This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been

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10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3008068, IEEE Access

Date of publication xxxx 00, 0000, date of current version xxxx 00, 0000.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/ACCESS.2017.Doi Number

An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for

Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle
Considering Energy Conversation
YING XU*, LUNYAO JIANG*, BO WEI, LI QIU
College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, PRChina

Corresponding author: YING XU (e-mail: yxu@szu.edu.cn), LUNYAO JIANG (e-mail: 2295708258@qq.com).

This paper is financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61403259, 61873170, U1813225) and Science and Technology
Research and Development Foundation of Shenzhen (No. JCYJ20170302142107025, JCYJ20190808144607400)

ABSTRACT In this paper, an optimal torque distribution strategy (OTDS) for four-motorized-wheel electric
vehicle (4MWEV) is proposed aiming at improving the tractive efficiency and braking energy recovery
performance. Based on the motor efficiency map, the objective functions of tractive efficiency and braking
energy recycling are established first. Under driving conditions, genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to obtain
the optimal torque distribution ratio of front and rear axles considering the constraints of motor characteristics
and desired torque. During braking conditions, an exhaustive search method (ESM) is proposed to improve
the energy recovery performance considering the constraints of motor characteristics, battery, braking theory
and ECE Regulations. For the realization of efficient and accurate computation, a control scheme of off-line
optimization and on-line allocation based on the optimal torque distribution ratio map is presented, which
stores the optimal ratios in all available motor operating regions into two-dimensional lookup tables. Finally,
co-simulation experiments based on MATLAB/Simulink and Carsim are conducted to verify the
effectiveness of the proposed OTDS under NEDC and UDDS driving cycles. Comparing to the typical torque
distribution strategy (TTDS), the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed OTDS can enhance the
energy-saving performance by 7.01% under NEDC and 6.69% under UDDS.

INDEX TERMS Four-motorized-wheel electric vehicle (4MWEV), optimal torque distribution strategy
(OTDS), genetic algorithm (GA), exhaustive search method (ESM), driving and braking distribution
coefficients.

I. INTRODUCTION independently. This reduces energy consumption since the

Increasing concern about energy shortage and environment
issues, as well as recent advancements in electric motor and
motor controller technologies, have allowed electric vehicles
to become the most promising alternative for the research
and design of fuel-efficient vehicles [1]-[2]. One electric
vehicle configuration with great potential is known as the
Four-motorized-wheel EV (4MWEV), which employs four
in-wheel motors that are attached to each wheel and
controlled independently [3]-[4]. 4MWEV has many
advantages, such as better driving performance, quick and
precise torque response, and light weight design, and offers
excellent prospects for the enhancement of vehicle economy
[5]. However, the limitations of battery capacity and motor
technology, which are critical in improving the energy
efficiency and energy recovery performance, have hampered
the development of electric vehicles [6]. Compared to
traditional EV, 4MWEV controls the four in-wheel motors
motors can be maintained in the high efficiency region [7]-
[8].
A number of energy-saving strategies and schemes under
driving and braking conditions have been proposed to generate
enhancements in overall vehicle efficiency from the
perspective of torque allocation optimization [9]-[10]. Under
driving conditions, Pennycott et al. [11] investigated the
associated potential for energy savings through minimizing
power losses from the motor units via wheel torque allocation.
Lin et al. [12] developed an offline optimization stream within
the two-dimensional design space composed of the
acceleration pedal signal and the vehicle speed which
improved real-time performance. Moreover, an adaptive
particle swarm optimization algorithm is adopted to determine
the discrete and discontinuous multi-objective optimization
problem in [13]. Li et al. [14] proposed a hierarchical control
structure which fits the motor efficiency map and combines

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 This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI
10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3008068, IEEE Access
Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

