Dynamic Characterization of an Electric Kick Scooter Through Operational Modal Analysis

In recent years, the urban mobility framework has been characterized by the increasing spread of electric micro-vehicles, aiming at mitigating pollution and traffic congestion in major city centers. Among these vehicles, electric kick scooters have gained popularity due to their seamless integration into existing urban mobility systems through sharing services. The dynamic response of these two-wheeled vehicles is highly influenced by the driver’s position and intrinsic body flexibility, which vary according to operative conditions. The objective of this research is to identify the modal parameters of a commercial electric kick scooter through operational modal analysis in real driving conditions. An experimental campaign is conducted driving an e-scooter on various surfaces and monitoring accelerations at different points of the vehicle. The vehicle is driven on asphalt and pavé surfaces at several velocities to test different road excitations. Signals collected during these tests are processed in LMS Testlab tool to identify natural frequencies and mode shapes of the system up to 100 Hz. The analysis reveals four macro-groups of mode shapes that characterize the modal behavior of the structure involving the steering joint, the pitch of the entire system, and the compliance of the deck.