Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) are attracting attention due to growing awareness of environmental issues such as fossil fuel depletion and global warming. In particular, a wide range of research has examined how direct yaw moment controls (DYCs) can enhance the handling performance of EVs equipped with multiple in-wheel motors (IWMs) or the like. Recently, this research has focused on reducing energy consumption through driving force distribution control. The first report proposed a method to minimize energy consumption through an efficient DYC for extending the cruising range of a vehicle installed with four IWMs, and described the vehicle behavior with this control. Since motors allow high design flexibility, EVs can be developed with a variety of drive systems. For this reason, various driving force distribution control methods can be considered based on the adopted system. Widespread adoption of the optimum driving force distribution control method for each drive system from the standpoint of energy consumption should be achievable using the results described in the first report. Consequently, this second report examines a control method to minimize energy consumption for vehicles with different motor-based drive systems. The driving force distribution control laws to minimize energy consumption in a vehicle with two or three motors were calculated and compared to a vehicle with four motors. This paper also compares the energy consumption when turning while accelerating or decelerating, and discusses the vehicle behavior in these scenarios. The derived control laws can be applied to vehicles with any motor-based drive system. Introduction Various kinds of direct yaw moment controls (DYCs) have been developed to enhance vehicle handling performance [ 1]. In-wheel motors (IWMs) have been proposed as an actuator system to realize DYC [2][3]. Other research has also examined the feasibility of using DYCs to reduce energy consumption with the aim of extending the cruising range in a vehicle equipped with four IWMs, and described the behavior of this vehicle [ 4][5][6][7]. In particular, Kobayashi et al. described an analysis of cornering resistance and mechanical power in quasi steady-state cornering for a vehicle with independent driving control of all four wheels, focusing on a method of reducing power consumption by minimizing the counterbalance generated by the dissipation of mechanical power required for cornering, excluding the change in vehicle kinetic energy, which occurs on the contact patch [ 5]. That report also described the vehicle behavior in terms of steering characteristics and tire workload. Nishihara et al. described the reduction of power consumption by minimizing the mechanical power required for cornering, based on the balance between lateral force and yaw moment in steady-state cornering with no acceleration or deceleration in a vehicle with independent driving control of all four wheels [6]. Various patterns of drive systems are feasible based on the layout of the motors. For example, taking advantage of the high degree of design flexibility of EVs, in addition to drive systems that drive all four wheels independently, the drive system may control the two wheels at the left and right, or one motor may be adopted in the front (or rear) and two in the rear (or front). Although the best drive system from the standpoint of energy consumption has yet to be identified, it should be possible to minimize the energy consumption in EVs with various drive systems using the results of the first report [ 5]. Therefore, subsequent research has derived control laws for minimizing tire energy consumption in vehicles with different drive systems. This paper describes the calculation of energy consumptionminimizing control laws for certain drive systems, with reference to the proposed contact patch dissipation power minimization method for a vehicle with four IWMs in quasi steady-stat