single-iteration sequential quadratic programming algorithm
with a one-dimensional search algorithm to solve the
optimization objective of energy consumption. Park et al. [15]
proposed an integrated torque distribution algorithm that
consists of various strategies for optimizing driving efficiency,
satisfying driver demands, and considering tire slip and
vehicle cornering. Fuzzy logic is then used to determine the
intervention time for each allocation strategy. Lin et al. [16]
developed a multi-objective optimal torque distribution
strategy for four in-wheel-motor drive electric vehicles
considering the system efficiency, lateral stability, and safety,
which proposed energy efficiency control allocation (EECA)
and hybrid model predictive control (hMPC) to improve the
performance of energy consumption and vehicle stability. For
braking torque allocation strategy, a neural network based
SRM drive control strategy is developed to satisfy the
requirements of regenerative braking in EV and HEV in [17].
Zijian et al. [18] designed a regenerative braking force
calculation controller based on fuzzy logic which has three
inputs including the driver's brake requirements, vehicle speed
and batteries' SOC and one output-the braking force. Xu et al.
[19] proposed a regenerative braking control strategy, which
uses a model predictive controller to distribute the braking
torque between the hydraulic brake mode and the electric
motor brake mode to acquire maximum energy recovery and
minimum energy consumption. Yu et al. [20] developed an
optimal fuzzy neural network braking control strategy to
determine the allocation of front and rear regenerative braking
torque and friction braking torque for the independent four-
wheel motor driven electric vehicle. Considering the
integrated torque control of both driving and braking
conditions, Yuan et al. [21] designed a scheme which
emphasizes the energy consumption issues when total desired
torque is low, while an on-line optimization algorithm based
on an efficiency map is applied to determine the operating
mode of motors. Dizqah et al. [22] proposed an optimal
solution for the torque distribution problem based on the
vehicle speed. Pan el al. [23] designed a novel regenerative
braking control strategy based on braking intention in which
Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is applied to deduce driver
brake intention based on real-time maneuver data.
The main contribution of this paper is proposing a strategy
for torque distribution to improve the tractive efficiency and
braking energy recovery under the premise of driving and
braking safety. First, the objective functions and constraints
are established based on the motor efficiency map. Second,
genetic algorithm and exhaustive search method are used to
solve the optimal front and rear torque distribution ratios while
considering the system constraints. Furthermore, a scheme of
off-line optimization and on-line allocation is proposed, in
which optimal ratios are stored in the form of a two-
dimensional lookup table to realize accurate torque
distribution and avoid heavy on-line computation. Finally, co-
simulation experiments are conducted under NEDC and
UDDS driving cycles to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
proposed optimal torque distribution strategy against the
typical torque distribution strategy.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: Section
II introduces the system modeling, including the PID driving
model, the in-wheel motor model, the battery model and the
friction braking model. Section III proposes the overall design
of optimal torque distribution strategy based on genetic
algorithm and exhaustive search method. In section IV, co-
simulation experiments using MATLAB/Simulink and
Carsim are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
proposed OTDS by comparison with the TTDS. Section V
offers the conclusions.
II. SYSTEM MODELING
The basic physical structure and traction control system of
4MWEV is shown in Figure 1, which is driven by four in-
wheel motors that provide driving force and braking force
independently. The subscripts 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent the
front-left, front-right, rear-left and rear-right wheels or motors.
In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control
strategy, a comprehensive vehicle model must be established
to accurately simulate the vehicle response under various
driving cycles. In this study, the commercial vehicle dynamics
software, CarSim, is adopted to build the vehicle dynamics
model, and the other vehicle systems, such as the driver model,
the in-wheel motor model, the battery model, and the friction
braking system are built in the MATLAB/Simulink
environment as the following subsections.
FIGURE 1. The basic physical structure and traction control system of
4MWEV.
A. PID Driver Model
To make the actual speed of the vehicle track the reference
speed and build a closed-loop control system of Human-
Vehicle-Road, a driver model is indispensable in forward
simulations. In this paper, a revised longitudinal PID driver
model [24] is introduced. According to Newton's Second Law,
the longitudinal dynamic equations of the vehicle can be
expressed as:
𝑚Σ 𝑣̇ 𝑟𝑒𝑓 = 𝐹𝑐𝑡𝑟 − 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠 (1)
The 𝑚Σ and the 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠 are further obtained as the equations
below:
𝐽𝑤ℎ𝑙 +𝐽𝑚𝑡𝑟
𝑚𝛴 = 𝑚 + 2 (2)
𝑅𝑤

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Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

2
𝐶𝑑 ∙𝐴∙𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓 above three parameters, which can be visualized as the motor
𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠 = 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 + 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 𝑚𝑔𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 + (3)
21.15 efficiency map in Figure 2. For the sake of convenience in the
where 𝑚Σ and 𝑚 are the total mass and sprung mass of computation, the motor efficiency in braking conditions is the
4MWEV, respectively. 𝐹𝑐𝑡𝑟 and 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠 represent the total same as that under driving conditions.
control input longitudinal force and the force of rolling and air
resistance, respectively. 𝐽𝑤ℎ𝑙 and 𝐽𝑚𝑡𝑟 mean the moment of
inertia of the vehicle wheels and in-wheel motors. 𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓 is the
reference speed. 𝑅𝑤 is the effective rolling radius of the front
and rear wheel. 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 and 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑟 represent the rolling resistance
and air resistance, respectively. The value of the vehicle
aerodynamic coefficient 𝐶𝑑 , the rolling friction coefficient
𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 and windward area 𝐴 are set according to B-Class, Sports
Car.
Moreover, the speed error 𝑒𝑣 is used to compensate for the
un-modeled error or disturbance, which is defined as:
𝑒𝑣 = 𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓 − 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 (4)
where 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 is the actual speed.
FIGURE 2. Efficiency characteristics of the in-wheel motor.
Therefore, the control quantity of the 𝑃𝐼𝐷 controller
𝑃𝐼𝐷(𝑒𝑣 ) is further expressed as: To stabilize the output of the motor's torque, smoothing and
filtering operations are adopted for the command torque. The
𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑣
𝑃𝐼𝐷(𝑒𝑣 ) = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒𝑣 + 𝐾𝑖 ∫0 𝑒𝑣 𝑑𝑡 + 𝐾𝑑 (5) output torque response can be simplified as a first-order inertia
𝑑𝑡
system as follow:
By combining (1) - (5), the input torque 𝑇𝑐𝑡𝑟 of the driving 𝑇𝑐𝑚𝑑
model can be expressed as follows: 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 = (10)
𝜎∙𝑠+1

