Design and Structural Analysis of an Electric Vehicle Chassis Using the Finite Element Method

Resumen

This study presents the structural design and analysis of a chassis for a compact electric vehicle using the Finite Element Method (FEM). The chassis was modeled in Autodesk Inventor and evaluated through static simulations in ANSYS under four scenarios: full load with all wheels on the ground, asymmetric loading with one front wheel suspended, one rear wheel suspended, and emergency braking. Results show that under full load, the maximum displacement was 0.575 mm, indicating high stiffness. The most critical deformation occurred with a suspended front wheel, reaching 3.234 mm, while emergency braking generated the peak stress of 136.04 MPa, remaining well below the yield strength of structural steel. These findings confirm that even under extreme conditions, the chassis operates within the elastic range. Material comparison revealed distinct behaviors. Structural steel and Q345 exhibited similar stiffness and strength, limiting displacement to 3.234 mm under torsional load and maintaining stresses of 136 MPa during braking. Aluminum, in contrast, offered significant weight reduction but showed greater flexibility, with displacements up to 9.841 mm and stresses limited to 44.7 MPa, suggesting its viability only with geometric reinforcement. Overall, the proposed chassis design meets safety and performance requirements across all scenarios. The study also identifies improvement opportunities through localized reinforcement and geometric optimization—such as increasing thickness in high-stress regions or replacing rectangular profiles with circular sections without significantly increasing weight. These results provide a foundation for future optimization and dynamic analysis, supporting the development of lightweight, efficient, and structurally robust electric vehicle platforms.