Active Suspension
Active suspension uses powered actuators to add or remove mechanical energy and apply controlled vertical forces between the wheels and vehicle body.
What makes it active
Unlike a passive spring and damper, a fully active system can generate force without waiting for suspension motion to create it. Depending on the design, it can counter body heave, pitch, and roll; move individual wheel suspensions; adjust body attitude; or respond to preview information about the road.
“Active” should not be used as a synonym for every adjustable suspension. A semi-active damper changes how strongly it resists existing motion but cannot act as a powered jack. An adaptive air suspension may change damping and ride height yet still lack full active force generation.
The available force, actuator travel, response bandwidth, energy demand, thermal limits, and tyre grip constrain what an active system can achieve. It cannot remove every road input or override the physical contact between tyre and road. In an EV, the system must also balance body control against mass, energy use, packaging, and ride-height objectives.
For actuator types, control hierarchy, and the boundary between semi-active and fully active systems, see Active Suspension.