𝑇𝑐𝑡𝑟 = (𝑚𝛴 𝑣̇ 𝑟𝑒𝑓 + 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠 )𝑅𝑤 + 𝑃𝐼𝐷(𝑒𝑣 ) (6) where 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 is the output torque of in-wheel motor, 𝑇𝑐𝑚𝑑 is
the command torque of in-wheel motors, and 𝜎 is the motor
B. In-wheel Motor Model time constant.
For the 4MWEV, each wheel is individually driven by a
PMSM motor [25]. In the 𝑑 − 𝑞 axis synchronous rotating C. Battery Model
reference frame, the mathematical model of PMSM motor is Battery is a device that stores electrical energy and provides
formulated as follows: energy for electric motors and electrical accessories. In this
𝑑𝑖𝑑
paper, the main function of battery model is to calculate the
𝑢𝑑 = 𝑅𝑠 𝑖𝑑 + 𝐿𝑑
𝑑𝑡
− 𝐿𝑞 𝑖𝑞 𝜔𝑒 (7) value of state of charge (𝑆𝑂𝐶) according to vehicle
requirement [27].
𝑑𝑖𝑞
𝑢𝑞 = 𝑅𝑠 𝑖𝑞 + 𝐿𝑞 + (𝐿𝑑 𝑖𝑑 + 𝜓𝑓 )𝜔𝑒 (8) The 𝑆𝑂𝐶 value is closely related to the capacity of the
𝑑𝑡
battery. The residual capacity of the battery can be calculated
The electromagnetic torque equation is described as: by the initial capacity and the consumed capacity of the battery,
3 which can be established as follows:
𝑇𝑒 = 𝑝𝑛 [𝜓𝑓 𝑖𝑞 + (𝐿𝑑 − 𝐿𝑞 )𝑖𝑞 𝑖𝑑 ] (9)
2 𝑡 𝑖𝑎 (𝑡)
𝑄𝑢 (𝑖𝑎 , 𝑡, 𝜏) = 𝑄𝜏 (𝜏, 𝑖𝑎 ) − ∫0 𝑑𝑡 (11)
where 𝑢𝑑 and 𝑢𝑞 are the 𝑑 − 𝑞 axis stator voltages, 3600
𝑄𝑢 1 𝑡 𝑖𝑎 (𝑡)
respectively; 𝑖𝑑 and 𝑖𝑞 are the 𝑑 − 𝑞 axis stator currents, 𝑆𝑂𝐶 = =1− ∫ 𝑑𝑡 (12)
𝑄𝜏 𝑄𝜏 0 3600
respectively; 𝐿𝑑 and 𝐿𝑞 are the 𝑑 − 𝑞 axis inductances,
respectively; 𝑅𝑠 denotes the stator resistance; 𝜔𝑒 indicates where 𝑖𝑎 represents the current, 𝑄𝑢 is the current available
the electrical angular velocity; 𝜓𝑓 means the permanent power, 𝑄𝜏 is the initial capacity of the initial battery capacity,
𝑡 𝑖 (𝑡)
magnet flux linkage. 𝑇𝑒 is the electromagnetic torque; 𝑝𝑛 is and ∫0 𝑎 𝑑𝑡 is the consumed capacity.
3600
the number of pole pairs of the motor.
In order to meet the requirements of the vehicle dynamic D. Friction Braking Model
performance, the in-wheel motor is selected with a peak power The supplement of friction braking torque is indispensable for
of 18.75 𝑘𝑊 and peak torque of 250 𝑁𝑚 to propel the the reason that the regenerative braking torque provided by the
vehicle. Through the motor characteristic test which is in-wheel motor is limited. To enable a continuous modulation
conducted on the motor test bench [26], the experimental data of the braking torque, the 4MWEV is assumed to be equipped
of motor speed 𝑛, motor torque 𝑇, and corresponding motor with electro-mechanic brakes [28]. Here a first-order inertia
efficiency 𝜂 is obtained. In this paper, the in-wheel motor system is used to describe the motor torque response [29].
model is built as a two-dimensional lookup table based on the

