VEHICLE MOTION CONTROL (VMC): BETTER COORDINATE THE SYSTEMS OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE FOR MORE EFFICIENCY 

Driving a car seems simple. For a long time, each vehicle system worked independently: the engine moved it, the brakes slowed it down, the steering turned it… And these systems sometimes cooperated but weren’t really coordinated. With the advent of electric motors, the actuators, these components which translate driver input into actual movements, have changed entirely. The electric motor, for example, doesn’t just propel a vehicle today: it is becoming a key actuator than can fine-tune the power it sends to each wheel. At Ampere, we consider that mastering the coordination of electric vehicle systems is essential and real expertise. 

Today, the driver doesn’t control systems directly: they send digital instructions via the steering wheel or pedals, a bit like in a video game. From then on, the Vehicle Motion Control (VMC) takes over: this centralized algorithm interprets inputs and coordinates all the actuators (motor, brakes, steering, suspension) to produce the intended movement as safely and optimally as possible. It becomes the “movement brain” that constantly analyzes driving conditions. This groundbreaking change needs a new software architecture, which has to be smarter, faster, and much stricter. How does it work? What are the impacts for driving? Decryption.