electric & hybrid vehicle technology international

July 2009

Case studies
Bentley Continental Supersports
Mitsubishi i MiEV | BYD e6
GM hydrogen fuel cell

The inside track on

July 2009

tomorrow’s eco-friendly
vehicles from Mercedes
Exclusive interview with Christian Mohrdieck,
head of fuel cell and battery drive
system development, Daimler

The future for hybrids

Is the game already over for
diesel hybrid powertrains?
Development technologies
A look at how testing programs Interviews
are evolving to encompass Dr Ulrich Eichhorn
hybrid and electric vehicles Head of engineering, Bentley
UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Green motorsport Thomas Fritz

Director of engineering,
The story behind the Fisker Automotive
world’s first ever zero- Mathias Wechlin
carbon grand prix Senior product manager,
Conductix-Wampfler
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Cover story:
MERCEDES GOES green
Christian Mohrdieck, head of fuel cell
and battery drive system development
at Daimler, reveals what eco-friendly
engine technologies Mercedes is backing
what’s new?
04: Bentley Continental Supersports
Volkswagen’s exclusive British
marque has taken its first step
to reduce emissions output
08
08: Mitsubishi i miev
Having perfected its lithium-ion
battery pack, Mitsubishi is ready
to launch its first city electric car
10: KERS in crisis
Doubts remain over the use of
new hybrid technologies in
Formula 1. E&H investigates
12: GM hydrogen fuel cell
The US car maker continues to
push forward with tomorrow’s
technology, despite being
financially challenged today
14: BYD e6
China’s fourth-largest OEM
has stolen a march on rivals in
claiming to have developed a
mass-production electric sedan
with a massive 250-mile range
16: Mahindra Scorpio
The Indian OEM has aspirations
to grow sales in the USA, so a
diesel-hybrid SUV is on the cards
18: New product focus
A look at Opal-RT’s high-tech
TestDrive simulation technology
20: picture perfect
What lies beneath Fisker
Automotive’s Karma sedan?
20
01
contents
features:
26
26: diesel hybrids
It’s make-or-break time for the
powertrain often referred to as
the optimum eco-friendly solution
for the automotive world
32: Green powertrain development
E&H investigates the latest
development technologies
and techniques for the next
generation of powertrains
40: MOTORSPORTS
The story behind the world’s
first ever zero-carbon grand prix
and how Kingston University in
the UK fared at the event
70: the electric surge
A rundown of the key players in
the electric vehicle world and
their future development plans
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
02
CONTENTS
(

electric & hybrid vehicle

Power lines
July 2009

technolo
gy international
Vehicle
case studies
Bentley Continental
Super
Mitsubishi MIeV sports
| BYD

INTERVIEWS:
GM hydrogen fuel e6
cell

July 2009
The inside
tomorrow’s ec track on
44: DR ULRICH EICHHORN, HEAD ■ This issue of Electric & Hybrid Vehicle vehicles from o-friendly
Me
view with Chris rcedes
Exclusive inter

OF ENGINEERING, BENTLEY Technology International is very special: For tian Moh

head of fuel cell
and
rdieck,
system developmbattery drive
the first time in the 15-year history of the ent, Daimler

publication, E&H will transform from being

50: CHRISTIAN MOHRDIECK, HEAD OF FUEL
CELL AND BATTERY DRIVE SYSTEM
DEVELOPMENT, DAIMLER
an annual to a bi-annual, thus reflecting
the ongoing efforts of a global automotive
industry that’s in pursuit of emissions
reduction, fuel consumption optimization, The future for
hyb
Is the game alrea rids
diesel hybrid powdy over for
and the Holy Grail: achieving true ertrains?

56: THOMAS FRITZ, DIRECTOR sustainable transportation.

Development tech
A look at how testi nologies
are evolving to encong programs
hybrid and electric mpass
OF ENGINEERING, FISKER For so long it’s been the mass car
vehicles Interviews

UKIP Media & Events

Green motorsp Dr Ulrich
ort Head of engineering,Eichhorn
The story behind Bentley
world’s first ever the
AUTOMOTIVE manufacturers – Toyota, Honda, VW Group, carbon grand prix zero - Thomas Fritz
Director of engine
ering,
Fisker Automotive

Ltd
PSA Peugeot Citroën, GM and Ford – that Mathias Wech
Senior product mana lin
Conductix-Wampfl
ger,
er

have been credited for bringing to market

63: MATHIAS WECHLIN, SENIOR PRODUCT powertrain technologies that cut NOx, CO2
MANAGER, CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER and PM, as well as further developing
engine innovations for tomorrow’s world.
67: MICHELLE DUHADWAY, SENIOR Well, here’s some news to digest: the
legislators are also flexing their muscles at
ACCOUNTS MANAGER, BOSCH REXROTH those car makers that associate themselves
with the super rich, super fast and super
OPINION exclusive. Yes, that’s right, Bentley,
Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin and
22: MATT DAVIS Porsche are all implementing (or set to
implement) plans to firstly reduce emissions
24: GREG OFFER and secondly enhance fuel economy.
Speaking to AMG’s head of engine and
powertrain development, Friedrich Eichler,
at this year’s International Engine of the Year
Awards, it become apparent very quickly
that even Mercedes’ high-performance
automotive division has to be seen to be
120: LAST WORD doing their bit for the environment.
Raf Schuermans, senior “Of course we care about emissions and
manager, drivetrain design, fuel economy – that’s really important for
Toyota Motor Europe us,” insisted Eichler, who then dropped a
heavy hint that downsizing might soon be
embraced by AMG: “The special challenge
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES for the future will be to have great power
and torque, but without high fuel
consumption and emissions output. In
terms of size, we can never say never, but
what is important is the number of
cylinders. A lot of our customers like V8
and V12 engines, but it’s not necessary to
use all the cylinders all the time. We’re
working on cylinder deactivation and on an
engine with this technology; maybe we’ll
have completed this in two years’ time.”
Proof then that the top tier of the
automotive industry is very concerned
about emissions and fuel economy. Keeping
companies such as AMG on their toes is a
fast-expanding pool of eco-friendly,
exclusive car makers – Fisker, Tesla and
Venturi, to mention just a few.
The automotive world is changing, but
what exactly the future holds for these high-
end, V-engine loving car makers remains
unclear. I’m willing to bet, though, it’s going
to be a lot of fun finding out!
Dean Slavnich editor

78: New hybrid architecture

82: Test automation
84: Energy-efficient production
87: Turbo-hybrid demonstrator
90: Time-to-market optimization
91: Conformal coatings
92: Advanced vehicle cooling
93: Power solutions
94: Battery packs
95: Fast charging systems
96: Driveline energy
98: Virtual vehicles
100: Test solutions for EVs and HEVs
102: Next-generation cell systems
104: Innovative components
106: New flywheel capacitor update
108: New propulsion technology
Editor Dean Slavnich Contributors Brian Cowan, Matt Davis, Contact us
Chief sub-editor Alex Bradley Adam Gavine, Max Glaskin, Maurice Glover, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
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The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International of the authors and are not endorsed by the publisher. While every
magazine, ISSN 1460-9509, is published twice a year by care has been taken during production, the publisher does not
UKIP Media & Events Ltd, Abinger House, Church Street, accept any liability for errors that may have occurred. This
Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK.
publication is protected by copyright ©2009. ISSN 1460-9509
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology. Printed by William Gibbons &
Sons Ltd, Willenhall, West Midlands, UK.

110: Secure lithium for better vehicles published by

112: Products and services in brief UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

AVL. DriVing HybriD iz Ation.
We MAn Age eL ectrific Ation up to Sop
AVL, the leader in sustainable powertrain technology
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04
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 05
Bentley Continental supersports

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July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

06
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS
■ At first glance, you’d think
that the fastest, most powerful
road-going Bentley ever to have
been produced has no place in
E&H. After all, 621bhp
combined with 800Nm of
torque hardly screams
‘sustainable transportation’.
But it would seem that
emissions – and more
specifically the plight of the
planet in terms of global
warming – have become a
concern for those with a taste
for fast, expensive, and
exclusive cars with large-
displacement engines.
And there’s more to E&H than
hybrids, fuel cells, EVs and
downsizing, and Bentley – for
so long an advocate of gas-
guzzling, emissions-spewing
engines – is now undertaking its
own CO2 clean-up operation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Bentley presents the Continental
Supersports, a key biofuel
product in the company’s drive
to reduce total fleet emissions
by 15% over the next six years.
And don’t be fooled into
thinking this is some sort of
marketing stunt by the Crewe-
based car maker. “Supersports
is the result of two years’ hard
work,” says Bentley’s head
of engineering, Dr Ulrich
Biofuel will play an important role to Bentley
as it attempts to reduce emissions and improve
fuel economy, but will Supersports be the only
Bentley to be able to run on an E85 blend?
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
FIRST BENTLEY THEN LAMBO…
Italian supercar maker Lamborghini plans to achieve a 35% reduction in its total vehicle CO2 emissions
output by 2015, following in the footsteps of Bentley’s announcement last year to reduce emissions
output by 15% across its entire range over the next three years.
Around US$40 million is being earmarked for the project, which will involve harnessing the
eco-friendly powertrain expertise from within the VW Group. Among the raft of measures that will
enable the niche car maker to reduce CO2 emissions by more than one-third in a six-year period,
Lamborghini powertrain engineers are thought to be looking into decreasing vehicle mass, improving
combustion, reducing friction, implementing start/stop systems, developing hybrid drivetrains, and
studying use of biofuels.
“Lamborghini is committed to its policy of environmental management, as we are well aware of the
great opportunities that derive from it,” says Lamborghini president and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann.
“We have an objective to reduce CO2 emissions to the greatest possible degree.
“We have also set compulsory annual goals that are part of an integrated approach, considering the
automobile as an element that is more considerate of the environment in terms of emissions and the
use of resources, and the accomplishment of a series of corresponding measures such as
modifications to our factory. This is an important action for Lamborghini and a central opportunity for
our long-term corporate and product development.”
Eichhorn. “This really is a
properly developed, thoroughly
“We’ve always had gasoline or biofuel. And the
Continental derivative has been
produced car. It’s far more than
a tuner’s job.
a lovely overrun engineered by Eichhorn’s team
to boast 20bhp more than the
“We’ve run this car in
temperatures of 50°C and in
burble, now we get ‘standard’ Continental. Torque
has been increased by 15Nm.
parts of the world where it gets
as cold as -30°C. It’s done all the
a fantastic, almost “This revised power mainly
comes from the increased
testing and development we do
with all our cars. We’re really
burping noise cooling and increased
intercooling capacity,” explains
not just sticking a few new with every upshift” Eichhorn. As a result of the
components into the engine.” power surge, bigger air intakes
Due to be launched by had to be designed to enable
the third quarter of 2009, more air to flow into the
Supersports is the first Bentley intercoolers, which gives the
capable of running on either Supersports higher air density
and better boosts. Similarly, this
The Supersports is capable of hitting Continental spin-off, has new,
a top speed in excess of 200km/h. specially designed flared rear
Driving power to the wheels is a heavily wings that accommodate the
tweaked eight-speed ZF transmission 50mm wider rear track.
The fuel system on the 6-liter
twin-turbocharged W12 engine
has all-new O-rings, seals,
gaskets and pipes. Increased
fuel flow is achieved through a
returnless fuel system and twin
variable flow fuel pumps. The
use of bioethanol also means
that the W12 requires new valve
coatings and a hardened valve-
seat material for additional
lubrication. In addition to this,
Supersports employs a new
closed-loop fuel-rail design with
a pressure sensor for higher
fuel-flow rates, and new spark
plugs with a wider heat range
for slower combustion.
A fuel-quality sensor from
Continental has been placed
between the vehicle’s tank and
the injection system and this
sensor monitors the balance
between ethanol and gasoline
in real time. With up-to-the-
minute data being processed by
the Conti component, the Bosch
engine management system and