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 This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI
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Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation
𝑇𝑓𝑟𝑖 1 speed and torque, and brake intensity to realize closed loop
∗ (𝑠) = 𝑒 −𝜀𝑠
𝑇𝑓𝑟𝑖 𝜅∙𝑠+1
∗
where 𝑇𝑓𝑟𝑖 is the command value of friction brake; 𝑇𝑓𝑟𝑖 is the
actual output torque; 𝜅 is the time constant; and 𝜀 is the pure
delay.
III. OPTIMAL TORQUE DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
A. HIERARCHICAL ENERGY-SAVING CONTROL
ARCHITECTURE
In order to improve the tractive efficiency and regenerative
braking energy recovery, in this paper an optimal torque
distribution strategy (OTDS) is proposed. The proposed
OTDS selects the power summations of the four in-wheel
motors as the objective functions of the optimization problem,
which integrate genetic algorithm (GA) based driving torque
distribution strategy under driving conditions and exhaustive
search method (ESM) based braking torque distribution
strategy under braking conditions.
The hierarchical energy-saving control architecture is
shown in Figure 3. The 𝑃𝐼𝐷 driver model is used to generate
the total required torque based on the error between the
reference speed and the actual vehicle speed. OTDS is the core
of the hierarchical control. It selects the economy-based
objective functions of four in-wheel motors as the
optimization objective, which contain the driving torque
strategy and braking torque strategy. With the system
constraints of in-wheel motor model, battery model, braking
theory and ECE Regulations, the GA based torque distribution
strategy and ESM based torque distribution strategy are
activated respectively under different conditions to solve the
optimal 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 and 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 . To meet the system’s real-time
requirement, the control scheme of off-line optimization and
on-line allocation based on the optimal torque distribution
ratio map is obtained. It stores the optimal 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 and 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 in all
available motor operating regions into two-dimensional
lookup tables. Finally, by on-line allocation, the optimal
torque is allocated to the in-wheel motors, and the friction
torque to friction braking model. The 4MWEV outputs
relevant vehicle parameters such as the vehicle speed, motor
FIGURE 3. The hierarchical energy-saving control architecture of 4MWEV.
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(13)
control of the system.
B. GA BASED DRIVING TORQUE DISTRIBUTION
STRATEGY
The motor efficiency may vary widely across different
working regions. Figure 2 shows that when a motor works at
low speed and small torque, the motor efficiency is relatively
low. At the same motor speed, with an increase in motor
torque, the motor efficiency increases first and then decreases.
Therefore, it is necessary to make the in-wheel motor operates
in the high efficiency region as much as possible.
Under driving conditions, to minimize the energy
consumption of the 4MWEV, the power summation of the
four in-wheel motors is selected as the objective function of
the optimization problem, which can be established as follows:
𝑛𝑖 ∙𝑇𝑖
min 𝐽𝑑 = ∑4𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖 = ∑4𝑖=1 (14)
𝜂𝑖 (𝑇𝑖 ,𝑛𝑖 )
𝑇1 + 𝑇1 + 𝑇3 + 𝑇4 = 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
𝑇1 + 𝑇2 ≥ 𝑇3 + 𝑇4
𝑠. 𝑡. 𝑇 (15)
𝑖(1,2,3,4) ≤ 𝑇𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥
{ 𝑛𝑖(1,2,3,4) ≤ 𝑛𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥
where 𝑃𝑖 is the in-wheel motor power, 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 represents the
total required torque, 𝑇𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥 and 𝑛𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥 represent
the maximum torque and maximum speed that motor can
provide.
The motor characteristic curve shows that if the motor
speed is lower than the rated speed, the motor can provide
maximum torque. If the motor speed exceeds the rated speed,
the motor's torque is inversely proportional to the speed, and
the motor operates at its maximum generating power [30]. The
constraint of the in-wheel motor torque can be shown as:
𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑛≤𝑁
𝑇𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥 = {9549𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 (16)
𝑛>𝑁
𝑛
where 𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 represents the peak torque, 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 is the peak
power. 𝑛 and 𝑁 represent the rotating speed and rated speed,
respectively.
 This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI
10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3008068, IEEE Access
Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

Without considering the influence of other electronic
accessories, the problem of energy-saving control strategy can
be abstracted as the optimization of the torque distribution
ratio of front and rear axles 𝜌, which can be subdivided into
driving torque distribution ratio 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 and braking torque
distribution ratio 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 in corresponding conditions. The
distribution ratio of front and rear axles is defined as:
𝑇𝑓
𝜌=
𝑇𝑓 +𝑇𝑟
the optimal individuals are obtained gradually with the
development of each new generation. The process of
continuous optimization will stop when reaching the
terminating condition, and the optimal 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 is identified. Table
1 shows the detail parameters of the proposed GA. For the on-
line allocation, based on the desired torque 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 provided from
PID driver model and optimal 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 from the off-line
optimization, the optimal driving torque is allocated to four in-
(17) wheel motors.

𝑇𝑓 + 𝑇𝑟 = 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 (18)
where 𝑇𝑓 and 𝑇𝑟 represent the torque output on the front and
rear axles, respectively.
For the sake of simplicity, some assumptions are listed [31]:
1) The slip rate and speed difference of wheels are very
small in the course of motion;
2) The output torque of motors on the same axis is
identical.
Because only the longitudinal dynamics are considered in
this paper, and the energy-saving control is executed only
when the vehicle in current working conditions is stable and
safe. Therefore, these assumptions can be expressed as follows:
𝑇𝑓 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
𝑇1 = 𝑇2 = =𝜌∙
2 2
{ 𝑇𝑟 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 (19) FIGURE 4. Optimization procedure of driving torque distribution.
𝑇3 = 𝑇4 = = (1 − 𝜌) ∙ TABLE 1. Parameters of the Genetic Algorithm.
2 2

To ensure the driving stability and prevent the case in which Parameter Value
the rear wheels lock up prior to the front wheels when braking, Population size 150
the torque distributed to the front axle should be greater than Maximum generation 200
that to the rear axle. Thus, the range of 𝜌 is set to (0.5,1). Selection strategy Roulette wheel
By combining (14) - (19), the final efficiency objective Crossover type Two-point crossover
function under driving conditions is formulated as follows: Crossover rate 0.7
Mutation rate 0.05

𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 ∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 (1−𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 )∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 As can be shown in the efficiency objective function (20),
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐽𝑑 = 𝑛 { 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 ∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 + (1−𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 )∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
} (20) the optimal 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 is related to two parameters: required torque
𝜂( ,𝑛) 𝜂( ,𝑛)
2 2 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 and motor speed 𝑛 . To realize fast and accurate
For the driving torque distribution problem, the objective computation, the objective function solutions 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 are
function (20) is related to the required torque 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 , motor encapsulated as a two-dimensional lookup table. The required
torque 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 and motor speed 𝑛 are taken as the input and the
speed 𝑛, motor efficiency 𝜂 , which is a discontinuous and
constrained problem. Previous studies have mostly used optimal driving torque distribution ratio 𝜌𝑑𝑟𝑖 is obtained from
polynomials to approximate the motor efficiency and used the look-up table by interpolation calculation, as shown in
quadratic programming (QP) to solve the problem. However, Figure 5.
this method requires much computation and easily to fall into
a local optimum [32].
To overcome the above problem, in the paper, genetic
algorithm, which has a high efficiency in solving the
discontinuous objective functions and effectively avoiding the
partial optimal solution [33]-[34], is applied to solve the
economy objective function. The procedure of the proposed
GA based driving torque distribution strategy is shown in
Figure 4, which can be divided in half: off-line optimization
and on-line allocation. For the off-line part, first, binary coding
scheme is adopted to create the initial population. Based on the
efficiency map, assumptions and constraints, the individual
fitness degree is calculated by the efficiency objective function
(20). Using the operators of selection, crossover, and mutation, FIGURE 5. Optimal driving torque distribution ratio map.

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C. ESM BASED BRAKING TORQUE DISTRIBUTION
STRATEGY
Under braking conditions, in order to recovery the energy
generated by regenerative brake to extend the driving range of
4MWEV under the premise of braking safety, the economy
objective function in braking conditions is established as
follows:
𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝐽𝑟 = ∑4𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖 = ∑4𝑖=1 𝑛𝑖 ∙ 𝑇𝑖 ∙ 𝜂𝑖 (𝑇𝑖 , 𝑛𝑖 )
𝑇1 + 𝑇2 + 𝑇3 + 𝑇4 = 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
𝑠. 𝑡. { 𝑇𝑖(1,2,3,4) ≤ 𝑇𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑛𝑖(1,2,3,4) ≤ 𝑛𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥
Transforming the problem of energy-saving control strategy
into optimization of the torque distribution ratio by bringing
(17) - (19) into (21), the final economy objective function in
braking conditions is formulated as:
𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 ∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝐽𝑟 = 𝑛 {𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 ∙ 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 ∙ 𝜂 ( , 𝑛) + (1 − 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 ) ∙
2
(1−𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 )∙𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞
𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 ∙ 𝜂 (
2
The proposed braking distribution strategy should be
executed under the premise of braking safety. Thus, there are
several constraints that objective function must satisfy.
1) Constraints of braking theory and ECE Regulations
According to braking theory, the distribution of braking
torque on the front and rear axles has a great impact on the
braking safety of vehicle. Ideally, to realize the best braking
performance, the front wheels and rear wheels should be
locked at the same time. Thus, the ideal relationship between
front and rear axle braking force can be illustrated as an I-
curve (Figure 6) and expressed as follows [35]:
𝐺 4ℎ𝑔 𝐿 1 𝐺𝑏
𝐹𝑏𝑟 = √𝑏 2 + 𝐹𝑏𝑓 − (
2ℎ𝑔 𝐺 2 ℎ𝑔
where 𝐹𝑏𝑓 and 𝐹𝑏𝑟 represent the braking force of the front and
rear axles, respectively.
To ensure that the vehicle does not lose steering ability
when braking, the front axle wheels must be locked earlier
than the rear wheels. Thus, the ECE R13 braking regulation
clearly stipulates that the distribution ratio of the front and rear
axles of dual-axle vehicles should be below the I-curve [36].
Moreover, when the road friction coefficient 𝜇 is between 0.2
and 0.8, the relationship between braking intensity 𝑧 and road
friction coefficient 𝜇 is formulated as follows:
𝑧 ≥ 0.1 + 0.85(𝜇 − 0.2)
The expression of the curve of the front and rear axle braking
force under the ECE R13 braking regulation [37]-[38], which
is shown as the ECE curve in Figure 6 can be expressed as
follows:
𝐺(𝑧+0.07)(𝑏+𝑧∙ℎ𝑔 )
𝐹𝑏𝑓 =
{ 0.85𝐿
𝐹𝑏𝑟 = 𝐺 ∙ 𝑧 − 𝐹𝑏𝑓
where 𝐿 represents the wheelbase.
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(21)
(22)
FIGURE 6. Constraints of braking stability and ECE Regulations.
2) Constraint of battery working conditions during
regenerative braking
According to the battery model and Kirchhoff Voltage
Theorem [39], the charging power of the battery during
regenerative braking can be formulated as follows:
, 𝑛)} (23)
𝑃𝑏 = 𝑈 ∙ 𝐼 (27)
where 𝑃𝑏 , 𝑈, 𝐼 represent the charging power, charging voltage
and charging current, respectively.
The maximum charging power of the battery under the
limits of maximum charging current and maximum charging
voltage are given as:
𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥_𝑖 = 𝑈 ∙ 𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝑈𝑜𝑐 + 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑥 ∙ 𝑅𝑖 )
{ 𝑈𝑚𝑎𝑥 −𝑈𝑜𝑐 (28)
𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥_𝑢 = 𝑈𝑚𝑎𝑥 ∙ 𝐼 = 𝑈𝑚𝑎𝑥 ( )
𝑅𝑖
where 𝑈𝑜𝑐 is the open circuit voltage, and 𝑅𝑖 is the internal
resistance of battery.
Thus, the maximum charging power of the power battery is:
+ 2𝐹𝑏𝑓 ) (24)
𝑃𝑏𝑎𝑡_𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥_𝑖 , 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥_𝑢 ) (29)
According to the relationship between power and torque,
the maximum regeneration torque of four in-wheel motors is
formulated as:
9549𝑃𝑏𝑎𝑡_𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑇𝑏𝑎𝑡_𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (30)
𝑛
Combined with the maximum motor torque constraint, the
maximum regenerative braking torque 𝑇𝑏_𝑟𝑒𝑔_𝑚𝑎𝑥 of four in-
wheel motors can be obtained as:
𝑇𝑏_𝑟𝑒𝑔_𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑚𝑖𝑛 (4 ∙ 𝑇𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑚𝑎𝑥 , 𝑇𝑏𝑎𝑡_𝑚𝑎𝑥 ) (31)
(25)
Aiming at maximizing the recycle of regenerative braking
energy on the premise of braking stability and system
constraints, an ESM based regenerative braking torque
distribution strategy is proposed to improve energy recovery
performance [40]. The exhaustive search method is an
optimization search algorithm which enumerates all possible
candidates for the solution and checks whether each candidate
(26)
satisfies the problem's statement. ESM can solve
discontinuous and constrained problem globally, yet can
obtain the best answer. The algorithm for using ESM to solve
the energy objective function (23) is detailed as:
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Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

