.jpg?width=814&resizemode=force)
Boulogne-Billancourt (France) and Regensburg (Germany), July 12, 2022. Renault Group, a major player in the automotive industry, and Vitesco Technologies, a leading international manufacturer of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, today announced the signing of a strategic partnership for the joint development and the production of power electronics in a so-called “One Box” for electric and hybrid powertrains.
At the signing of the strategic partnership: Andreas Wolf, CEO Vitesco Technologies (on the right side) and Gilles Le Borgne, EVP Engineering, Renault Group (on the left side).
© Yves Forestier
Under this agreement, both partners will join their forces, contributing their know-how and experience to jointly develop a power electronics concept that is unique on the market. Renault Group will bring its electric and hybrid expertise while Vitesco Technologies will provide its “best in class” technologies and processes.
The goal is a key electronic unit that combines all components in one housing: the DC-DC converter1, the on-board charger OBC2 and the inverter3. Renault Group and Vitesco Technologies teams will define the products and assembly processes of this “One Box” by integrating the latest technologies to ensure the best level of competitiveness in terms of performance and cost.
This “One Box” concept will also enable an unprecedented gain in compactness (-45 percent in terms of volume) and mass for the development of Renault's future vehicles, particularly in terms of passenger space and comfort. The configurations and assembly of the various basic components will be adapted to the types of electric and hybrid powertrains. The development platform teams will be mostly based in Toulouse.
The development of this “One Box” is planned to equip electric and hybrid vehicles in Renault's high-voltage core range from 2026 onwards, with the objective for Renault Group to eventually assemble this product in its industrial sites in France for 100 percent electric vehicles. With this new partnership, Renault Group is extending its control over the electrical value chain by integrating this unique power electronics “all-in-one” system, co-developed in-house.
As part of this partnership, Renault Group will at the same time provide Vitesco Technologies with a multi-year contract for the power electronics of Renault's hybrid vehicles. In addition, Vitesco Technologies will supply to the Renault Group a “High Voltage Box”, which combines the DC/DC converter and charger, for battery electric vehicles as of 2025.
1 The DC-DC Converter is a power electronics circuit that converts the high voltage DC (Direct Current) from the battery to supply the car's low voltage DC 14V network.
2 The On Board Charger (OBC) is a power circuit that allows the recharging of the high voltage DC traction battery from the electrical network.
3 The inverter is a power electronics unit that supplies the drive with electricity. For this purpose, direct current from the high-voltage battery is converted into alternating current for the drive motor and fed back into the battery in the opposite direction during recuperation.
