Integrated control of suspension and cab air spring stiffness for heavy truck

Heavy-duty truck electrification is accelerating as a critical pathway for freight decarbonization, propelled by maturing sensor systems, ubiquitous vehicular networking, and sophisticated chassis actuation. Unlike electric cars and conventional diesel trucks, battery-electric heavy trucks face intensified trade-offs between load capacity and ride comfort, stemming from the substantial mass of onboard batteries. This paper proposes a Model Predictive Control (MPC)-based coordinated control strategy for heavy truck’s full-air suspension systems, addressing the dynamic coupling between chassis suspension and cab mount. A multi-layer “suspension-frame-mount-cab” coupled model is established from real vehicle tests, and an MPC controller is designed to enhance cab comfort through real-time stiffness coordination of both subsystems. Results show 66.56% maximum and 5.45% average improvement in dynamic response over conventional systems, offering a practical framework for intelligent suspension coordination in heavy trucks.