Algorithm Exhaustive search method for solving the brake is involved. Thus, the correction coefficient of battery
optimal 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 𝑆𝑂𝐶 is introduced as follows:
Step 1: Input the brake intensity 𝑧; 1, 𝑆𝑂𝐶 ≤ 0.8
Step 2: Determine the upper and lower bound limit of 𝜌 𝐾1 = {−10 ∙ 𝑆𝑂𝐶 + 9, 0.8 < 𝑆𝑂𝐶 < 0.9 (32)
according to the constraints of braking theory and ECE 0, 𝑆𝑂𝐶 ≥ 0.9
regulations;
Step 3: Generate a vector [𝜌𝑚𝑖𝑛 , 𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑥 ] with a step of where 𝐾1 is the battery correction coefficient.
0.01; For the actual speed 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 , on one hand, when the 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 is
Step 4: Calculate the required braking torque 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 and lower than the threshold 𝑣𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 , the charging current
generated by regenerative brake is too small, which is not
motor speed 𝑛 under current condition;
enough to overcome the energy consuming of resistance to
Step 5: Search the motor efficiency 𝜂 based on motor
charge the battery. On the other hand, in order to avoid the
efficiency map;
dramatic and sudden shocks, motor braking torque should
Step 6: While 𝜌𝑚𝑖𝑛 ≤ 𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑥
enter and exit smoothly. Thus, the correction coefficient of
𝜌 = 𝜌𝑚𝑖𝑛 ;
actual speed 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 is introduced as follows:
for 𝜌 ≤ 𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑥
Calculate the energy objective 0, 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 ≤ 5𝑘𝑚/ℎ
function under current 𝜌 save the 𝐾2 = { 0.2 ∙ 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 − 1, 5𝑘𝑚/ℎ < 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 < 10𝑘𝑚/ℎ (33)
value of objective function 𝐽𝑟 and 1, 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 ≥ 10𝑘𝑚/ℎ
correspond 𝜌;
where 𝐾2 is the velocity correction coefficient.
𝜌 = 𝜌 + 0.01;
End
Compare the objective function values
under [𝜌𝑚𝑖𝑛 , 𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑥 ] and find the
maximum power value and extract its
corresponding 𝜌;
End
Step 7: Save the optimal 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 .
With the control scheme of off-line optimization and on-
line allocation, the optimal 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 in all achievable motor
operation point is solved out and encapsulated as a two-
dimensional lookup table to avoid heavy on-line calculation
and meet real-time requirement. The optimal braking torque
distribution ratio 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 is shown in Figure 7.

FIGURE 8. Optimization procedure of braking torque distribution.