engine controller has the
capacity to adjust fuel and spark
maps to the fuel that the sensor
is monitoring in real time.
“So the customer will never
have to worry about what sort
of fuel is in the tank,” says
Eichhorn. “Power and torque
remain constant whatever the
ratio of petrol and bioethanol.
“We cut fuel and spark during
the upshift, but ironically the
engine still accelerates the car
through the upshift because it
starts at 6,500rpm and slows
down to 4,500rpm through
the clutches, therefore still
accelerating the car through the
upshifts,” he explains.
“This is not only interesting
from an acceleration point-of-
view, but also in terms of noise:
we’ve always had a lovely
overrun burble, now we get a
fantastic, almost burping noise
with every upshift. We had a lot
of fun developing this car.”
It’s clear that Eichhorn is very
proud of the car maker’s first
Eichhorn was keen to ensure Continental Supersports was a two-seater sportscar
Two of VW’s most exclusive marques –
Bentley and Lamborghini – are embarking
on an emissions reduction program
ever biofuel, flexfuel engine.
The Bentley engineer says that
the use of E85 biofuel can offer
a reduction of up to 70% in CO2
emissions on a well-to-wheel
basis. But on paper alone, fuel
consumption and emissions do
not make such good reading.
The combined mpg is rated at
17.3 for fuel economy and CO2
is estimated to be around 388g/
km. Still, it’s slightly better than
the Continental GTC with its
16.5mpg and CO2 of 396g/km.
Driving the power – the full
621 horses are generated at
6,000rpm; 800Nm of torque is
developed between 1,700rpm
and 5,600rpm – is a revised ZF
Quickshift transmission that
halves shift times and helps the
Supersports race to 100km/h in
just 3.9 seconds. Top speed is
329km/h (204mph). Together
with ZF engineers, Bentley’s
transmission team further
strengthened the ZF 6HP26 so
that it could cope with the
torque. For Supersports, the
07
Bentley Continental supersports
standard 50/50 front/rear torque
split is replaced by a 40/60 split
with a rear bias.
“We worked really hard on
the transmission,” recalls
Eichhorn. “I think it’s probably
the best gearbox of its time –
much quicker shifts with more
precision. This split means less
understeer coming out of the
bends – so the driver can get on
the gas even earlier – and it
gives better throttle steering,
even on a 4x4 car that weighs
more than 2,000 tons.”
Along with modifications to
the transmission and engine, the
chassis has also been retuned:
Supersports features new
bushings, damping and tweaks
on the anti-roll bars. Weight
“This really is a savings on the chassis include a
new wheel that weighs 10kg less
properly developed, per car and standard carbon
brakes that save 20kg on
thoroughly produced unsprung weight. In total, the
Supersports is 110kg lighter
car. It’s far more than the standard Bentley. E&H
than a tuner’s job” Turn to page 44 to find out more
about Bentley’s powertrain plan to
drive down emissions output and
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July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
08
WHAT’S NEW?

INDUSTRY UPDATE
PSA steps closer to realizing
diesel-hybrid powertrain goal Motor type: Permanent magnet synchronous
Motor max power: 47kW
After unveiling its Hybrid4 diesel-electric
Max torque: 180Nm
powertrain last year, PSA Peugeot-Citroën
has launched pilot-production projects of Drive system: Rear-wheel drive
the technology at the company’s Mulhouse Battery type: Lithium-ion
and Sochaux manufacturing plants. The Total voltage: 330V
French car maker has made no secret Total engine: 16kWh
of its desire to bring to market a diesel Length: 3,395mm
hybrid passenger car by 2011 in an effort Width: 1,475mm
to rival the likes of the Toyota Prius and Height: 1,600mm
Honda Insight models. PSA chiefs hope Weight: 1,080kg
that the pilot production projects will help
the company to keep costs at an optimum
level when the technology goes into mass
production.

The RC Hybrid4 concept show car from Peugeot

features PSA’s innovative diesel hybrid engine
Electric agreement
In a separate PSA Peugeot-Citroën
announcement, the French car maker has
confirmed plans to step up development
of electric vehicles with Mitsubishi Motors.
The two car companies already enjoy a
successful partnership in manufacturing
compact SUVs – the Outlander, C-Crosser
and 4007. According to the new
agreement, PSA will launch an electric
vehicle next year that will be based on
Mitsubishi’s i MiEV city car.
Delphi cuts its carbon footprint
Delphi claims to have stopped more than
6,000 metric tons of CO2 being emitted
from its plants in Europe during 2008.
“This reduction is equivalent to emissions
generated by 1,200 European cars each
driving more than 30,000km a year,” said
Delphi’s program leader for climate
change activities in Europe, Thomas Stier.
“We exceeded our goal by 20%.” More
than 40 plants in Austria, the Czech
Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Spain and the UK have
benefited from Delphi’s global initiative
to reduce CO2 emissions.
Delphi has improved its global emissions footprint
MASS APPEAL
It looks as though Mitsubishi will be one of the first car makers
to launch an EV intended to be more than just a niche product
■ Based on the ‘i’ minicar’s rear-midship
layout platform, the i MiEV – and the electric
powertrain technologies it harnesses – is
Mitusbishi’s take on how to achieve a drastic
reduction in total automotive emissions
output by 2011.
Like all electric cars, the i MiEV does away
with the conventional IC engine, gearbox,
and fuel tank, and instead relies on a lithium-
ion battery system, motor and inverter.
The high energy density lithium-ion battery
pack consists of four cells and 22 modules.
Because of the specific structure of the
modules, which enables them to be installed
in either a vertical or transverse position,
each high-capacity battery pack can fit under
the floor of the i MiEV – a key design feature
of Mitsubishi’s city car. The battery pack
weighs 200kg, which is around 20% of the
total weight of the vehicle.
The batteries, which have a 10-year life, or
a 93,600-mile warranty range, are supplied
by Lithium Energy Japan, a JV company that
was established in 2007 between GS Yuasa,
Mitsubishi and MMC. With GS Yuasa being
the only mass producer of large lithium-ion
batteries in Japan, the JV will produce
batteries with improved performance and a
better range. According to Mitsubishi, the JV
company’s production lines are capable of
manufacturing 200,000 cells per year, and
these production lines have been installed
within GS Yuasa’s head office plant in Kyoto.
The lightweight, highly efficient permanent
magnet synchronous motor in the i MiEV
ACTING LOCAL,
THINKING GLOBAL
It’s not just Mitsubishi that’s working
on the further development of electric
vehicles. Toward the end of 2008,
the Renault-Nissan alliance signed
EV development agreements with
several interested parties, including
Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan’s
Kanagawa Prefecture, and the US state
of Tennessee. According to the deal,
the alliance will supply an EV based on
the Z.E. Concept by 2012. Rolling off
the same line as the Kangoo, the Z.E.
will feature a lithium-ion battery and an
advanced electric motor. Peak output is
rated at 95bhp, and continuous power is
50kW. Renault says maximum torque is
well over 225Nm
provides power that’s superior to the
gasoline, turbocharged 660cc engine in
the ‘i’, which is just as well, because being
designed for urban city driving, the i MiEV
has to marry emissions-free output with
lively performance: the ability to accelerate
in built-up areas is essential for the car to be
successful in cities such as Tokyo, London,
Paris and New York. As a result, the motor
has a 47kW power output with total voltage
of 330V. The power is supplemented with
180Nm of torque, enabling a 0-62mph
acceleration time of 13 seconds – some 1.2

