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Automotive Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (6): 1095-1102.doi: 10.19562/j.chinasae.qcgc.2025.06.008

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Virtual Simulation Research on Crash Safety of Electric Vehicles Under Side Pole Impact

Jun Wang1,Chenghao Ma2,Zongxuan Shen2,Bobin Xing2,Yong Xia2()   

  1. 1.China Automotive Engineering Research Institute,Chongqing 401122
    2.Tsinghua University,National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicles and Transportation,Beijing 100084
  • Received:2024-10-29 Revised:2025-02-13 Online:2025-06-25 Published:2025-06-20
  • Contact: Yong Xia E-mail:xiayong@tsinghua.edu.cn

Abstract:

The existing statistical results of side pole collision accidents reveal that the accident forms of electric vehicles (EVs) and internal-combustion engine vehicles are similar. However, considering the risk of battery pack collision and compression failure, the research on side pole collision of EVs should fully consider complex collision conditions and include safety evaluation factors such as obstacle type, geometric size, impact angle, impact location and speed. The finite element simulation is used in this study to conduct a virtual evaluation of the safety of a certain electric vehicle’s side pole collision. An orthogonal design of experiment is carried out to extract the mechanical response and body posture of the vehicle at different collision positions. The high correlation between collision speed and battery pack intrusion and cell deformation is identified. Impact location and impact angle collectively determine rotational behavior of EVs and resultant intrusion, which is further verified by simulation. As the main lateral force transmission path, the lateral beam of the battery pack enhances the lateral structural stiffness of the battery pack and significantly reduces intrusion. Further investigation of crash safety of EVs should take structural stiffness and rotational behaviors into consideration.

Key words: electric vehicle, lithium-ion battery pack, crash safety, side pole impact, finite element simulation