FIGURE 7. Optimal braking torque distribution ratio map.
In addition, the regenerative braking of 4MWEV is affected
by the actual working conditions. The main influence factors
include braking intensity 𝑧, 𝑆𝑂𝐶 of battery and actual speed
𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 [41].
For the 𝑆𝑂𝐶 of battery, on one hand, the power battery is
almost saturated which causes low battery charging efficiency
when the 𝑆𝑂𝐶 is very high. On the other hand, motor braking
torque should enter and exit smoothly when regenerative
The optimization procedure of the proposed ESM based
braking torque distribution strategy is shown in Figure 8. For
the off-line optimization, first, the distribution ratio range
[𝜌𝑚𝑖𝑛 , 𝜌𝑚𝑎𝑥 ] is determined according to the current braking
intensity 𝑧 and associated constraints, then ESM algorithm is
executed to calculate the optimal 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 . For the on-line
allocation, optimal energy recovery control strategy is
proposed. When the 4MWEV is in braking conditions, the
system will automatically judge whether the regenerative
brake is activated according to the 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑡 , 𝑆𝑂𝐶 and 𝑧. Based on
the desired torque 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑞 provided from PID driver model and
optimal 𝜌𝑏𝑟𝑎 from off-line optimization, the optimal braking
torque is distributed to four in-wheel motors. If the required
braking torque is lower than 𝑇𝑏_𝑟𝑒𝑔_𝑚𝑎𝑥 of (31), the braking
toque is allocated totally to the in-wheel motors with friction
braking model not run. When the maximum motor torque does

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Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

not meet the required braking torque demand, the in-wheel

motors output its maximum torque, and friction braking model
exerts the extra torque as compensation.

IV. CO-SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS AND RESULTS

ANALYSIS
In this paper, simulation experiments are conducted under the
assumption that the 4MWEV is going straight forward without
steering or road gradient. To verify the effectiveness of the
OTDS, it is necessary to take the typical torque distribution
strategy (TTDS) as a comparison under the same driving
cycles.
Under driving conditions, generally there have two
conventional distribution strategies, front-wheel-even-drive
(FWED) and four-wheel-even-drive (4WED) [42]. In this
paper, 4WED is adopted in TTDS. Under braking conditions,
a fixed-ratio regenerative braking strategy (FRRBS) is
FIGURE 9. New European Driving Cycle.
adopted as shown in Figure 6. When 𝑧 ≤ 0.6, braking torque
for front and rear axles are distributed according to OA
segment. If 𝑧 > 0.6 , the friction brake is totally adopted
without any regenerative braking energy recovery and the
torque is distributed by the AB segment [40].
For verification, the NEDC and UDDS driving cycles are
selected for the performance of simulation tests by comparing
TTDS with OTDS. The initial 𝑆𝑂𝐶 of battery is set at 0.85.
The main parameters and the corresponding values of the
4MWEV used in the co-simulation experiments are listed in
Table 2.
TABLE 2. Parameters of the 4MWEV.

Symbol Parameter Value (Unit)

𝑚 Total mass 1020(kg)

ℎ𝑔 Height of the C.G 375 (mm)
Distance from C.G to the
𝑎 1100 (mm)
front axle (a)
Distance from C.G to the
𝑏 1230 (mm)
rear axle
𝐿 Wheelbase 2330 (mm)
𝑅𝑤 Tire rolling radius 298 (mm)
𝐴 Frontal projected area 1.6
𝐶𝑑 Air drag coefficient 0.3
Rolling resistance
𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙 0.016
coefficient

A. THE NEDC DRIVING CYCLE

NEDC is New European Driving Cycle, which consists of four
ECE conditions and one extra urban driving cycle condition
with a total simulation time of 1184s. The simulation results
for both TTDS and OTDS under NEDC are presented in
Figures 9-15.

(b)
FIGURE 10. Motor torque output according to TTDS and OTDS: (a)
output torque of front-left motor; (b) output torque of rear-left motor.

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(a) FIGURE 13. Actual traction energy according to TTDS and OTDS.

(b) FIGURE 14. Recovered energy according to TTDS and OTDS.

FIGURE 11. Motor efficiency according to TTDS and OTDS: (a) front-left
motor efficiency; (b) rear-left motor efficiency.

FIGURE 15. Energy consumption according to TTDS and OTDS.

Figure 9 shows the vehicle speed. The actual 4MWEV
FIGURE 12. Motor operating points. speed follows the target NEDC speed very well. Figure 10
shows the torque allocation between the front and rear axles
under TTDS and OTDS, respectively. Figure 11 shows the

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comparisons of the in-wheel motor efficiency between the

front and rear axles in accordance with the TTDS and OTDS.
According to Figure 10 and Figure 11, when OTDS is adopted,
most of the driving and braking torque are allocated to the
front axle motors, and all the in-wheel motors can work at
relative high efficiency once they are activated. Under driving
conditions, the OTDS distributes more torque to front axle
motors than the TTDS. This is because the OTDS sets the
distribution ratio 𝜌 to the security constraint to ensure driving
stability. Under braking conditions, for the OTDS, most of the
braking torque is generated by the front axle motors, because
the total required braking torque is relatively small, in most
instances, only activating the front axle motors is sufficient to
recycle the braking energy. Figure 12 shows the in-wheel
motor operating points. It can be seen that in both two working
conditions, the front axle motors provide higher efficiency
under OTDS than the TTDS. When the rear axle motors are FIGURE 16. Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule.
activated, it can operate with relatively high efficiency under
OTDS. In general, the in-wheel motors work at higher
efficiency points under the OTDS than the TTDS. Therefore,
it can be qualitatively considered that when the total demand
torque is constant, a larger proportion of the torque is provided
by motors with higher execution efficiency, which means that
the OTDS has higher energy saving efficiency than the TTDS
when driving and braking.
Figures 13-15 show the traction energy consumption curve,
regenerative braking recovered energy curve and overall
energy consumption curve of the TTDS and OTDS. The
comparison results are listed in Table 3. The traction energy
consumption of the TTDS and OTDS are 4363.05 KJ and
4174.39 KJ, respectively. The OTDS reduces traction energy
consumption by 4.51% more than the TTDS. Regenerative
braking recovered energy through the TTDS and OTDS are
655.95 KJ and 710.15 KJ, respectively. The energy recovered
using the OTDS is 8.26% greater than with the TTDS. The (a)
overall energy consumption under TTDS and OTDS is
3707.10 KJ and 3464.24 KJ, respectively. The OTDS thus
saves 7.01% more energy than the TTDS. In general, the
OTDS has a greater energy-saving performance.
TABLE 3. Comparisons of TTDS and OTDS under NEDC
Traction Overall
Recovered
NEDC energy energy
energy
consumption consumption
TTDS 4363.05KJ 655.95 KJ 3707.10 KJ
OTDS 4174.39 KJ 710.15 KJ 3464.24 KJ
Comparison ↓4.51% ↑8.26% ↓7.01%