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009


The plan is for Mitsubishi to roll out i MiEV in the UK
and Japan first, with a global market launch to follow
seconds quicker off the mark than the i
MiEV’s gasoline-powered cousin. Top speed
for Mitsubishi’s innovative EV is 87mph. The
extended wheelbase provides space for high-
capacity lithium-ion batteries under the floor.
The rear-midship layout enables the motor
and inverter to be installed in the space that
used to house the engine and transmission.
In fact, i MiEV is deceptively large, and at a
tight push it can accommodate four adults.
The i MiEV accepts three types of battery
charging systems: 100V and 200V household
charger systems for charging at home or in
a parking lot, and the quick-charger system
for speedy charging (although this system is
available only in Japan). The quick-charge
system refills the i MiEV with 80% of power
in a mere 30 minutes.
Yet for all its green credentials, there is one
major hurdle that Mitsubishi must overcome
09
WHAT’S NEW
CLEAN AIR
Although i MiEV is still in its infancy,
there is no doubt that Mitsubishi’s
future is all about electric vehicles.
Following on from the announcement
of i MiEV, Mitsubishi has also
taken the covers off a stunning
open-top EV called the Sport Air
Concept. According to a Mitsubishi
spokesperson, in order for EVs
to play a key part in achieving
sustainable transportation it’s vital for
A high-tech quick charge system in Japan can refill the the eco-friendly cars to be fun, sporty
Mitsubishi i MiEV with 80% of power in only 30 minutes and desirable. And although there are
no firm production plans for the Sport
with i MiEV. When it finally goes on sale,
Air, the concept “signals the direction
the small eco-friendly city car will cost
in which Mitsubishi EVs may take in
up to US$33,000. With such an eye-
the future”.
watering ticket price, how many people
will be able to buy into Mitsubishi’s green
transportation solution in these tough
economic times? But despite the
unconfirmed pricing of the vehicle,
Mitsubishi is planning to push ahead with
the project and get it on sale in Japan and
the UK before the end of 2009. Rollout
will then hit 10,000 units next year and
the opening of a new manufacturing
facility in 2011 will see i MiEV production
double by 2012. E&H
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
10
WHAT’S NEW?
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Audi gets clean
Having seen its chief German rival BMW
encounter much success with its
EfficientDynamics marketing campaign –
which includes the use of Bosch’s stop/
start system across the 1 and 3 Series
product range – Audi has announced it
plans to follow suit and introduce the same
technology in its car lineup by the third
quarter of 2009. The new system will make
its debut in the A3 1.4-liter TFSI product,
as well as in the Audi A4 and A5 2-liter
models. Audi says that early tests have
shown the stop/start system will help to
reduce CO2 emissions by around 5g/km.
Audi will debut a new stop/start system in the A3
Magna on electric wave
Magna Electronics, an operating unit of
Magna International, has announced the
acquisition of BluWav Systems, a developer
of electric and energy-management
systems for hybrid electric vehicles, plug-
in hybrid vehicles, and battery electric
vehicles. Located in Rochester Hills,
Michigan, BluWav will enhance Magna
Electronics’ position as a supplier of
components and systems to the emerging
market for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Fiat to start/stop with Bosch
Bosch’s innovative start/stop system –
which is already used by BMW, Mini and
Kia – is next to be deployed in Fiat
vehicles after the Italian OEM signed a
deal with the German supplier. The first
Fiat car to feature the technology will be
the award-winning 500, driven by a 1.2-
liter engine.
Fiat will use Bosch’s stop/start system in the 500
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Flybrid systems has finished development
of a 2009-spec flywheel KERS for Formula 1
FUTURE SHOCK
With the F1 season well under way, E&H asks what next for KERS?
■ The kinetic energy recovery system
(KERS) has not played the key role that was
expected of it during the 2009 Formula 1
season, and as a result doubts are being
placed over the technology.
So far, KERS has been an option for F1
teams, and although its main proponents
insist that they will continue to develop it,
others are planning to steer clear. Max
Mosley should have realized by now that the
only way to get teams to play ball is to make
rules and enforce them. Not everyone can yet
see the value in adopting such systems in
order to establish the sport’s green credentials.
The two concepts most likely to see the
light of a racing day are the electric
supercapacitor system under development at
BMW, and the Magnetically Loaded
Composite Flywheel Energy Storage System
(MLCFESS) being tweaked by Williams
Hybrid Power. “For us, KERS is an extremely
exciting project and a great opportunity,” says
BMW Motorsport director Dr Mario
Theissen. “We are standing at the threshold
between a conventional package of engine
and independent transmission and an
integrated drive system. KERS will see F1
take on a pioneering role for production
technologies going forward.”
In April last year, Williams F1 acquired a
shareholding in Automotive Hybrid Power
Limited. Renamed Williams Hybrid Power
Limited (WHP), the company, led by
engineer Ian Foley, is developing a hybrid
system based on a composite flywheel
rotating at up to 100,000rpm, which will
capture energy generated under braking. “At
AHP, we had begun to develop our own
advanced flywheel system for application in
vehicles. As Williams Hybrid Power, we will
make use of the higher profile and F1
development program to bring it to market
more quickly,” says Foley.
So far, the FIA has been careful to try to
frame the regulations so that different KERS
systems do not prove more advantageous
than others. The weight of a KERS system
can be accommodated given the amount of
ballast most teams carry, but the possible
negative implication may be the effect on
weight distribution. Toyota’s senior general
manager for engines, Luca Marmorini,
explains, “It is expected that our car with
KERS would still be at the minimum weight
as defined in the rules, because at the
moment our car is much lighter than the
605kg minimum, but we comply with the
regulations by using ballast.”
Along with weight, safety has also been an
issue with KERS. Toyota’s technical director,
Pascal Vasselon, addresses the issues of
battery fires and explosions. “Going through
the possible failure modes of the KERS
system is just what we have to do,” he says.
“We will all be trying to overheat or
overcharge batteries. We will all be trying to
crash flywheels for those who will use
flywheels. We just have to do that, so it will
be all about making sure that we keep these
failures under control on the test bench, and
later on the track. So for sure, yes, you will
hear about battery fires and things like that,
simply because we will have to gain
experience in this direction.”
And there is no question that KERS will
increase costs at a time when teams are
looking at ways to reduce them. That’s why
some believe it should be mandatory, rather
than optional, because then all would be in
the same boat. “Inevitably, a new technology
of this kind requires resources in order to
develop a safe and effective solution,”
confirms Marmorini. “Costs have been high
with KERS because it is a new technology
for F1 and there are a number of potential
solutions that had to be investigated.” E&H
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12
WHAT’S NEW?

INDUSTRY UPDATE
Total ethanol efficiency
Engineers at Ricardo have developed a
new technology that optimizes ethanol-
fueled engines to a level of performance
that exceeds gasoline engine efficiency.
The new technology, called Ethanol
Boosted Direct Injection (EBDI), takes
full advantage of ethanol’s very best
properties – higher octane and higher heat
vaporization – to create a renewable
scenario that is independent of the cost
of oil. “This all means we can use a high
level of turbocharging to achieve the high
cylinder pressures that ethanol enables,”
explains Rod Beazley, director of Ricardo’s
gasoline product group. “Add in some Emitting only water vapor, GM’s HydroGen4 fuel cell
vehicle represents the future for the auto industry,
other advanced technologies such as
but the technology is at least five years away
direct injection, variable valve timing,
optimized ignition and advanced exhaust
gas recirculation, and we’re squeezing out
more power than is possible with gasoline.”
The EBDI technology is currently being
applied to a 3.2-liter V6 engine, and
Ricardo says it could ultimately serve
TOMORROW’S WORLD
as a replacement for a large gasoline or GM’s fuel-cell program is a decade old, but never before has the
turbo-diesel engines in a large SUV. Other
companies
involved in
US car maker’s emissions-free technology been so advanced
project EBDI
■ GM’s HydroGen4 is the product of 10 vehicle packaging and lower the center of
include Behr,
Bosch and years’ and US$1 billion R&D. The Chevy gravity. An electric-turbo compressor rather
Delphi. Equinox body may not look a billion dollars, than a screw type is used at the cathode to
but beneath the humdrum contours lies one provide the fuel cells with oxygen, increasing
of the most advanced powertrains in the world. efficiency and aiding the acoustics.
EBDI has been “HydroGen4 is powered by GM’s most The fuel-cell is supported by a 1.8kWh
applied to a 3.2-liter sophisticated fuel-cell system and marks NiMH buffer battery fitted under the floor in
V6 prototype engine an important milestone on the road toward the center of the vehicle, which improves
completely emissions-free, competitive driving performance by covering electrical
New Indian base for Romax fuel-cell technology in the automobile,” says peaks in the vehicle’s load demands.
Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM Europe. The buffer battery creates further efficiency
Romax Technology is scheduled to open a
Under the hood, the fuel-cell stack improvement over the vehicle’s predecessor
center of excellence for CAD and CAE
later this year, in Pune, India. With India’s (developed in-house) comprises 440 series- as it enables regenerative braking. When
automotive and transmission markets connected cells, producing up to 93kW. braking, or driving downhill, the electric
continuing to grow, Romax plans to Traction is provided by a 73kW/100bhp motor reverses to generator mode and uses
expand its existing highly skilled team to synchronous electric motor, good for the electrical energy produced to charge the
more than 50 employees within the next acceleration from zero to 100km/h in 12 battery. If the driver has to brake hard, the
few years. seconds due to 320Nm of instant torque. A ESP system will also brake-blend using
top speed of about 160km/h is achievable. conventional hydraulics.
AVL continues with innovation The hydrogen-storage system, developed Road testing revealed that the system gives
AVL has announced it plans to forge by Quantum, comprises three 700bar high- the brakes a very ‘wooden’ feel, and that they
ahead with advanced R&D work, despite pressure tanks made from carbon-fiber need a lot of foot pressure to operate. This
the global financial downturn. “Innovation composite material, holding 4.2kg of problem is presently being addressed by GM
is an essential value within AVL and we hydrogen. This capacity gives the vehicle engineers as part of its efforts to make
strongly drive this forward,” commented a range of 320km. HydroGen4 drive just like a regular car.
AVL CEO, Helmut List. The Austrian Whereas HydroGen3 featured vertically Thermal insulation, water management,
firm has revealed that it was granted 60
stacked cells, the cells of HydroGen4’s stack and a revised operating strategy were put in
invention patents in 2008, making it one of
the most innovative suppliers, and in
are now positioned horizontally to improve place to achieve start and run in subzero
recent times AVL has focused a lot of temperatures – one of the key usability
its research work on the optimization needs for the new model. A further such
of battery technology and other eco- requirement was a short start-up time, so
friendly green powertrain innovations, GM engineers strived to provide full power
such as turbo-hybrid systems and range within 6-8 seconds of turning the key.
extender units. The first of the prototypes are now on the
road in the USA as part of GM’s test program.
AVL headquarters
in Graz, Austria
In Europe, the company has 10 HydroGen4
vehicles in the Clean Energy Partnership
program. Drivers with differing profiles are
testing the HydroGen4’s everyday suitability,
Developed by Quantum, the hydrogen-storage system in and GM engineers are already using the
Equinox is made up of three 700bar high-pressure tanks feedback for the fifth generation model. E&H

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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14
WHAT’S NEW?

INDUSTRY UPDATE
Full charge ahead
Valence Technology has announced it
has supplied over 200,000 Li-ion batteries
to the automotive industry in less than
four years. The news supports market
forecasts that predict that Li-ion
technology will become the main battery
type for electric vehicles in the long term,
surpassing NiMH systems that can be
found in the current Toyota Prius and
Honda Insight models. “The 200,000
battery installations is an important
e6 features a lithium-iron phosphate battery pack and two electric motors, all of which have been developed in-house
milestone that demonstrates that our
large-format batteries, incorporating our

POWER RANGER
safe chemistries, intellectual property and
customized solutions, meet the needs of
a wide range of vehicle makers,” said
Alastair Johnston, Valence Technology’s
UK-based vice president for global sales.

