DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE TRAILING ARM FOR A TADPOLE-CONFIGURED ELECTRIC VEHICLE USING A GENERATIVE DESIGN APPROACH

S. Amol; N. Sameer; Raju Kumar Swami

doi:10.4314/njt.2026.5390

Authors

S. Amol A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Thane, Maharashtra, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6711-8941
N. Sameer A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Thane, Maharashtra, India
K. S. Raju Pacific Academy of Higher Education and Research University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.2026.5390

Keywords:

Tadpole Structure, Electric Vehicle, Generative Design, Trailing-arm, MCDM

Abstract

In this research, a small, economical, and secure three-wheel tadpole-structured vehicle was selected to reduce weight and enhance manoeuvrability on crowded city roads. The car employs a double-sided trailing arm (swing arm) that connects a single rear driving wheel to its frame, allowing vertical movement. Designing and optimising the rear wheel assembly in such a structure is crucial, as the driving wheel is attached to the trailing arm. To reduce the overall weight of the assembly, this study focused on the trailing arm. Structural and material lightweight design approaches were employed to create a lightweight component that leverages the advantages of advanced materials. A generative design approach was utilised to iterate on the design of the trailing arm using Autodesk Fusion 360 CAD software. The iterations were then analysed for a maximum load of 2000 N using Ansys software to assess their strength and stiffness. The Best- Worst Method (BWM) Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) optimisation technique was applied, considering both beneficial and non-beneficial parameters such as geometry, weight, induced stress, stiffness, and deformation. The optimised design iteration selected through this process resulted in a weight reduction of 0.7 kg, thereby conserving material and reducing manufacturing costs, compactness of system for light vehicles.

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