B. THE UDDS DRIVING CYCLE

UDDS is Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule with total
simulation time of 1380s. The simulation results for both
TTDS and OTDS under UDDS are presented in Figures 16-
22. (b)
FIGURE 17. Motor torque output according to TTDS and OTDS: (a)
output torque of front-left motor; (b) output torque of rear-left motor.

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Xu. Ying et al: An Optimal Torque Distribution Strategy for Four-motorized-wheel Electric Vehicle Considering Energy Conversation

(a) FIGURE 20. Actual traction energy according to TTDS and OTDS.

(b) FIGURE 21. Recovered energy according to TTDS and OTDS.

FIGURE 18. Motor efficiency according to TTDS and OTDS: (a) front-left
motor efficiency; (b) rear-left motor efficiency.

FIGURE 22. Energy consumption according to TTDS and OTDS.

Figure 16 shows the vehicle speed, it can be seen that the
FIGURE 19. Motor operating points. actual 4MWEV speed follows the target UDDS speed well.
Figure 17 shows the torque allocation between the front and
rear axles under the TTDS and OTDS, respectively. Figure 18

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shows the comparisons of in-wheel motor efficiency between
the front and rear axles in accordance with the TTDS and
OTDS. The conclusions from the Figure 17 and Figure 18 are
mostly similar to those obtained from the NEDC driving cycle.
The difference between them is that in UDDS driving cycle,
there are more drastic acceleration and deceleration, resulting
in more frequent activation of the rear axle motors. Thus, in
OTDS mode, when the front axle motors are in full load, more
extra driving and braking torque are allocated to the rear axle
motors to ensure driving stability and recycle the extra energy
under the premise of security constraint. Figure 19 shows the
in-wheel motor operating points, in general, the motors of the
front and rear axles operate at higher efficiency points under
the OTDS than the TTDS. Therefore, it can be qualitatively
considered that OTDS offers higher energy saving efficiency
than TTDS under driving and braking conditions.
Figures 20-22 show the traction energy consumption curve,
regenerative braking recovered energy curve, and overall
energy consumption curve of the TTDS and OTDS. Results of
the comparison are given in Table 4. The traction energy
consumption of the TTDS and OTDS are 4773.65 KJ and
4616.90 KJ, respectively. The OTDS saves 3.40% more
traction energy than the TTDS. The regenerative braking
recovered energy of the TTDS and the OTDS are 1056.38 KJ
and 1132.63 KJ, respectively. The OTDS regenerates 7.21%
more energy than the TTDS. The overall energy consumption
for the TTDS and the OTDS is 3717.27 KJ and 3484.27 KJ,
respectively. The OTDS saves 6.69% more energy the than
TTDS. Thus, the OTDS has a greater energy-saving
performance.
TABLE 4. Comparisons of TTDS and OTDS under UDDS
Traction
Recovered
UDDS energy
energy
consumption
TTDS 4773.65KJ 1056.38KJ
OTDS 4616.90KJ 1132.63KJ
Comparison ↓3.40% ↑7.21%
V. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK
In this paper, an optimal torque allocation strategy (OTDS)
based on GA and ESM strategy for 4MWEV considering
energy saving and driving safety is proposed. Co-simulation
experiments based on MATLAB/Simulink and Carsim are
used to verify the effectiveness of the OTDS under the NEDC
and UDDS driving cycles. Though the OTDS needs to
calculate the optimal ratios of all possible candidates by off-
line GA and ESM, comparing to the TTDS, it can realize
optimum and accurate torque distribution, while avoiding
heavy on-line computation. The proposed OTDS can achieve
7.01% and 6.69% more actual energy consumption reduction
under the NEDC and UDDS driving cycles, respectively, than
the TTDS. Simulation results show that the OTDS reasonably
distributes the driver's required driving and braking torque to
the four in-wheel motors, resulting in lower energy
consumption and greater energy recovery, enhancing overall
vehicle economy performance. The proposed OTDS
demonstrates great potential in the energy conservation field
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for 4MWEV. In future work, torque distribution with
longitudinal and lateral coupling control considering the
economy and stability will be explored. A field test on a real
vehicle to verify the proposed strategy should be conducted in
the future.
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