground is directly related to the type of ground.
Different surfaces, such as asphalt and ice, will have different
values of friction, which will limit the maximum force that can
be applied to accelerate the vehicle without spinning the
wheels.
The tire RPM of a vehicle is dependant only on the total
gear ratio and its efficiency [3]; because of this one would
assume that the vehicle speed is proportional to the tire RPM.
There is however, another parameter that should be modeled
referred to as the wheel slip. This parameter relates the tire
portion of the curve is due to the elastic deformation of the tire
tread. As wheel torque is increased beyond this region there is
a non-linear increase in tractive effort with wheel slip, as
denoted in section AB. This non-linear increase is due to a
gradually larger portion of the tire tread sliding on the ground.
"Based on available experimental data the maximum tractive
force of a pneumatic tire on hard surfaces is usually reached
somewhere between 15 and 20% slip.[6]" Any further increase
beyond this maximum will result in all the tire tread sliding on
the ground, essentially leading to the tire spinning on the spot.
Slip of ATV Tire
0.9

Tractive Effort / Maximum Tractive Effort

0.8 B
RPM to the speed of the vehicle. The relationship of tire rpm
to vehicle speed is defined in (1). 0.7

0.6
A
0.5 Peak Value
2π ne rw
V= (1 − s) (m/s) (1) 0.4
60 ζ 0
0.3

where ne , rw and ζ 0 denotes the motor speed, wheel radius

0.2

0.1
and ratio from the motor to the driven wheels respectively. O
From (1) it can be seen that the speed of the vehicle is 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
dependant on the value of wheel slip s. Longitudinal Slip (%)

There is a theoretical maximum tractive force that can be
exerted on the ground through the wheels. This is referred to
as the normal force of the vehicle. This theoretical maximum
for an AWD vehicle is the force, which gravity is pulling down
on the vehicle defined by (2) and pictured in fig. 4.
Ft _ norm = mt g cos α (N) (2)
Figure 4. Wheel slip curve for a typical tire.
The modeling of wheel slip is only done for the OB portion
of the curve; once the simulation determines that the tractive
effort is above the peak value, the tire begins to slip at
essentially 100%. This is done to determine the maximum
tractive effort that the model can apply on different ground
types and to determine the effect of the AWD option. The
model also takes into consideration different peak values for
different ground types. The peak values used are found in
Table I [7].

TABLE I. AVERAGE VALUES OF TRACTIVE EFFORT ON VARIOUS

GROUND TYPES

Surface Peak Values, µ p Sliding Values, , µ s

Asphalt and Concrete (dry) 0.8 – 0.9 0.75
Concrete (wet) 0.8 0.7
Asphalt (wet) 0.5 – 0.7 0.45 – 0.6
Gravel 0.6 0.55
Earth road (dry) 0.68 0.65
Earth road (wet) 0.55 0.4 – 0.5
Snow (hard packed) 0.2 0.15
Figure 3. Normal force of the AWD ATV Ice 0.1 0.07

Due to properties of the tire and the characteristics of the
ground this maximum force can never be achieved; to model
the correct maximum tractive effort the properties of the
ground (e.g., gravel or ice) and the tire must be modeled.
These two properties are both considered by modeling wheel
slip.
Fig. 5 shows a typical experimentally derived wheel slip as
a function of tractive effort. Under steady state conditions the
tractive force developed by the tire is proportional to the
applied wheel torque. Section OA corresponds to a linear
increase of tractive effort with wheel slip. This initially linear
D. Higher-Order Dynamics
For further development of the model the moments of
inertia to replicate the effective weight shift from rear to front
during braking will be considered. This will require
determination of the spring constants of the front and rear
suspensions as well as the approximate weight distributions
and center of gravity of the prototype electric ATV. Modeling
of the weight-shift will allow for more accurate modeling and
maximization of the regenerative braking system.

403
 IV. SIMULATION RESULTS AND VERIFICATION
A preliminary model that consists of the rolling resistance,
the aerodynamic drag and the gradability of the ATV has been
developed. The model has been rigorously tested against data
supplied by the manufacturer that was generated using the
same parameters. Modifications have been made to the model
to accurately describe the unit. The results of an acceleration
test are found in Fig. 5. As seen the maximum speed achieved
during the acceleration test is practically identical, there is a
difference in the rates of acceleration; this is primarily due to
the mechanical CVT used in the manufacturer tests. The
simulation data uses only a mathematical equivalent of the
CVT.
Velocity versus Time
120
100
80
Velocity (Km/h)
60
40
20
0
0 10 20 30
Time (seconds)
Figure 5. Graph of simulation data and polaris data.
A more detailed model has also been developed using the
preliminary model by incorporating (i) the AWD option, (ii)
different ground types, and (iii) wheel slip. The results have not
been verified to date; they will however be verified using the
final assembled vehicle.
A view of the advanced PSCAD/EMTDC ATV Model is
seen in Fig. 6. It takes in as inputs motor torque, brake torque
and supports a reverse switch to allow for modeling of the
different transmission ratio for the reverse mode. The model
outputs the required motor speed [in rad/s] and the acceleration
[in m/s2] and velocity [in m/s]. The model also has many other
inputs such as wind speed, terrain grade, ground type and
AWD engage, which are incorporated internally. Other
supported outputs are accelerating, aerodynamic, gradient and
rolling resistance forces.
The performance data from this model has helped in the
selection of the major components required for the electric
ATV. Using such key performance factors of the ATV as
acceleration and maximum speed, a brushless dc motor has
been selected for its high power to size ratio, as well as its high
efficiency over a broad range of speeds. A 96-V series string
consisting of five 19.2-V Lithium polymer batteries was
selected for both their high current capabilities and high energy
density. Both items will fit the performance and the size
limitations mentioned earlier.
Figure 6. PSCAD/EMTDC ATV model with parameter input window
V. CONCLUSION
A high-order transient mechanical model that will be used
in the development of an electrical drive of an all-electric ATV
has been presented. The development of the model has been
undertaken in an electromagnetic transient simulation program
to allow for direct connection to and simulation of future
electronic systems. This connection will allow for the analysis
of the performance and efficiency of the entire ATV system
and to allow for the design of proper control strategies before
construction of a prototype is undertaken. The development of
Simulation Data such a detailed mechanical model saves time and reduces
Manufacturer Data development costs before initiating the prototyping stage. This
is achieved by allowing the designer to perform a full analysis
40 50 60
of the vehicle performance without the timely and costly
construction of a prototype for each major change in the
design.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions made
by E. Dirks from the ECE department of the University of
Manitoba. In-kind contributions of Polaris Industries Inc. are
also highly acknowledged.
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[3] J. M. Miller, Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Vehicles, UK: IEE, 2004.
[4] C. C. Chan, K. T. Chau, Modern Electric Vehicle Technology. Oxford:
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[5] Bosch, Automotive Handbook, by Robert Bosch GmbH, Struttgart, 2006
[6] J. Y. Wong, Theory of Ground Vehicles, Toronto: John Wiley & Sons,
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