Summary
For easy analysis, most vehicle lateral stability control methods are usually based on a linear 2 degree‐of‐freedom (DOF) dynamic model in the published literature. Generally speaking, the linear 2DOF model cannot fully reflect the physical nonlinearity of the tire characteristics. The intelligent electric vehicle driven by four in‐wheel motors (IEV‐DFIM) requires a more accurate nonlinear tire model. Therefore, this paper presents a nonlinear 2DOF dynamic model for the IEV‐DFIM based on the well‐known magic formula. But the nonlinear model might cause the system to be uncontrollable around the origin. To address this issue, a novel homogeneous domination control method based on sampled‐data output feedback is proposed, which is capable of guaranteeing the lateral stability of the IEV‐DFIM under different operation conditions. A Lyapunov‐based analysis is performed to ensure the validity of the proposed method in theory. The simulation and test are also carried out to verify the effectiveness of the designed controller.