Development of Virtual Electric Bus Superstructure Model Including Fatigue Load Spectra and Crashworthiness

The development of electric bus superstructures requires an integrated engineering approach combining structural design, numerical simulation, experimental validation and durability assessment. This need is particularly important for electric buses, where heavy roof-mounted battery systems and auxiliary components influence structural load paths, fatigue durability and rollover crashworthiness. This paper presents a measurement-supported workflow for the development of a virtual electric bus superstructure model, including finite element analysis, multibody dynamics simulations, operational load assessment, fatigue-oriented evaluation and rollover crashworthiness analysis. The finite element model is used to assess static load cases, modal properties and structural response under selected design conditions. A multibody vehicle model with nonlinear suspension characteristics is applied to simulate representative operating scenarios and to support the definition of dynamic load cases. Operational measurement data from previous work are used as a basis for realistic load characterization. Experimental torsional stiffness and modal tests are used to validate the numerical model. The main contribution of the study is the integration of these numerical, experimental and operational-data-based activities into a consistent early-stage verification process. The proposed workflow supports early identification of critical structural regions, assessment of design modifications and reduction in prototype-based design iterations.