In order to tackle the issues of poor mobility and unstable traction of electric vehicles on sandy landscapes, this research develops a high-accuracy numerical model for wheel–sand interaction relying on the Discrete Element Method (DEM). An innovative parameter calibration procedure is proposed herein, which optimizes the sand contact parameters. This reduces the error between the simulated and measured angles of repose to merely 1.2% and substantially improves the model’s reliability. The model was then used to systematically compare the performance of a 205/55 R16 slick tire with a treaded tire on sand. Simulations demonstrate that at a 30% slip ratio, the treaded tire exhibited significantly higher traction and greater sinkage than the slick tire. This indicates that tread patterns enhance traction mechanically by increasing the contact area and promoting shear deformation of the sand. The trends of traction with slip ratio and the corresponding sand flow patterns showed excellent agreement with experimental observations, which validated the simulation approach. This research provides an efficient and accurate tool for evaluating tire-sand interaction, providing critical support for the design and control of electric vehicles on complex terrains.

The interaction between tires and snow layer is fundamental for vehicle safety on snowy roads. Due to the instantaneous high torque output characteristics of electric vehicles, they are more prone to slipping when driving in snow, which exacerbates the complexity of tire–snow interaction. In order to construct a more accurate tire–snow interaction model in Northern China, the Bekker formula is introduced to establish the snow pressure–sinkage relationship formula, and the parameters are calibrated by disk experiments. Then the improved tire–snow interaction model is proposed by combining the use of the brush model on the rigid road surface and the dynamic discussion of the tire’s motion behavior on the snow. A coupled finite element (FE) tire model and discrete element (DE) snow terrain model are established, with interactions governed by snow–rubber contact mechanics. The simulation tests the sinking depth of tires on snowy road surface under different slip rates and different loads, as well as the force on tires. The model provides high-precision input to the EV snow traction control algorithm to optimize motor torque distribution to improve energy efficiency. By comparing and analyzing with theoretical values, the traditional empirical model, and the modified physical model, it is finally concluded that the modified model has better reliability than the original model. Compared with the empirical model, the improved model reduces the vertical stress prediction error from 5% to less than 1%, and the motion resistance error from 6% to approximately 2%, providing high-precision input for the snow traction control of electric vehicles.

With the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) applications into unstructured sandy terrains such as deserts, accurately characterizing tire–sand dynamic interactions is essential for enhancing off-road performance. However, traditional terramechanics models, the discrete element method (DEM), and purely data-driven neural networks all have inherent limitations, failing to balance physical interpretability and computational efficiency. This study proposes a wheel–sand dynamics prediction model that integrates DEM simulation, semi-physical modeling, and deep learning. A DEM tire–sand contact platform is built to acquire longitudinal slip and cornering properties, and a dimensionless semi-physical tire model is derived using frictional constitutive relations and tire theory. A 3-DOF vehicle dynamics model is then established to generate high-fidelity physics-based datasets, and a residual neural network is adopted to avoid performance degradation in deep networks. The model is validated and optimized via real-vehicle sandy terrain tests, with its performance compared against other network structures. The proposed model achieves high prediction accuracy, with engineering-acceptable errors, and outperforms conventional neural networks. The dimensionless framework improves generality, overcoming the weaknesses of traditional and purely data-driven models. This work provides theoretical and statistical support for EV traction control design and tire structure optimization, promoting driving stability and terrain passability in unstructured sandy environments.