About
User-centred optimal design of electric vehicle with smart e-corners.
Project Summary
In-wheel motors (IWMs) have become a mature technology that is well-suited for new user-centric electric vehicles (EVs). IWMs can be integrated in multi-functional and controllable modules consisting of the electric powertrain, friction brake and suspension/steering actuation. By combining several vehicle functionalities in a compact solution, the modules offer substantial opportunities to enhance the design and the operation of EVs.
This is the starting point of the SmartCorners project. Using machine learning and AI, an adaptive multilayer control strategy will be implemented with historical and current data from the vehicle, its environment, and users, including relevant EV fleets. This approach will pave the way toward software-defined vehicles, enabling rightsizing, holistic optimisation, innovative fault mitigation and actuator allocation strategies as well as more efficient, adaptive, predictive, and personalised system operation.
SmartCorners will bring a so far unexplored authority level over:
- vehicle design, through skateboard-like chassis configurations;
- energy management aspects, covering pre-conditioning and predictive thermal management during EV operation;
- comfort and functional aspects, in terms of user-centric cabin thermal management, and pre-emptive vehicle body control; and
- dismantling process and recycling of the vehicle.
The development and industrialization of the project outcomes will be accelerated by comprehensive and integrated simulation, design and validation methodologies to decrease development time and cost, and support the uptake of AI-based solutions. In conclusion, SmartCorners will provide a significant competitive advantage of the European industry and contribute to achieve key strategic orientations C and A of the EU Strategic Plan.
SmartCorners is coordinated by AVL DITEST GMBH, situated in Austria, and unites 11 partners from 5 different European countries.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101138110. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Our Role & Achievements
Armengaud Innovate GmbH is supporting the SmartCorners project in the innovation management aspects and is leading the work package on communication, dissemination and exploitation.
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement with stakeholders is at the core of communication, dissemination and exploitation. Accordingly, it was our outmost goal to support these activities; either by supporting project partners having the connections available or creating activities by ourselves. An example to engage with students was when Florian Ratz used it as a case study in his lecture at the Institute of General Management and Organisation / UFO at TU Graz.
DELIVERABLES
Supporting the coordinator and fulfilling our quality requirements in terms of public deliverables, we were managing the deliverable review process up until the point of handing over the document to the coordinator for submission. All publicly available deliverables are provided on the project website. The deliverables we were leading and are available publicly:
NEWSLETTER
SmartCorners is covered by the E-VOLVE cluster newsletter.
ONE-PAGER
As part of the exploitation strategy, together with the project partners we produced One Pagers to present the Key Exploitable Results of the project:
INTERVIEWS
We conducted interviews with our project partners. These conversations help to gain valuable insights and to strengthen collaboration. Interviews
PUBLICATIONS
The publications present key insights, results and outcomes from the SmartCorners project. Through these documents, we share the project findings, progess and knowledge gained along the way.
- SAE WCX 2025 – Ratz, F., Baeuml, T., Kompara, T., Kospach, A., et al. (2025). European Initiatives for User-Centric Design of Electric Vehicles. SAE World Congress Experience 2025 (SAE WCX), Detroit, Michigan, USA. SAE International.
- EVS38 (Paper) – Ratz, F., Armengaud, E., Heydrich, M., Avarello, L., et al. (2025, June 17). Electrification of powertrain and chassis components as opportunity for efficient and user-centric road transportation – Insights of the R&D projects HighScape, EM-TECH, and SmartCorners. The 38th International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS38), Gothenburg.
- EVS38 (Poster) – Ratz, F., Armengaud, E., Heydrich, M., Avarello, L., et al. (2025, June 17). Electrification of powertrain and chassis components as opportunity for efficient and user-centric road transportation – Insights of the R&D projects HighScape, EM-TECH, and SmartCorners. The 38th International Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition (EVS38), Gothenburg.
- SAE WCX 2026 – Ratz, F., Armengaud, E., Formento, C., Moscone, G. et al. (2026). Modular Smart Corner Systems for Next-Generation Electric Vehicle Architecture, SAE World Congress Experience 2026 (SAE WCX), Detroit, Michigan, USA. SAE Technical Paper. 2026-01-0639, 2026.
PROJECT VIDEO
Project videos help pesent ideas clearly and engagingly, making complex informatio easier to understand while keeping stakeholders informed and interested.
