Abstract

This research applied factor analysis to 13 quantitative evaluation indices used to evaluate vehicle handling and stability in an attempt to identify the structure existing among those indices. According to the results, the cumulative explained variance shows that 76% of the variance in the handling and stability indices is explained by a five-factor model comprising three factors related to vehicle driving characteristics and two factors related to steering feel. Using this five-factor model makes it possible to evaluate a comprehensive score for handling and stability from the measured evaluation indices and factor loadings. Furthermore, since this model allows for flexible adjustment of the weight of each factor based on the vehicle concept and evaluation objectives, it enables a quantitative evaluation of handling and stability tailored to the characteristics to be prioritized. This method systematically identifies the relationships among evaluation indices and has the potential to serve as a foundation for understanding the evaluation of handling and stability.

Reference

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Author (organization or company)

• Kaoru KUSAKA（Automobile R&D Center）

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Article of List of New Online Papers

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