The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving

Veli Gökhan Demir; Efe Savran

doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607

The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving

Abstract

This study investigates the energy recovery potential of regenerative suspension systems in battery-electric vehicles and their direct impact on ride comfort under diverse urban driving conditions. Moving beyond simplified estimation methods, a comprehensive electromechanical modeling framework was developed in MATLAB/Simulink. This framework integrates a validated 2-DOF quarter-car model with an explicit generator dynamics and a longitudinal BEV model, ensuring that the regenerative damping force is directly coupled with the vehicle’s motion. The longitudinal model was validated against NEDC data with less than 1% deviation, and the suspension’s electromechanical feedback was found to be consistent with established literature. Simulations were conducted over a speed range of 2–50 km/h on semi-circular and trapezoidal speed bumps, as well as on stochastic ISO 8608 Class A and Class B road profiles. The results reveal that energy recovery is highly sensitive to both vehicle speed and road roughness. For discrete road inputs, maximum energy values of 0.406 Wh and 0.659 Wh were recovered for semicircular and trapezoidal bumps, respectively. Under continuous excitation on ISO Class B roads, the system demonstrated a significant recovery potential of up to 70.4 Wh per kilometer at low speeds, representing a meaningful supplementary energy source. A critical inverse relationship was observed between vehicle speed and harvested energy; as speed increased to 50 km/h, the reduced interaction time between the suspension and road irregularities led to a sharp decline in recovery efficiency. Furthermore, the ride comfort analysis, evaluated per ISO 2631 criteria, highlighted a distinct trade-off: while lower speeds favored both superior energy recovery and passenger comfort, higher speeds required a balance between energy gains and increased vertical accelerations. Overall, this research demonstrates that integrating physics-based electromechanical coupling provides a more accurate and promising outlook for regenerative suspension systems in realistic driving scenarios.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Hybrid and Electric Vehicles and Powertrains, Mechanical Vibrations and Noise, Vehicle Technique and Dynamics

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Veli Gökhan Demir
0000-0002-5667-1909
Türkiye

Efe Savran ^*
0000-0002-9518-6498
Türkiye

Publication Date

May 9, 2026

Submission Date

February 10, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 25, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA79MD42EE

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Demir, V. G., & Savran, E. (2026). The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving. Engineering Perspective, 6(3), 344-353. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607

AMA

1.Demir VG, Savran E. The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving. engineeringperspective. 2026;6(3):344-353. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607

Chicago

Demir, Veli Gökhan, and Efe Savran. 2026. “The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving”. Engineering Perspective 6 (3): 344-53. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607.

EndNote

Demir VG, Savran E (May 1, 2026) The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving. Engineering Perspective 6 3 344–353.

IEEE

[1]V. G. Demir and E. Savran, “The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving”, engineeringperspective, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 344–353, May 2026, doi: 10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607.

ISNAD

Demir, Veli Gökhan - Savran, Efe. “The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving”. Engineering Perspective 6/3 (May 1, 2026): 344-353. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607.

JAMA

1.Demir VG, Savran E. The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving. engineeringperspective. 2026;6:344–353.

MLA

Demir, Veli Gökhan, and Efe Savran. “The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving”. Engineering Perspective, vol. 6, no. 3, May 2026, pp. 344-53, doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607.

Vancouver

1.Veli Gökhan Demir, Efe Savran. The Role of Regenerative Suspension in Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Electric Vehicle Driving. engineeringperspective. 2026 May 1;6(3):344-53. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1886607