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NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Van Nhan
NHA TRANG - 2007
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Chapter 1
OVERVIEW OF MOTOR VEHICLES
1.1. DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATION
Motor Vehicles - conveyance used for transporting goods or passengers or
fulfilling specific functions on land. Motor vehicles are supported by the ground, as
contrasted with air craft and marine craft that in operation are supported by air or
water.
Automobile (US) = Car - Motor vehicle with (usu four) wheels for carrying
passengers.
Table 1-1. General classification of motor vehicles
No Classification Criteria Types of Motor Vehicles
1 Type of roads• Non-guided motor vehicles
• Guided motor vehicles
2 Running gear
• Single-track vehicles
• Multi-track vehicles
• Motor vehicle with the caterpillar
3 Intended purpose
• Passenger cars
• Buses
• Transport vehicles
• Specialized motor vehicles
• Combined vehicles
4 Drive layout
• Front - wheel drive (FWD)
• Rear - wheel drive (RWD)
• Four - wheel drive (4WD)
• Front engine
• Rear engine
• Mid-engine
5 Body • 6 Suspension system • 7 Steering system • 8 Braking system • 9 ----------------------------- •
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1) Guided and non-guided motor vehicles - Guided motor vehicles are
constrained to move along a fixed path (guideway), such as railway vehicles and
tracked levitated vehicles. Non-guided motor vehicles can move, by choice, in various
directions on the ground, such as road and off-road vehicles. The non-guided motor
vehicles are the subject of this book.
2) Single - and multi - track vehicle
Single-track motor vehicles - Motor vehicles with 2 wheels with or without
sidecar.
Multi-track motor vehicles - Motor vehicles with three or more wheels.
• Motorcycle - Any two-wheeled vehicle with or without sidecar, equipped
with a propelling engine.
• Moped - Motor cycle with pedals and a petrol engine of low power (VE< 50 cm
3).
• Scooter - Light motor cycle, usually with small wheels, a low seat and a
metal shield protecting the driver's legs.
a) b)
c) d)
Fig. 1-1. Single track motor vehicles
a) Motorcycle, b) Moped, c) Scooter, d) Motorcycle with sidecar.
• Saloon-car (sedan) - motor car where the area for the driver and passengers
is closed off from the luggage and engine areas.
• Hatchback - car with a large sloping back, hinged at the top, that opens like
a door.
• Pick - up (also Pick-up truck) - small van or truck, open and with low sides,
used by builders, farmers, etc.
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• Van - covered vehicle, with no side windows, for transporting goods or
people.
• Lorry (US Truck) - large strong motor vehicle for transporting goods,
soldiers, etc by road.
a) b)
c) b)
e)
Fig. 1-2. Multi track motor vehicles
a) Salon car, b) Hatchback car, c) Pick-up, d) Van, e) Lorry
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3) Caterpillar tractor - Tractor fitted with the endless belt passing round the
wheels of a tractor enabling it to travel over rough ground.
Fig. 1-3. Caterpillar tractors
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4) Passenger car - Motor vehicle intended for carrying max 9 passengers with
luggage.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Fig. 1-4. Passenger cars
a) Open convertible, b) Pontoon body, c) Headlights, rear wheels,
spare wheel in body ; no bumpers, d) Van body K-shape (developed
by Prof. Kamm), e) Headlights and all wheels in body ; clad floor
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5) Buses
a)
b)
c)
d)
Fig. 1-5. Buses
a) Microbus, b) Tour bus, c) Articulated bus,
d) Double-decker public bus
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Buses are used to transport people. The capacity of buses is more than 9
passengers and luggage. Buses fall into one of the following 4 categories, depending
upon the intended use.
• Microbus - The capacity of microbuses is approx. 25 passengers. Microbus
bodies are mounted on light-duty truck chassis or are derived from multi-purpose
vehicles of the delivery truck class.
• City buses ( Urban buses ) : are designed and equipped for driving regularly
scheduled in-city and suburban routes. Due to short intervals between stops in local
traffic, facilitation of rapid passenger turnover by means of low steps, wide doors and
as low a vehicle floor as possible, is particularly important.
• Overland buses ( Urban coach ) : The design of overland buses represents a
compromise between the city bus and the tour bus. Standing room is available in the
aisle for short trips, and the vehicle is equipped with small compartments for luggage.
• Tour buses ( Long-distance coach ) : are designed to provide a comfortable
ride over long distances. Tour buses have large luggage compartments from front to
rear below the floor.
