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Electronic stability control (ESC) is becoming a standard technology in passenger cars, and because of its effectiveness in reducing serious traffic accidents, its use is spreading to commercial vehicles. ESC is activated by comparing the target vehicle behavior, which is analyzed based on driver operation, with the actual vehicle behavior, which is detected by onboard sensors. The target vehicle behavior is analyzed with an initial steer characteristic (such as a vehicle stability factor Ks) representing a vehicle turning characteristic (understeer, neutral steer, or oversteer). Because Ks changes depending on the payload loading states (such as vehicle mass and location of center of gravity), it varies considerably for commercial vehicles. We analyzed the influence of error in Ks on ESC performance and established a method for the online estimation of Ks. ESC includes the restriction functions of oversteer and understeer.

Electronic stability control (ESC) is being incorporated as a standard feature in almost all passenger cars since it is highly effective in reducing road accidents. Moreover, many commercial vehicles can be equipped with ESC, which includes roll stability control. ESC determines vehicle stability on the basis of the driver's operation, vehicle behavior, and preset control parameters. When the vehicle stability is likely to be lost, control intervenes to stabilize the vehicle. The characteristics of commercial vehicles affect the ESC parameters and vary significantly with the payload (e.g., weight and height of the cargo and the loading state). Therefore, the control parameters need to be adjusted according to the loading conditions to enhance vehicle stability and avoid unnecessary control intervention. We have developed an ESC that improves the yaw and roll stability of trucks. For this development, accurate evaluation of the payload states is important.