Valence Technology helped to power a bike
in the world’s first zero carbon Grand Prix
Longer battery life
A new high-energy cathode material that
is capable of greatly increasing the life of
Li-ion batteries has been developed.
The breakthrough was a result of an
international collaboration of researchers
led by the US Department of Energy’s
Argonne National Laboratory and South
Korea’s Hanyang University. “The basic
idea behind our novel approach is to
design a particle that has a very high-
energy composition at the bulk and an
outer layer composition that is very stable
against any reactivity with electrolyte,”
explained Khalil Amine, manager of the
advanced battery technology group at
Argonne. “These two design features will
be able to greatly improve the life and
safety of lithium battery materials, and
offer very high-energy characteristics for
possible use on PHEVs.” The innovative
cathode development could help the US
government to realize its goal of one
million PHEVs by 2015.
Battery deal sealed
Johnson Controls-Saft and Azure
Dynamics have announced a new, five-
year supply agreement that will see both
partners provide advanced lithium-ion
hybrid battery technology to power
commercial vehicles in North America.
BYD Auto has taken the covers off an all-electric crossover vehicle
that the Chinese car maker claims has a range of 250 miles
■ There’s no doubt that electric vehicles further develop so the cars will be sold to
were a hot topic at January’s NAIAS in government offices and big corporations for
Detroit, and the Geneva Motor Show in fleet trials in big cities. It’s hard to say exactly
March. But while the Congress-friendly EV what the production numbers will be; a few
concepts from the likes of Chrysler and GM hundreds perhaps.”
were to be expected, a battery-electric vehicle The e6 features regenerative braking and
from China’s BYD Auto was not. the claimed range is an astonishing 250
BYD hit the headlines in 2008 with its miles. Instrumental to that is the enormous
F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan. Now the e6 LFP battery pack slung under the central
represents the company’s vision of an all- tunnel of the crossover, from front to back.
electric future. BYD sales executive King Kaid LFP batteries are said to provide higher
Hu told E&H that the e6 features a lithium- resistance to thermal runaway compared to
iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack and two lithium cobalt oxide batteries and longer
electric motors (one front, one rear for cycle and calendar lives, but the penalty for a
AWD). These and up to 90% of the car’s new battery is lower specific energy, resulting
other components and subsystems are made in a bigger battery for the same capacity. “The
in-house by BYD, which began making battery is relatively big,” Hu concedes. “But
batteries in 1995 and claims to be the world the important thing is that the capacity is still
number one in rechargeable batteries, with huge for a similar size and weight to other
30% of the cell phone Li-ion battery market. technologies. The technology also provides
Under development for more than three good safety – we’ve done testing under all
years, the e6 shown at Cobo Hall was a kinds of conditions – and the cost is lower
pre-production car, according to Hu. “We than other Li-ion technologies, so it’s the
envisage a Chinese market launch in the perfect battery for an EV.” The automotive
second half of 2009,” he said. “The market world now waits with baited breath for the
in China is small because of the high price official launch of the e6 later this year, which
of the car compared to a gasoline vehicle, will be covered in the January 2010
and the limited infrastructure for electric issue of Electric & Hybrid. E&H
vehicles. It’ll take time for the EV market to
JUDGE AND JURY
We weren’t able to drive the e6 but did take a good look over the Detroit
showcar. It’s far from finished, but BYD is to be admired for pushing ahead with the
development of such an advanced vehicle. We have some reservations however, chiefly
the vehicle’s packaging. The battery pack is slung very low; the e6 needs to be a high-
riding crossover just to get sufficient ground clearance. BYD says the car is designed
for urban use, but we’re not convinced the cells would survive too many speed bumps
in Europe. Inside, the e6’s has a reassuringly conventional cabin and while headroom is
good, the rear floor feels much too high for comfort, and trunk space isn’t vast.

JCI has further expanded its battery business

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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16
WHAT’S NEW?
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Tata invests in EV supplier
The UK subsidiary of Tata Motors has
bought a 50.3% holding in Miljø Grenland/
Innovasjon, a Norwegian-based high-tech
company that specializes in developing
solutions and components for electric
vehicles. It’s thought that the investment
will cost the Indian OEM more than
US$1 million. Miljø will help Tata to bring to
market the company’s first electric vehicle,
the Indica EV (scheduled for launch in
Europe in 2009), which Tata Motors
claims offers improved practicality and
acceleration on existing EVs.
An electric-powered Indica will soon be launched
Reva expansion
In an effort to meet increasing global
demand for its electric vehicles, Reva
has announced that it is building a new
assembly plant in Bangalore, India. The
new facility, which will start rolling out
models later this year, will have an annual
production capacity of 30,000 units.
INDIA
Bangalore
Lithium investment
Despite having to make cutbacks in
other business areas, Conti chiefs have
given the green light for the company’s
powertrain division to spend almost US$4
million on upgrading its Nuremberg
production facility, which started series
production of lithium-ion batteries late last
year. Discussing the outlay, Dr Karl-
Thomas Neumann, Conti CEO, said, “This
underlines our claim that by developing
and manufacturing state-of-the-art drive
systems, we can contribute to a great
reduction in fuel consumption.”
Continental has upgraded its Nuremberg facility
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
SCORPION KING
Can India’s second-largest car manufacturer build a high-
quality and environmentally friendly SUV for the US market?
Above and below: Mahindra’s all-new Scorpio SUV is
likely to benefit from Bosch’s stop/start technology
■ Mahindra & Mahindra is betting that US
car buyers aren’t quite ready to abandon the
once-loved SUV market. The Mumbai-based
auto company arrives in the USA later this
year, with two- and four-door versions of its
rugged-looking pickup model. An as-yet-
unnamed version of Mahindra’s Scorpio SUV
is scheduled to arrive stateside in 2010.
As chief executive of Global Vehicles USA
(the Atlanta-based import company tasked
with bringing Mahindra to the US market),
John Perez believes Mahindra has done its
homework in terms of tailoring the vehicles
to US tastes. A fleet of US-spec vehicles are
being put through up to 3.2 million miles of
road tests before the US launch, says Perez,
who adds that it is Mahindra’s attention to
detail – and willingness to listen – that made
him a believer in the brand.
In February 2006, soon after US sales
plans had been given the green light by Dr
Pawan Goenka, president of the automotive
sector at Mahindra & Mahindra, Perez says
he and 14 dealers paid a visit to the
company’s factory in Nasik, India. Located
120 miles northeast of Mumbai, the plant
has an annual capacity of 200,000 units. The
state-of-the-art factory provides employment
to more than 3,700 workers and 1,300
engineers within its 0.5km2 plant site.
“Mahindra gave [the dealers] the opportunity
to critique what they saw,” says Perez, who
admits dealers were stunned at Mahindra’s
openness to criticism. Comments were made
about the cup holders (they were too small
for US super-sized drinks), the seats,
dashboard materials (a higher quality was
requested), and the cargo hooks in the
pickup bed (a change of location was
suggested). Safety features such as
multiple airbags, ABS, and electronic
stability control will also be added
to US-spec models.
Not ones to wait, the Electric &
Hybrid Vehicle Technology team
climbed aboard an Indian-spec
Scorpio during a recent trip to Mumbai. The
bluff-faced and slab-sided Scorpio isn’t as
huge as it appears in photos. At 4,495mm
long, it is roughly the same size as a Land
Rover LR-2 or Honda CR-V. However, the
Scorpio’s 1,975mm height makes it more
than 250mm taller than either.
A key part of Mahindra’s sales strategy rests
upon its new 120bhp 2.2-liter turbocharged
and intercooled ‘mHawk’ diesel engine. In
the USA, this motor will be fitted to a six-
speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy
should average 30mpg. Mahindra has also
introduced a diesel-powered micro-hybrid.
Developed in cooperation with Bosch,
Mahindra’s Stop/Start hybrid turns the engine
off when the vehicle is idling or in neutral,
and the engine restarts once the clutch is
pressed. For now, the micro-hybrid is offered
only on selected models of the company’s
Bolero. Mahindra claims the system provides
a 5-10% fuel economy improvement.
Dr Arun Jaura, Mahindra’s outgoing CTO,
confirmed that the micro-hybrid will soon
appear in Indian-market versions of the
Scorpio and new Xylo crossover. “As a diesel-
centric company, it was natural for us to get
into diesel hybrids,” he explains. “But
ultimately, technology itself will not have a
lot of traction. Technology that is affordable
and seamless is what is needed.”
Jaura believes that developing a hybrid
culture in India remains top priority. “Our
primary goal is to get hybrids into the Indian
marketplace [so that we can] educate and
build hybrid awareness with the public.”
After proving the technology at home,
Mahindra will then consider marketing it
outside of India. E&H
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18
WHAT’S NEW?
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Strategic alliance to
power tomorrow’s vehicles
Engineers at Li-Tec are working to further develop
advanced lithium-ion cells that will power EVs
Li-Tec Battery, a JV between Evonik
Industries and Daimler, has become a
leading European supplier of large size
Li-ion cells for stationary and mobile
applications. The aim of the strategic
alliance is to drive forward research,
development and production of battery
cells and battery systems. Based in
Kamenz, Germany, Li-Tec uses crucial
battery components made by Evonik to
produce highly efficient lithium-ion cells
that will help the electric mobility segment
gain momentum. Due to their technical
concept featuring the ceramic separator
Separion, today’s Li-Tec cells are one of
the most suitable for electric vehicles. The
flat cell, which leads the field, boasts a
high energy density combined with
compact dimensions and outstanding
safety levels.
GM execs sign energy study
GM Europe and global energy provider
Iberdrola are to begin a feasibility study
into the recharging infrastructure for plug-
in electric vehicles. The agreement, which
was signed in Madrid, will focus on the
viability of plug-in electric vehicles.
GM is aiming to develop a charging infrastructure
Hybrid bus partner
Roush Technologies has begun to provide
support to the UK’s Wrightbus on a hybrid
drive performance and optimization
project. The project involves optimizing
series hybrid drive systems through a
detailed analysis of generator-load
patterns, and is part of the company’s
rapidly expanding activity in hybrid
projects.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Right: Opal-RT’s TestDrive enables
engineers designing hybrid vehicles
and power electronic motor drives to
speed up their development process
VIRTUAL WORLD
Based on Opal-RT’s flagship simulation technology, TestDrive is
helping to improve ECU quality throughout the production phase
■ Prior to making use of a motor controller
with a real motor drive, it is now a common
engineering practice to test the controller
against a motor model being simulated in
real time. This has several advantages, as the
simulated motor drive can be tested with
borderline conditions that would damage
a real motor, which often is a costly
prototype. The motor may also be under
development in parallel to the controller and
therefore not available for testing.
During testing, a controller is interfaced
with the real-time simulated motor drive
through a set of proper I/Os, an approach
widely used by engineers known as
hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Such motor
drive simulation is required by hybrid vehicle
OEMs and other power electronic motor
drive makers to speed up development and
testing time by using real-time simulation
before conducting tests on physical
prototypes. At the production stage, HIL
simulation can also be used to verify code
integrity with automated correlation tests.
To facilitate such testing, a growing
number of OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers have
turned to the TestDrive simulation platform
from Opal-RT Technologies. Based on Opal-
RT’s simulation technology, RT-LAB, TestDrive
is a powerful system for improving ECU
quality throughout the entire production
process through the use of real-time open- or
closed-loop simulation. TestDrive’s modular
design enables test and control engineers to
conduct the design process in a complete
virtual environment by replicating all the
loading and sensory feedback of an actual
hybrid vehicle under realistic conditions.
According to Nadeem Ahmad, manager for
HIL and test automation at IAV Automotive
Engineering, “Opal-RT’s RT-LAB toolset
facilitates ECU development and validation
for customers requiring high-performance
real-time simulation.” Opal-RT has expanded
the capabilities of TestDrive by integrating
reconfigurable FPGA boards based on
Spartan-3 FPGA technology from Xilinx with
the same modular, plug and play functionality
of Opal-RT’s OP5000 family of I/O boards.
The Spartan-3 family of field-programmable
gate arrays is specifically designed to meet
the needs of high-volume, cost-sensitive
electronic applications. The Spartan-3 family
builds on the success of Xilinx’s earlier
Spartan-IIE technology, used in previous
versions of TestDrive, by exponentially
increasing the amount of available logic
resources and the capacity of internal RAM.
Through the use of Spartan-3 FPGAs,
TestDrive can provide support for up to 298
user-defined digital I/Os. Furthermore, in
addition to TestDrive’s existing support of
the SignalWire communications link, with
throughput of 625Mbps, the use of Spartan-
3 FPGA provides support for PCIe serial
communications operating at 2.5Gbps.
The integration of Spartan-3 with
TestDrive also enables users to develop more
powerful applications using Xilinx XSG
libraries connected to MATLAB/Simulink
models. Real-time performance is improved
since the Spartan-3 FPGA can conduct faster
local data manipulation in place of the user’s
primary PC-based simulation application.
TestDrive provides a combination of
onboard signal conditioning for direct
interfacing with ECUs and peripherals at the
highest performance levels. Hybrid programs
can benefit by incorporating on-chip models
of finite element motors, resolvers or other
parts requiring ultra-small step sizes. These
FPGA models can run in parallel with a rest-
of-vehicle simulation running on Opal-RT’s
eDRIVEsim Real-Time Simulator. E&H
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20
WHAT’S NEW?

