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

Amol Shinde; Sameer Nanivadekar; Raju Kumar Swami

doi:10.4314/njt.2026.5390

Authors

Amol Shinde A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Thane, Maharashtra, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6711-8941
Sameer Nanivadekar A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Thane, Maharashtra, India
Raju Kumar Swami 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 vehicle employs a double-sided trailing arm (swing arm) that connects a single rear driving wheel to its frame, allowing vertical movement. Designing and optimizing 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 utilized to iterate 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 Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) optimization technique was applied, considering both beneficial and non-beneficial parameters such as geometry, weight, induced stress, stiffness, and deformation. The optimized design iteration selected through this process resulted in a weight reduction of 0.7 kg, thereby conserving material and reducing manufacturing costs.

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