Vitesco Technologies

Vitesco Technologies shows innovations from its electrification portfolio at the EVS Symposium in Oslo
For the latest generation of electric axle drive, the company presents an alternative without permanent magnets and thus without rare earth metals
This solution is specifically designed for future long-distance electric vehicles
Another focus is on efficiency-enhancing technologies for electric driving

Regensburg (Germany)/Oslo (Norway), June 9, 2022. Vitesco Technologies, a leading international manufacturer of advanced powertrain technologies and electrification solutions, will present innovations for vehicle electrification at the 35th International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS) in Oslo from June 11 to 15.

In Oslo, the company will be showing for the first time a drive solution optimized for the higher ranges of electric cars in the future. A so-called externally excited synchronous electric machine (EESM), which does not require the use of rare earth metals and which is specifically designed for high ranges, faster driving on highways, and thus for future long-distance electric vehicles.

Vitesco Technologies gives outlook on innovations for electromobility

Efficiency and sustainability as guiding principles

Permanently excited synchronous machines (PSM) are today standard in vehicle electrification. This is due to the high efficiency of these electric motors in city traffic or at medium ranges. Permanent magnets based on rare earths are installed in the rotor of PSM motors. In the meantime, however, the general conditions for electric drives are changing: The ranges of battery electric vehicles are becoming longer and longer, and on real long-distance routes with fast highway driving, externally excited synchronous machines (EESM) play out their advantage. Especially at high speeds they are more efficient than PSMs.

Instead of magnets, the rotor here has coils. In addition to efficiency at high speeds, this offers the advantage of avoiding the prices for permanent magnets, which have now risen to a 10-year high. In addition, the CO₂ footprint of the drive is reduced by the portion attributable to rare earth mining, which can have a positive impact on product sustainability over its life cycle.

Vitesco Technologies is therefore preparing a portfolio expansion that will make EESM technology available for its already successful axle drive including power electronics. The company has many years of field experience with this technology and thus has a certain head start in development and industrialization.

In a second presentation focus at the EVS Symposium, Vitesco Technologies will showcase systems and solutions that further make electric driving more efficient. These include - in addition to the integrated electric axle drive:

battery management for monitoring the battery and its state of charge, increasing safety and battery service life
power electronics, a key component of any electrified drive, because it supplies power not only to the electric motor but also to the high-voltage battery
thermal management for greater range and comfort and faster charging
high-voltage box, as central electronics for the charging technology of electric vehicles as well as for the energy supply in the vehicle
master controller, provides like a small server, everything an electric vehicle needs to drive.

“With our portfolio, we are clearly focusing on global, scalable platforms for electrified vehicles. This is where we see the growth, and this is also where the potential for sustainable and increasingly CO₂-neutral mobility of the future lies,” says Thomas Stierle.

Glass inverter with high-resolution measurement technology

Another highlight is a vehicle that functions as a rolling test stand. Here, the function of the inverter can be monitored in real time - thanks to highly sophisticated measurement technology. From this “glass inverter”, selected values such as current flows, efficiencies and losses are transmitted to the Vitesco Technologies Cloud. Among other things, this eye-catcher shows the measurement technology know-how from the preceding development work on high-efficiency silicon carbide (SiC) inverters, with which Vitesco Technologies will go into series production starting in 2023.

The EVS Symposium has established itself as a high-level event for vehicle electrification, covering everything from micro mobility to heavy duty, systems for public transport, aviation and marine. The organizer himself speaks of the largest symposium for electric mobility worldwide.