DESIGN FOR LIFE

Could the Karma from Fisker Automotive become the most
important EV development yet? E&H takes a closer look at the
technologies attracting the rich and famous who want to be green 1

1 Powetrain configuration: Dual rear

2
motors, rear-wheel drive with a mid-
mounted battery pack and front/mid-
mounted internal combustion engine
3
2 Range: In sport mode, Karma’s is
good for more than 300 miles (483km)

3 Sun seeker: Karma has the world’s

largest continuous formed glass solar
panel roof. When the car is switched
on, the electrical system will make
use of all available solar power

4 Suspension: A fully independent 4

short/long arm architecture

5 Engine: A turbocharged 2-liter DI

Ecotec GM unit, developing 265bhp.
The electric drive motors contribute a
further 403bhp and 1,300Nm of torque

6 Performance: Karma gets to 100km/h

from standstill in 5.8 seconds. When 5
in sport mode, the green sedan has
a top speed of 200km/h (125mph)

7 Chassis: Four-door, four-passenger

sedan with a lightweight extruded
aluminum spaceframe. Karma
also has composite body frames

Length: 4,987mm
Width: 1,984mm
Height: 1,330mm
Wheelbase: 3,160mm 6

“More than 60% of the USA’s 200

million drivers travel less than
50 miles per day. With Q-Drive 7

technology, the Karma can do that

range without using a drop of gas”
ALAN NIEDZWIECKI, CEO, QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES

Go to page 56 to find out more about the future plans of Fisker Automotive

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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 22
OPINION
DAVIS
MATTDAVIS
MATT
■ ‘Downsize’ remains a leading battle cry, but it’s a
reflection of the times that the number one recurring
word in corporate speak today is ‘cut’. Once the
product plans (not to mention entire divisions) have
been axed, lift up that surface layer, and you see that
the real cuts are being made to engine programs and
R&D budgets. Although I stand by my thinking that
out of such difficulties come the real genius
innovations, things are not pretty out there right now.
One could easily say that forced downsizing (not the
voluntary move, as it was until about 12 months ago)
is a brilliant consequence of the recession. I love this,
too, and the VW 1.4-liter Twincharger may just be my
personal Jesus. I haven’t met a single engine expert
who can wholeheartedly deny that he or she will miss
big motors once there isn’t a vehicle left in any
driveway carrying anything larger than a 3.5-liter V6.
This sapping of old-school testosterone leads me to
predict brisk business in the future for performance
exhaust systems and fiber-optic acoustic enhancers.
Tied in with recent cuts, not only is Chrysler forced
to accelerate its exit from the Hemi strategy, but GM
has put a lid on the inspiring 4.5-liter V8 diesel sans
traditional intake and exhaust manifolds. This latter
tough call hurts the most, if I have to choose, because
it’s based purely on a desperate need to cut anything
that isn’t turning a profit right at this instant.
The fact that, in GM’s case, it’s all being done with
a government gun to the head makes me fret all the
more about long-term consequences. In the meantime,
GM’s rival Ford is coming off as the smart guy for
committing early and often to the EcoBoost strategy
(which, for the USA, is rebranding of long-existing
European small-displacement turbocharged direct-
injection technology).
Matt Davis is one of the world’s leading motoring journalists. Davis
not only writes for several automotive titles, but he also sits on
the judging panel of the International Engine of the Year Awards
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
It is slowly dawning, even on the US
customer, that the old swaggering
belief of ‘there’s no substitute for
more large-capacity horsepower’ is
losing its good-ol’-boy glow
It is slowly dawning, even on the US customer, that
the old swaggering belief of ‘there’s no substitute for
more large-capacity horsepower’ is losing its good-ol’-
boy glow. The pockets of cultural resistance to this
unstoppable trend are massive, but there’s no turning
back to the V8 as ‘the heartbeat of America’.
Why US auto makers can basically only cut, cut, and
cut again is that they haven’t had a homegrown small-
engine strategy or small-car strategy since the early
1970s oil crisis. All the rest of the world – and even
Holden-loving Australia – has long ago embraced small
motors as an outstanding solution to minimizing the
sense of feeling beholden to oil imports.
This is the current chief frustration about the USA:
the market, mind-set, and corporate thinking are
arcane by any standard whatsoever. All new ideas in
the region are actually reactionary copycat thoughts.
No longer can the continent lead by any example in
automotive circles. And now they’re cutting so much
that soon I won’t refrain from overuse of the nose-to-
spite-the-face metaphor.
Something problematic is happening, too, with
long-approved product and engineering that has the
misfortune of launching today. I refer particularly to
the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 in the new Chevy Camaro SS. A
year ago we were all falling over ourselves at this
perceived savior of the brand – come to think of it,
much in the vein of the Pontiac Solstice that went
flaccid, too – but now the whole Camaro franchise is
probably destined to be snuffed out really soon in its
second life.
These old-tech engines (don’t argue with me over
this – they are old tech) will be gone for good by
2013, if not sooner. I love them dearly, but they must
go away forever and as quickly as possible. It’s not my
preference but a necessity, and the USA needs to get
100% more serious about it. Cut away, gentle folk,
but invest big in perfecting anything with up to six
cylinders. E&H
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24
OPINION
OFFER
GREGOFFER
GREG
■ Electric vehicles will save the world – or at least
that is the message many are keen to convey. But is it
true? And why do so many well-informed engineers
seem to think that EVs are the savior?
Perhaps it is because electricity can be generated
from numerous sources and therefore breaks the
stranglehold that the oil industry has on the transport
world – a future that can’t come soon enough for me.
Electricity is also cheap, and EVs are very efficient.
Even when electricity is produced from fossil fuels, the
energy cost per kilometer is at least half that when
compared to a combustion engine. But the biggest
feather in the EV cap versus other alternative engine
technologies is that the refueling infrastructure already
exists, with power sockets in every building. So it
would seem EVs are a win-win solution for all
concerned – except, of course, the oil companies.
But there has to be a but, and there is a major ‘but’
to discuss: battery technology. The biggest challenge is
low energy density, which means that for a reasonable
range, batteries are large, heavy and expensive. This is
a fundamental problem because energy conversion and
energy storage are coupled in a single device, which
means if you want to double the range, you also end
up doubling the power, weight and cost – a ‘no-no’ in
today’s economic climate.
So, what would be my ultimate vehicle to achieve
sustainable transportation? I’d build an electric
powertrain with modest batteries, and perhaps throw
in a few supercapacitors to handle high-powered
acceleration and braking. It’s key to keep it all simple
and make no more than four common platforms in a
Gregory Offer is a fuel cell scientist and engineer at Imperial College
London. With a PhD in electrochemistry, Offer was a parliamentary
advisor before joining Imperial College.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
The biggest feather in the EV cap
versus other alternative engine
technologies is that the refueling
infrastructure already exists,
with power sockets everywhere
number of different sizes for small, medium and large
vehicles so that an OEM can play with energy sources
and design, thus allowing for flexibility in vehicle types
with complete interchangeability. For city cars, I would
boost the batteries to give a reasonable range of up to
60 miles. For those who might be put off because of
battery range limitations, I’d develop a range-extender
system that’s similar to GM’s E-Rev technology.
A great example of this is the PML Mini QED, which
has batteries and supercapacitors giving it a range of
up to 250 miles and four 120kW electric motors, and
then a small petrol generator giving a range of 932
miles with fuel economy of 80mpg.
Once the costs of range extender technologies, such
as fuel cells, have decreased to a profitable level, these
can be easily inserted into existing vehicle platforms
with minimal integration problems. Mercedes seems to
have realized the benefits of such an approach, and is
producing an electric version of A- and B-Class models.
The MB BlueZero has a 120-mile range (a two-hour
charge gives 60 miles) with a 100kW electric motor
giving 320Nm of torque. MB says it will launch this
model within 18 months with a three-cylinder petrol
engine to give a range of 370 miles. Very impressive.
My personal favorite is the Ford Edge, which uses a
HySeries Drive powertrain with a fuel cell generator
and Li-ion batteries. The only downside is it is
modeled on a gas guzzler, so is heavy and delivers
41mpg, but with zero emissions and 80mpg in electric
mode that can last up to 50 miles a day, the technology
is more than impressive.
For those that are still keeping their electric and fuel
cell programs separate, my advice is to combine the
two. I would regard as foolish any attempt to deliver a
zero emissions vehicle that is capable of delivering all
our capricious consumers’ demands with a single
technology. You have all been warned. E&H
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26
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Last chance
saloon?
Most agree that diesel hybrid powertrains are the optimum solution
for car makers obsessed with fuel economy and emissions.
But will the technology ever become production-ready?
Words: Dean Slavnich

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 27
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Late last year, the Citroën Hypnos was unveiled. The concept
features a diesel hybrid engine, called HYmotion4, which
the French car maker will be using in 2011 production cars

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

28
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?
■ The automotive industry is
inching ever closer to launching
its first mass-production diesel
hybrid application, having
flirted with the idea for over a
decade. Or is it? Despite the
obvious benefits, there are
many who now believe that
the technology has missed its
chance. Plug-in hybrids, range-
extender systems, and full
electric vehicles are all the rage
now around the world.
Honda is a good example.
The car maker has invested
“Only Europe is focused on diesel for passenger cars. The
great resources into refining its
gasoline hybrid technology to
the point where the company
has now launched the Insight,
an affordable hybrid product. A
company statement declares:
‘The increasing margin between
the cost of diesel and petrol at
the pumps means that the cost
benefits associated with small
diesels are ever decreasing. The
beauty of gas hybrid technology
is that it delivers low CO2 and
low NOx while being easy-to-
use, versatile and efficient.’
Toyota, the world’s richest car
maker, is also backing the
gasoline hybrid horse for the
passenger car sector. The
company boasts a raft of such
hybrids across the Toyota and
Lexus ranges, and Gerald
Killman, director of powertrain
for Toyota Motor Europe, says,
“The key issue for diesel engine
vehicles is exhaust emissions,
and Toyota’s high-performance
DPNR catalytic converter system
can be used to achieve cleaner
emissions. In contrast, gasoline-
engine hybrid vehicles feature
higher fuel efficiency and even
lower emissions, and they also
have an enhanced appeal
because of their ability to drive
on purely electric mode for
some distance in densely
populated areas. We believe
the gasoline-engine hybrid will
be a key technology for the
21st century.”
So it would seem that Japan’s
two largest car makers have
turned their backs on diesel
hybrid passenger car vehicles
for the time being. Despite
selling a diesel hybrid truck, the
Dyna, in Japan, Killman says

USA and Japan are almost completely petrol orientated and

there are four reasons why the
world’s largest car producer

this limits the potential number of sales of a diesel hybrid”

does not currently offer diesel
hybrid passenger cars: “The first
GERALD KILLMAN, DIRECTOR OF POWERTRAIN FOR TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE issue is technical. Vibrations on

Toyota at present has no plans to develop a diesel

hybrid passenger car. The new Prius, for example, goes
on sale later this year with a new 1.8-liter powertrain

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 29
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Honda is focusing all efforts on creating eco-friendly powertrain technologies.

