Current Status and Development Trends of Distributed Electric Drive Vehicles

doi:10.3981/j.issn.2097-0781.2025.02.007

Science and Technology Foresight ›› 2025, Vol. 4 ›› Issue (2): 84-98.DOI: 10.3981/j.issn.2097-0781.2025.02.007

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Current Status and Development Trends of Distributed Electric Drive Vehicles

YANG Diange¹^,^†(), LIU Hui², YIN Guodong³, GAO Zhenhai⁴, ZHU Xuebin⁵, REN Linjie¹, JIANG Kun¹, YANG Mengmeng¹, HUANG Jin¹

1. School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
4. National Key Laboratory of Automotive Chassis Integration and Bionics, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
5. Beijing Institute of Space Launch Technology, Beijing 100070, China

Received:2024-12-11 Revised:2025-03-31 Online:2025-06-20 Published:2025-06-26
Contact: †

分布式电驱动车辆现状与发展趋势

杨殿阁¹^,^†(), 刘辉², 殷国栋³, 高镇海⁴, 朱学斌⁵, 任林杰¹, 江昆¹, 杨蒙蒙¹, 黄晋¹

1.清华大学车辆与运载学院，北京 100084
2.北京理工大学机械与车辆学院，北京 100081
3.东南大学机械工程学院，南京 211189
4.吉林大学汽车底盘集成与仿生全国重点实验室，长春 130022
5.北京航天发射技术研究所，北京 100070

通讯作者: †
作者简介:杨殿阁，清华大学车辆与运载学院长聘教授，博士研究生导师。主要从事车辆设计、控制和智能化相关技术研究。主持国家自然科学基金重大项目、重点项目，国家重点研发计划等重要项目30余项。获国家技术发明奖二等奖2项，国家科技进步奖二等奖1项，教育部科技进步一等奖1项，中国汽车工程学会特等奖1项、一等奖1项，中国测绘学会科学技术一等奖1项。发表论文200余篇，授权发明专利120余件。电子信箱：ydg@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn。
基金资助:
国家自然科学基金(52394264);国家自然科学基金(52394260)

Abstract

Abstract:

The unique structure and innovative drive mode of distributed electric drive vehicles can significantly enhance overall vehicle performance, making them a crucial direction for the future development of electric vehicles. The application of distributed electric drive vehicles has greatly promoted technological innovations in high-performance vehicles. It not only improves energy efficiency, driving safety, and maneuverability but also provides new solutions for specialized applications such as the road transportation of oversized and heavy-haul cargo. This paper reviews the century-long evolution of vehicle configurations and highlights the inevitability of the development of distributed electric drive architectures in the context of vehicle electrification and intelligence, as well as the profound transformations they bring to the automotive industry. The paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of the core technologies of distributed electric drive vehicles worldwide, identifying key challenges in their current development. Finally, the paper presents an outlook on the field, proposing future development goals and technological transformation directions for distributed electric drive vehicles, with the aim of providing scientific insights and strategic recommendations for advancing research and application in China.

Key words: distributed electric drive technology, design of vehicle architecture, vehicle control, special vehicle

摘要：

分布式电驱动车辆的独特结构和创新驱动方式能够显著提升整车的综合性能，是未来电动汽车发展的重要方向。分布式电驱动车辆的应用极大地推动了高性能车辆的技术革新，不仅可提升车辆的能量利用率、行驶安全性和机动能力，还为超大件与重载货物道路运输等新型特种应用场景提供了新的解决方案。文章回顾车辆构型的百年发展历程，阐明了车辆智能化、电动化发展趋势下分布式电驱动构型的发展必然性，以及其为汽车行业带来的深远变革；深入分析国内外分布式电驱动车辆核心技术，总结了当前分布式电驱动车辆技术发展面临的关键挑战；对当前分布式电驱动车辆技术领域进行展望，提出了未来分布式电驱动车辆技术的发展目标与技术变革方向，以期为中国推进分布式电驱动车辆技术的研发与应用提供科学思路和发展建议。

关键词: 分布式电驱动技术, 车辆构型设计, 车辆控制, 特种车辆

YANG Diange, LIU Hui, YIN Guodong, GAO Zhenhai, ZHU Xuebin, REN Linjie, JIANG Kun, YANG Mengmeng, HUANG Jin. Current Status and Development Trends of Distributed Electric Drive Vehicles[J]. Science and Technology Foresight, 2025, 4(2): 84-98.

杨殿阁, 刘辉, 殷国栋, 高镇海, 朱学斌, 任林杰, 江昆, 杨蒙蒙, 黄晋. 分布式电驱动车辆现状与发展趋势[J]. 前瞻科技, 2025, 4(2): 84-98.

Figures/Tables 14

Fig. 1 Centralized internal combustion engine drive + mechanical transmission

Fig. 2 Single motor centralized drive + mechanical transmission

Fig. 3 Hub/wheel-side motor distributed drive (eliminating mechanical transmission)

Fig. 4 Multi-wheel multi-axle distributed electric drive vehicle configuration

Fig. 5 Modular vehicle combinations for transporting oversized and heavy-haul cargo

Fig. 6 Integrated drive architecture based on in-wheel motor

Fig. 7 Protean 360+ corner module

Fig. 8 Corner module configuration integrating driving, braking, steering, and suspension

Fig. 9 Eight-wheel independent drive high-speed electric vehicle

Fig. 10 BYD Yangwang U8 tank turn

Fig. 11 Xiaomi prototype vehicle tank turn

Fig. 12 Distributed-drive all-terrain vehicle with composite steering system

Fig. 13 Modular distributed-drive heavy-duty vehicles with near-zero turning and zigzag climbing capability

Fig. 14 Cooperation pattern of multi-vehicle oversized cargo transportation

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Current Status and Development Trends of Distributed Electric Drive Vehicles

分布式电驱动车辆现状与发展趋势

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