Estimation of lower-bound velocity of electric three-wheeled vehicle during frontal crash.

The three-wheel vehicle is gaining more attention from automotive engineers and scientists due to its efficiency and mobility. Many works have been done related to the three-wheel vehicle. However, the research related to a crashworthiness for the three-wheel vehicle is still rare. Crashworthiness is the capability of a vehicle to protect the occupants from severe injury in case of accidents. In this study, therefore, the crashworthiness analysis of a three-wheel vehicle with delta configuration is conducted. The research will be focused on the chassis only and it is done by using the finite element method (FEM) with the technique of static structural analysis. The study is done in case of a frontal crash or frontal impact in which the lower bound velocity will be estimated. As a result, it is estimated that the lower bound of the velocity during the frontal crash is 31.4 km/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]