The Japanese OEM recently scaled-down its IMA unit in size and cost to create
an affordable hybrid model. There’s no mention of a diesel hybrid powertrain

a diesel engine are much
stronger during starting and
stopping of the engine than for
a petrol engine. This would
make the change from electric
vehicle drive to engine drive
less comfortable, and therefore
we see stronger diesel hybrid
application potential for
commercial vehicles.”
The second factor for Toyota
is based on the environment,
as Killman explains: “Diesel
engines still cannot achieve the
same emissions levels as petrol
engines, and even with our
D-Cat system, where NOx
emissions are drastically
reduced, NOx is still higher
than with petrol engines.”
Killman says another reason
for Toyota not offering a diesel
hybrid car is to do with cost: “A
diesel engine is far more
expensive than a petrol engine.
A simple hybrid system is a
more expensive transmission
than a normal automatic
transmission or manual
transmission, so adding two
expensive units – diesel and
hybrid – would make it difficult
for the customer to recoup the
higher cost of the car in overall
fuel savings.”
And the final hurdle for
Toyota is simply based on
markets: “At the moment, only
Europe is strongly focused on
diesel technology for passenger
cars,” says Killman. “Other big
markets, like the USA and
Japan, are almost completely
petrol orientated, and this limits
the potential number of sales of
a diesel hybrid.”
Killman’s four-point attack
makes for a compelling case
against diesel hybrids. But four
years ago, PSA Peugeot Citroën
boldly announced that it
planned to launch such a
passenger car by 2010, and that
it would cost just US$2,500
more than a standard diesel
Peugeot/Citroën model.
“Diesel hybridization is the
only short-term available
solution capable of bringing a
considerable breakthrough in
terms of consumption and CO2
emissions in the European
market,” believes Robert
Peugeot, PSA vice president.
Peugeot completely disagrees
with statements from Honda
and Toyota. In a recent research
project, Peugeot, along with
partners Ricardo and QinetiQ,
developed a diesel-hybrid
system powering a Citroën
Berlingo that achieved 76mpg
on combined mode and a tank-
to-wheel CO2 emissions rating
of 99g/km. The car featured a
1.6-liter HDi diesel engine, a
permanent magnet synchronous
motor, a Li-ion electric motor
with inverter, and a 228V DC/
DC converter. The results of
project Efficient-C were
impressive, and in a parting shot
to those that are pushing
forward with gasoline hybrid
technology, Peugeot adds, “It
must be said clearly that the
petrol hybrids available today
reach homologated consumption
fairly close to that of an
equivalent vehicle fitted with a
modern diesel common-rail
engine, which actually leads to

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

30
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Tech spec: Peugeot Prologue

Diesel engine: 2-liter HDi FAP, 161bhp
Electric motor: synchronous with permanent
magnets, maximum power 27kW (36bhp)
Transmission: electronically controlled
six-speed manual
Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 8.8 sec
Maximum speed: 130mph
Prologue HYmotion4 is the clearest
Urban cycle fuel consumption: 4.7 liters/100km indicator yet of how Peugeot’s
CO2: 109g/km diesel hybrid technology will
Battery: 200V Nickel Metal Hydride, capacity 5.5Ah look when it is released in 2010

a very narrow advantage in CO2
emissions at a significant cost.”
But therein lies the problem.
Bringing down cost is a hurdle
that PSA is finding very difficult
to overcome. The car maker has
pushed back its goal to launch a
diesel hybrid car by at least one
year on the original 2010
timeframe, despite unveiling the
Peugeot Prologue and Citroën
Hypnos concept cars at last
year’s Paris Motor Show.
At the turn of this year, PSA
joined forces with Bosch in an
effort to push forward the diesel
hybrid project. The German
supplier will provide PSA with
the rear electric motor, front-
mounted high-voltage alternator
and power electronics.
But it’s not just PSA and
Bosch that are championing the
diesel hybrid cause. UK-based
consultancy, Ricardo, has
experience in this area dating
back to 1999, when it undertook
a project with Valeo to develop a
mild-diesel hybrid. Following
his involvement in project
Efficient-C with PSA, David
Greenwood, chief engineer for
technology at Ricardo, is well
qualified to comment on diesel
hybrids: “If you look at the
proposed CO2 legislation for
2012 or 2015, there will be a
price to pay for overall CO2
reduction,” he says. “Clearly, as
commercial organizations,
automotive manufacturers will
want the most cost-effective
routes to making that CO2
reduction, and the quickest
“I don’t think the ways of them achieving this is
actually around less headline-
need for diesel grabbing processes, thus doing
small things that added together
hybrid powertrains make a real difference.
“I don’t think the need for
has gone away” diesel hybrids has gone away,
but, because of the cost
DAVID GREENWOOD, RICARDO involved in securing the benefits
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER of diesel hybrids, it’s not one of

COUNTING THE COST expensive in terms of generating a hybrid powertrain module,

With cost being identified as the main obstacle, there are some
systems available to help diesel hybrid powertrain developers
keep on top of budgets. One such technology is Flowmaster’s
V7.6 simulation software, which was launched in October last
year and delivers new tools in HVAC and thermal management
solutions. Morgan Jenkins, product and marketing director at
Flowmaster, explains, “A greater use of simulation technologies
can reduce the costs of development, and obviously companies
that have a greater use of simulation technologies are in a much
better position.
“Flowmaster can add value in the diesel hybrid area for the
same reasons we add value to gasoline hybrid development
projects,” continues Jenkins. “Obviously diesel is more
but some of the challenges of gasoline hybrids are also present
in diesel hybrids, such as cooling systems that have to be
designed for two modes of operation.
“If a company does more work earlier on in the development
cycle, you increase the amount of information that’s available for
the design and development teams, and that therefore enables
more informed decisions to be made as to what route you might
take,” he adds.
“This therefore allows engineers to solve those specific
problems earlier and, as a result, the engineers can be more
focused. Simulation technologies such as ours provide a mecha-
nism to generate the type of information that will allow people to
make informed decisions.”

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 31
DIESEL HYBRIDS: BEGINNING OF THE END?

Diesel hybrids have found a niche

in city bus applications in the USA
STATE CONTROL
Although the concept of diesel hybrids in the passenger car
sector is struggling, the technology might just have found itself
a niche in the US commercial vehicle industry, and specifically
utility applications such as city buses and garbage trucks.
City buses powered by diesel hybrid systems have been
running in cities such as Chicago since 2003, and today there are
5,000 such vehicles in operation across the country. Although the
numbers might not seem huge, the bus sector is taking the lead in
using diesel hybrid technology, as Roe East, hybrid business
manager at Cummins, explains: “One of the big drivers in North
America is that the US government subsidizes these products by
80%, so the end buyer only pays around 20% of the total cost.”
This setup, says East, allows there to be a good economic
equation for bus operators who would not be able to afford the
technology without the government subsidy. But although
hybridizing a Cummins diesel engine for a city bus application will
improve the fuel consumption by up to 30%, the added cost to
develop such a system could be as much as US$70,000.
“It’s still an evolving and emerging technology, and the cost
remains too high in many cases for the end user to really see a
good return on investment,” says East. “Even with fuel savings,
customers won’t receive a really good investment because the
cost is so high, which is why the government subsidies are so
important.”

the first things an OEM will
introduce.”
So regardless of which side of
the diesel hybrid fence one sits,
the underlying issue is always
the same: cost. Up to 66% of
the total outlay in hybridizing a
powertrain is spent on the
battery, with the remaining
expense going on components
such as the motor and power
electronics, says Greenwood.
“If we’re looking to see diesel
hybrids achieve penetration in
Europe, the real key will be
getting acceptable battery costs,”
emphasizes the Ricardo
engineer. “Most of the hybrid
vehicles you see in production
today are powered by nickel-
metal hydride (Ni-MH)
batteries, and that’s really
because of their power density,
energy density cost and
durability. Essentially, Ni-MH is
well understood, is relatively
mature as a technology, and
although it is not cheap –
typically you’ll pay around
US$800/kWh of battery energy
– it is reliable and also robust.
“The successor to Ni-MH is
lithium-ion, and we’re tracking
something like 43 different
Li-ion chemistries at the
moment. It is this family of
chemistries that will drive the
next-generation of batteries that
will give better power and
overall energy levels.”
But the real problem is that
lithium-ion is far more
expensive than the Ni-MH
technology: “If you wanted to
put a production hybrid on the
road in niche volumes, you’ll
typically be paying US$2,000/
kWh of Li-ion battery capacity,”
Greenwood continues.
“Now, the advantage of the
Li-ion battery is that it has the
opportunity to see costs reduced
as production volumes increase.
So, we do see the potential
for that to come down to
US$1,000/kWh for mass-
production vehicles. We expect
a crossover point between 2010
and 2011 where the cost of the
battery pack is about the same
whether you go for Li-ion or
Ni-MH, and that could be
the trigger for diesel hybrids.”
Yet despite the financial
downturn in the global
automotive industry, and having
been developed over a decade
ago, Greenwood does not think
that diesel hybrids are a
technology that history will
show as an almost-ran: “I really
do feel that diesel hybrid
technology has not missed the
boat. I’d just say that the boat
has left a little later than people
expected.” E&H

The Efficient-C project highlighted the benefits of a diesel hybrid engine: the Berlingo VW engineers placed the NiMH battery in the trunk of a diesel hybrid concept Golf.
demonstrator vehicle emits 99g/km of CO2 and is good for 76mpg on combined mode Weighing 45kg, the battery pack supplies the E-machine with 202V of energy

