South Korea - Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) of Seoul has revealed a system that estimates the gross vehicle weight of a light-duty commercial electric vehicles and optimises performance accordingly. The system uses acceleration sensors to optimise the vehicle’s settings. Hyundai said this ability to calculate the gross weight of a vehicle on the move means an electric vehicle’s torque output can be optimised to maximise estimated remaining range. This reduces potential wheel spin and reduced traction when a vehicle is carrying less payload, thereby increasing commercial efficiency. The system allows for changes in torque output based on topography by altering the amount of torque needed to propel a vehicle uphill based on its gross weight.

The company believes price competitiveness is key to the success of future electric light duty commercial vehicles and consequently has developed the gross weight estimation technology by utilising acceleration sensors instead of weight sensors. HMC says it can therefore be applied to a vehicle not equipped with a costly air suspension system. The acceleration sensors estimate vehicle weight through Newton’s law of acceleration - the less mass and more energy put on matter, the faster speed it moves. When pushing an object at a constant speed, the weight of the object can be calculated depending on its acceleration rate. Accurate measurement of the current weight and speed of the vehicle enhances efficiency for commercial use by informing drivers of the available range; enabling them, if necessary, to secure enough energy to complete the journey.