6) Transport Vehicles
Transport vehicles are further classified according to the type of body, load
capacity, and cross-country ability.
According to the type of body:• General-purpose cargo trucks : with an open drop-sided body used for
carrying bulk and packaged goods.
• Special-purpose trucks : with bodies adapted for a certain kind of work, e.g.
dump trucks with tiltable bodies used to carry viscous and bulk materials, or with
bodies specially adapted for transporting peat, cement, mixed fodder, grain, cotton,
cattle, gasoline, milk, etc.
According to the load capacity :
• Extra-light duty trucks : up to 0,75 t , built on the chassis of passenger cars
and used for deliveries of light loads in the communication and communal services
and in trade.
• Light-duty vehicles : from 0,75 to 2,5 t , that work in trade, at industrial
enterprises and in agriculture, hauling light loads. They also serves as cargo taxis.
• Medium-duty trucks : from 2,5 to 5,0 t , mostly carrying loads for
organizations and enterprises with a moderate cargo traffic.
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• Heavy-duty trucks : from 5,0 t to 10,0 t , used on hard surface roads for
carrying building materials, fuel, and products manufactured by large industrial
enterprises.
• Extra-heavy-duty vehicles : above 10,0 t , for work in ore and coal mines
and at big construction projects with a large amount of steady cargo traffic. As a rule,
these vehicles are diverted from public highways.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Fig. 1-6. Transport Vehicles
a) Flatbed truck, b) Off-road deep-bed dump truck
c) Dump truck, d) Tractor- trailer rig
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Buses and transport vehicles are placed in category of commercial vehicles
which are used for the economical transportation of persons and goods. It is important
that a commercial vehicles have a favorable ratio of usable space to overall vehicle
volume and of useful load to laden vehicle weight. Legal weight and dimension
regulations determine the limits of cargo volume and laden weight. The development
of commercial vehicles has tended toward a high degree of specialization in terms of
type of use ( local traffic, overland traffic , construction - site traffic , special
applications) and type of transport ( transport of goods, transport of persons,
specialized transport ). Laden weights range from 2 t to 35 t for individual road
vehicles, while the length of the commercial vehicle wheelbase varies from 2 to 6,5 m.
Road trains and tractor-trailer rigs usually have a max laden weight of 38 t to 45 t,
although heavy transport vehicles can weigh over 150 t in exceptional cases.
7) Motor vehicles for specific purpose
Fig. 1-7. Motor vehicles for specific purpose
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8) Combined vehicles
• Passenger car combination : Passenger car + Trailer
• Mobile home combination : Passenger car + Mobile home
• Passenger road train : Automotive omnibus + Trailer
• Road train : Motor truck + Truck trailer
• Drawbar tractor combination : Tractor vehicle + Trailer
• Articulated road train : Truck tractor + Semitrailer
• Platform road train : Road train with platform which lies on both the
pulling and pulled vehicles.
Fig. 1-8. Combined vehicles
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9) Vehicle Classification in accordance with the Directive of the
European Community ( 71/320/EEC ) and ECE Regulation No 13 with regard to
Brake Equipment
• Category L - Motor vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels, motorized two-
wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles.
Category Design Displacement Max speed
L1 Two-wheeled ≤ 50 cm3
≤ 40 km/h
L2 Three-wheeled ≤ 50 cm3
≤ 40 km/h
L3 Two-wheeled > 50 cm3
> 40 km/h
L4
Three-wheeled asymmetrical to
longitudinal vehicle axis> 50 cm
3> 40 km/h
L5 Three-wheeled symmetrical tolongitudinal vehicle axis
> 50 cm
3
≤ 1 t laden weight
• Category M - Passenger vehicles with at least 4 wheels or with 3 wheels
and an overall weight > 1 t.
Category Design Driver's seat +
passenger seats Laden weight
M1 ≤ 9 < 3,5 t
M1 (a) 3 or 5 doors Folding seats for goodstransport
< 3,5 t
M1 (b)Primarily goods transport
; mobile home> 4 < 3,5 t
M2 Bus > 9 < 5 t
M3 Bus > 9 > 5 t
• Class N - Goods transport vehicles with at least 4 wheels or with 3 wheels
and a laden weight > 1 t.• Category O - Trailers and Semitrailers
Category Laden weight
O1 only single-axle trailers ≤ 0,75 t
O2 ≤ 3,5 t
O3 3,5 t < O3 ≤ 10 t
O4 > 10 t
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