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

32
GREEN POWERTRAIN DEVELOPMENT

ffairs
rent a
r
g
eratin

u acce l
r
gy is close

C dol o ev er
d metho future
an th e
ology , bringing
Words: Keith Read
ch n
in test te and FCVs
tra s,
st power EVs, HEV
ate nt of
The l pme
evelo
the d

The in-house designed fuel cell test

facilities at Ballard’s headquarters
in Canada are a hotbed of activity

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 33
GREEN POWERTRAIN DEVELOPMENT

■ There are blast-proof

rooms and some of the latest
AeroVironment (AV) test
equipment at Ricardo’s gleaming
new multimillion-dollar,
state-of-the-art, battery-systems
development center on the
company’s Detroit technology
campus. In EV testing, modules
carry voltages far above the
60V that is traditionally
regarded as safe.
“We’re talking about the
potentially lethal voltages up to
750V – quite a departure from
the normal automotive 12, 24
or even 42V,” says Ricardo’s
Murray Edington, chief engineer
for control and electronics,
based at the company’s high-
tech science park facilities in
Cambridge, UK.
“Access [to test areas] is
restricted by swipe cards and
locks to all but those who have
been suitably trained and
assessed.” In addition to the
safety guards, training provides
a key level of protection,
isolating staff from tests.
In Detroit, DC test systems
have the flexibility to implement
virtually any test. A full power
range (±5kW to ±250kW) of
bidirectional DC equipment
means its EV test systems can
now handle virtually any DC
supply or load requirement,
from lead acid and the latest Li-
ion batteries, to fuel cells with
integrated power electronics.
A lot of virtual design takes
place before EVs are tested.
The AV systems are capable
of emulating any drivetrain
component, which enables the
accurate and realistic testing of
individual parts or partial
drivetrains, allowing hardware-
in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
“We make extensive use of
HIL systems to simulate a
complete vehicle – including the
driver,” says Edington. “We can
plug our modules in at a very
early stage and subject them to
almost real vehicle conditions.
It’s similar to what we’d do for
an engine management system
for an IC car, although there
are lots of extra functions within
an electric vehicle module.”
Ricardo also undertakes
considerable battery lifecycle

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

34
GREEN POWERTRAIN DEVELOPMENT
testing. “The battery is the most
critical part in any electric
vehicle,” says Edington. “You
can validate the expected
lifetime of a battery by doing an
accelerated test, coming up with
a simulated cycle, and repeating
it endlessly. Over the course of
six to eight months you can
effectively cycle a battery over
its equivalent life, which would
be a 10-15 years timespan or
100,000 miles.
“We also do lifecycle testing
of the parts of hybrid drives that
stop and start and come under
varying degrees of thermal
stress,” he explains. “We run BMW’s fuel cell systems undergo extensive testing using the very latest equipment
the modules under various

“The battery is the

voltages, torques, speeds, and but you’ll never get rid of the
temperatures on a semi-random physical testing.”

most critical part in

basis. We’ll run those for 1,000 His view is shared by Dr
or 1,500 hours, and have cold François Girard, manager of

any electric vehicle”

and hot chambers where we testing at the Canadian Research
can run as low as -40°C up to Council’s Fuel Cell Innovation
+125°C. Components are cycled Institute, a US$20 million
up and down, putting major facility where a range of hybrid
stresses on them. This gives us vehicles, fuel cells, and even
a good idea as to whether they unmanned aircraft have been
will last on the vehicle.” thoroughly tested in its
And how does Edington see impressive and large hydrogen
the future of EV testing? “It will environmental chamber (HEC).
continue to develop, especially “The HEC is unique in North
when volumes of production America,” he explains. “We can
vehicles increase,” he says. control temperatures from –
“Virtual testing will increase, 60°C to +120°C, with the heat-

THE LOTUS POSITION

For two decades Lotus
has worked on EVs and
HEVs. Last year it created
a group that looks solely
at the two technologies,
and is currently working
on five hybrid and three
electric projects, as well
as the Tesla sports car.
Richard Hill, Lotus
chief engineer
Richard Hill, chief engineer for
vehicle development, says
there’s not such a chasm between testing
EVs and conventional IC vehicles.“The design
verification plan is still largely the same in that
it has to be validated to its full operational
envelope wherever it is being operated. There
are some differences that require a slightly
different approach. EVs have a lot of electrons
flying around, and wading tests, for instance,
become interesting. We drag an EV through a
wading trough to ensure there are no major
leaks that could compromise electrical safety
before it is driven through.
“In hot and cold testing we have to be
mindful of the degradation of materials,” he
continues. “In an IC vehicle this would simply
mean that it stops working. But in an EV it
could lead to an electrical short. Humidity
testing is another potential problem area.
Where IC vehicles and their systems usually
cope, we have to be cautious about humidity
getting into components in EVs and possibly
causing a dangerous short circuit.”
EV testing has, he says, come a long way.
Much has been learned in recent years and
rarely – if ever – is a problem encountered
that hasn’t been seen in the past and
mitigated. “We don’t see the mishaps that
we might have seen in the early days, but we
still have to take sensible precautions.
However, just because it’s an EV doesn’t
mean that we don’t push it to the extreme.
We test up to the edges of their operational
envelope, and beyond. That means taking
cars to territories such as Death Valley in the
USA. But we have to do it differently to the
way we’d do it for an IC car. For instance,
we have to tune the test cycles to make sure
the car won’t suddenly run out of volts,
stranding the crew in that heat.
“We have to consider the electrical load we
put on to the vehicle with all the instrumenta-
tion. In an IC vehicle it’s not a problem. But in
an EV, electrical load substantially reduces the
range.” Running a separate power supply for Using a Ford Escape as a demonstrator
the instrumentation overcomes the problem, vehicle, engineers at World Energy
says Hill, who tends to modify EV durability Solutions have developed a ‘tri-brid’
test cycles to reflect their typical usage. High- powertrain that features an innovative
speed testing is reduced, while city-cycle hybrid hydrogen-oxygen system
testing is increased.

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 35
GREEN POWERTRAIN DEVELOPMENT

LIKE HYBRIDS? TRY A TRI-BRID

World Energy Solutions claims to have successfully developed
and tested a ‘tri-brid’ vehicle at its R&D lab in Florida. The
company says that the tri-brid concept applies its HHO (hybrid
hydrogen-oxygen) system to a hybrid engine to produce
greater fuel efficiency and emissions reduction.
Conversion to the HHO System (the development tri-brid
is a Ford Hybrid Escape SUV) enables the prime fuel to be
replaced with hydrogen and oxygen molecules.
Ben Croxton, World Energy’s CEO, says, “The concept
works extremely well. We increased the mpg of the prime fuel,
and are now embarking on a sophisticated testing program to
find the best combination of gasoline and gases to provide the
optimum increase of mpg while maintaining the engine’s
torque and horsepower.”
World Energy has developed an electronic means of
regulating the hydrogen and oxygen gases in a way that
permits the Escape’s computer control system to remain
intact while creating greater efficiency in the Atkinson Cycle
IC engine.
In separate testing, the company’s engineers tested a
Honda vehicle, which showed that hydrocarbon emissions
were reduced by more than 99% and carbon monoxide
emissions by 92%. Particulate emissions were almost all
eliminated. These greatly reduced emissions are all well within
federal regulations for emissions reduction, and the increase in
mpg is compatible with proposed legislation.

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology


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rejection capacity up to 100kW.
The chamber operates in a
dynamic mode, with the air
coming in at the correct
temperature, meaning a uniform
temperature across the chamber.
This is different to typical cold
chambers.
“Low temperature is a
problem for fuel cells, although
the industry has made some
important advances, and in
recent tests we found that the
fuel cell behaved pretty well,
while all the ancillary systems
around it had issues with colder
temperatures!
“The HEC can simulate
altitudes of up to 3,000m, and
humidity, depending upon
temperature, from 5% to 95%,”
he continues. “A new feature
is a vibration table, able to take
a 1,360kg load, so we can
simulate earthquakes and road
vibration. The chamber also has
a two-wheel-drive dyno.”
With hydrogen for fuel cells,
safety in the test chamber is
critical. “Hydrogen has a lot in
common with natural gas,” says
Girard. “Our facility is equipped
with hydrogen sensors and
flame detectors because you
cannot see the hydrogen flame
itself. There is an automatic
shutdown should any gas or
flame be detected.
“But the concerns for
hydrogen are very overrated,”
he says. “Yes, it’s reactive – but
then any fuel is reactive,
otherwise it wouldn’t be a fuel.
And because of hydrogen’s
ability to dissipate in the
atmosphere, I would say it’s less
dangerous than gasoline in
terms of combustion or even
the explosion.”
Ballard, one of the best-
known names in fuel cell
General Motor’s high-tech Fuel Cell Development Center in Honeoye Fall, New York State
37
Green powertrain development
The alliance of science
Leading US battery and advanced materials
companies, with support from one of the
country’s largest national labs, have formed
the National Alliance for Advanced
Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture
(the ‘Alliance’), to manufacture lithium-ion
battery cells for transportation applications in
the USA. Today, the USA depends upon foreign
suppliers – mostly in Asia – for such cells.
Founding Alliance members include 3M,
ActaCell, Altair, Dontech Global, EaglePicher,
EnerSys, Envia Systems, FMC, MicroSun,
Mobius Power, SiLyte, Superior Graphite and
Townsend Advanced Energy, with more
expected to join. The US Department of
Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, a An Alliance engineer carefully inspects a lithium-ion cell
national research laboratory and leading because lacking current orders for advanced
developer of battery technologies, has been transportation batteries, no US-based battery
active in encouraging the Alliance and will companies can assume the risk of making
continue to serve in an advisory role as it such an investment.
begins operations. “A fragmented battery industry will not long
The Alliance seeks to develop one or more survive in the face of determined Asian
manufacturing and prototype development competition,” says Ralph Brodd, a consultant
centers in the USA, which will be shared by to battery manufacturers. “Other countries are
members. Developing the capability to mass- investing heavily in the manufacture of lithium-
manufacture advanced battery cells is ion cells. Those countries understand that
anticipated to require investment of US$1-2 whoever makes the batteries will one day
billion over five years. Most of that investment make the cars.”
is expected to come from the government,
technology, took the decision protocols, especially for
many years ago to design, “The concerns for accelerated lifecycle testing,”
develop, and build its own test says Pozzi. “For example,
equipment. The main reasons hydrogen are very certain tests run over 2,000
were to gain flexibility, to save hours can show what is likely
costs, and to avoid giving away overrated. Yes, it’s to happen to the fuel cell in
clues as to how it develops its 40,000 to 50,000 hours of life.
products, therefore protecting reactive – but then Faster testing will help to reduce
its associated intellectual product costs.”
property rights. As a result, any fuel is reactive” Pozzi says that engineers have
Ballard boasts the most up-to- to be aware of the potential
date and sophisticated fuel cell hazards when testing fuel cell
test equipment in the world, vehicles (FCVs): “The size of the
according to Silvano Pozzi, hydrogen molecule is so small
director of Ballard’s test and that all the connections and
reliability department. leaks have to be treated in
“We have also invested totally different ways. The
heavily in designing our own reality of having a high-pressure
A gasoline processor is being prepared for rapid testing at GM’s Rochester facility
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
38
GREEN POWERTRAIN DEVELOPMENT
FERROUS ADVANCES
Chinese auto maker BYD has revealed a
potentially game-changing technology that it
claims will enable battery-electric cars to have
a range of 250 miles (see page 14).
This ferrous battery technology is similar to
Li-ion technology, but allows more heavy-duty
use. The batteries can be recharged to 50%
capacity in just 10 minutes.
The ferrous design can be recycled more
easily than other battery types. It is also very
durable – BYD estimates the battery packs are
good for up to 2,000 charge cycles, or
potentially 10 years of use.
BYD has developed a concept electric five-
seater MPV, the E6 (pictured), which is
powered by these batteries. BYD is also using
the technology in its two plug-in hybrid
models, the F3DM and F6DM. The F3DM went
on sale in China in December, making it the
first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in
the world.
but when we need a certain
program we modify standard
equipment to allow us to play
around with profiles.
“We use thermal imaging to
monitor cell temperature.
Everything is computer-checked
and validated for safety at every
single stage. However, we tend
BYD chairman Wang Chaufu says, “We
to use phosphate-ion chemistry,
will start to develop sales and distribution
which is much safer than the
networks in North America. Our goal is to
batteries in laptops. It’s a little
introduce BYD electric vehicles in the USA in
2011, and set up our manufacturing facilities
heavier, but it’s safer.”
there when appropriate.” “Mileage accumulation
Many Chinese companies have made failed durability testing is a challenge,”
US launches in the past, but the auto industry he adds. “You don’t have the
is taking BYD seriously because of leading US luxury of filling the tank, doing
investor Warren Buffett’s position as a 500 miles (805km) and refilling,
shareholder. Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy as you do with a gasoline-
Holdings Company has invested US$230 powered car.” But with test
million in BYD, and MidAmerican chairman engineers seeking ways to get
David Sokol has a seat on the BYD board. back on the road quickly, Reva
has optimized algorithms for
fast charging that does not
shorten battery life.

“I am sure that a few

vessel inside the vehicle imposes nail-penetration test is just part Some 80% of whole-vehicle
some special test routines that of ensuring everything is safe.” testing is done ‘on the road’

years from now we

are unique to this technology.” But not everything Reva does where, according to Maini,
Manufacturers of hydrogen is low technology. “Batteries are the majority of conditions of

will be testing fuel

tanks carry out several tests very sensitive to temperature, to temperature and vibration can
to well-established world the way they’re charged, and to be found. The balance is made

cell technology in a
standards, including drop, how they’re driven,” states up from bench testing. Some
fire-resistance, leak potential, Maini. “A lot of effort goes into simulation and modeling at cell

very different way”

and over-pressure tests, and battery testing and simulating level can be done.
even resistance to gunshots, to drive cycles on test benches “It takes you to a certain
gain certification. Today’s from actual data collected from point,” Maini says. “But
testing of new fuel cells and cars under different climatic beyond that, because of the
FCVs is quite mature. conditions. Battery testing is a complexities of temperature,
“The tanks have a tremendous key focus for us, but not in the changing chemistry, and driving
safety margin,” says Pozzi. way people typically do it, with characteristics, it is quicker to
“However, I am sure that a few a constant discharge current and carry out physical road tests
years from now we will be so on. It’s much more complex. because you need real data.
testing fuel cell technology in “A lot of the equipment we However, I believe our second-
a very different way. use here is custom-made,” he and third-generation vehicle
“We’ve come from the R&D continues. “Of course, we also programs will make use of more
type of environment to use standard items such as modeling in order to shorten
standardize and become chambers and discharge units, the testing cycle.” E&H
comparable to what the current
industry does,” Pozzi continues.
“Now we are going beyond that
and starting to develop what is
unique to fuel cells. In the not-
too-distant future we’re going
to move a lot faster in the
product development cycle.
We’ll do this by testing fuel cells
in a more specific way and not
by mimicking the way that
industry does testing nowadays.”
In contrast, at the Reva
Electric Car Company in India,
a joint venture between the
Maini Group of Bangalore and
California-based AEV, testing
can be basic and somewhat
barbaric. “We literally hammer a
nail into the cell and completely
short it internally,” says deputy
chairman and chief technical
officer, Chetan Maini. “The Critical data development research takes place at the National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

40
MOTORSPORTS

Dream TT
The world’s first zero-carbon grand prix took place during the Isle
of Man TT in June 2009, and there was much technology to see.
E&H hitched a ride on the UK’s Kingston University entry

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

Team
■ Meet Azhar Hussain. He
may not possess the sporting
genius of eight-time MotoGP
World Champion Valentino
Rossi, who made his Isle of
Man TT debut in June 2009, or
the flamboyance and charisma
of Giacomo Agostini, who won
the TT a record 10 times, but
Hussain’s achievements are no
less remarkable. So much so
that in years to come, when TT
aficionados debate legacies, he
will be remembered as the
founder of the world’s first
clean emissions grand prix.
On June 12, 2009, 19 drivers
from 17 teams, traveling from
six different countries, each
boarded a zero-emissions bike
– some powered by pneumatic
engines, others by ammonia or
hydrogen, and some charged
by an electric battery – and
battled it out in the TTXGP (see
And the winner is… box). For
Hussain, the race offered an
exciting glimpse into the
TT’s future. But for Paul
Brandon, a professor of
motorcycle engineering
at London’s Kingston
University, and his team
of six students, the race
represented much
more.
Words: James Gordon
The Kingston University bike (above), which is
powered by a lithium-ion phosphate battery,
undertakes final testing in preparation for
the gruelling Isle of Man TT circuit (right)
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
41
MOTORSPORTS
For 41-year-old Brandon,
whose team entered an electric
bike that they nicknamed
‘the lean green machine’, the
TT offered a window of
opportunity for the team to
showcase the technology and
ultimately roll out the bikes
on the world’s roads.
“Our ultimate goal is to
expand the viability of ultra-
low-emission bikes,” he says.
“Having designed a solution for
a course as demanding as the
Isle of Man TT circuit, we have
further increased the impetus
to bring cost-effective, clean
transport technologies to the
general public.”
The bike cost a shade under
US$29,000 to build. It runs off
a custom-built battery pack
that powers a brushless DC
motor that Brandon says is “the
kind of motor you find in a
Scalextric car”. At 160kg, the
bike is 30kg heavier than its
petrol-powered rivals, but
according to Brandon the
electric-powered motor is
capable of averaging 70mph
throughout the 37.7-mile
race course.
“We considered various
carbon-free options before
deciding to develop an electric
42
MOTORSPORTS
bike,” explains the Kingston
academic, whose team began
working on their entry in
October 2008. “We looked into
installing a pneumatic engine
driven by compressed air
and also an engine powered
by a hydrogen fuel cell.
Unfortunately, these solutions
weren’t cost-effective, nor could
they be realized in the limited
timeframe.”
Installing the battery, which
was supplied by LiFeBATT
Corporation, a global provider
of LiFePO4 battery solutions
(see page 102), and the team’s
main sponsor, presented the
University with its greatest
challenge. Having taken delivery
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Right, below and bottom: The teams at
TTXGP developed a range of advanced
technologies to power their bikes. The
Kingston entry featured a custom-built
battery pack from LiFeBATT, which
powered a brushless DC motor that is
capable of powering the bike to 70mph
of the battery, Brandon et al
quickly discovered that the
packaging didn’t fit the bike
chassis. “Standard battery packs
are rectangular, but a bike frame
is curved,” he says. “We realized
that the packaging needed to be
the diameter of a toilet roll tube
for the bike to work.”
But there wasn’t time to
construct a bespoke frame, and
after much painstaking research,
the team decided to use an old
Honda production bike chassis
to house the battery.
“We used the frame of a 20-
year-old Honda NSR250 GP
bike. It’s light – it weighs just
60kg – and most importantly it
provided us with a platform to
house the battery.” The team
used a lithium-ion phosphate
battery that weighs 92kg, cost
US$20,000 to produce, and
combines energy and power
density in equal measure. The
charge time is 40 minutes and
when a road version is produced
in 2010, the battery pack will
charge from flat to full in 3.5
hours from a standard 230V
13A socket.
The battery is also one of the
safest on the market today. It’s
been designed in such a way
that it’s not combustible and will
not explode if overcharged,
AND THE WINNER IS…
Due to technical problems, the Kingston University entry failed to
finish at the TTXGP. “Unfortunately, we had a motor failure during
the race,” Brandon explains. “However, we were the only university
team to officially qualify for the race, although the organizers
allowed all teams with a running bike to take part.
“If we were to race a conventional internal combustion engine
bike,” he continues, “we would strip down the engine before it was
raced, and ‘blueprint’ it. This means that we would inspect every
component and make sure every item was set to within its
recommended tolerance. For the TTXGP, we took the motor on
face value, mainly because we had not had enough experience
with these items – remember, we are a group of mechanical
engineers. In the future I would make sure the team gained the
necessary product knowledge to enable us to critically examine
and blueprint any equipment we bought in. Our gearbox, which
was designed and built in-house, was a roaring success!”
The winning team was AGNI X01. Rider Rob Barber completed
the course in a time of 25 minutes and 53 seconds. Second place
was taken by Thomas Schoenfelder from XXL Racing Team,
finishing over three minutes behind Barber.
Completing the podium line-up was Brammo
and rider Mark Buckley, who finished in just
over 30 minutes. The highest placed
academic entry was the Brunel X-team,
which completed the course in 56
minutes 27 seconds.

punctured, or crushed. But
getting the best performance
aspects out of it was far from
easy, admits Brandon. “It is an
extremely intricate system.
“It consists of 200 cells,
which are monitored in groups
of four on 50 circuit boards. For
the bike to function at optimum
capacity, the power must range
from 2.5-3.5V.
“When we tested the bike, we
really needed to focus efforts
on every cell, so we attached a
monitoring control box to the
rider’s back. After testing we
plugged the control box into a
computer and were able to
make the final adjustments
before the race.”
In Taiwan, Ian Goodman,
managing director of LiFeBATT
UK is also making technical
adjustments. Not to a battery,
but to a presentation that he
hopes will convince a Taiwanese
bike manufacturing company to
produce affordable electric bikes
for the masses. He says that if
he can broker a deal, Kingston
University will be responsible
for providing the design
solution, and the Taiwanese
company will produce the
bikes, which will have frames
made of lightweight carbon
“When we tested the bike, we really needed
to focus on every cell so we attached a
monitoring control box to the rider’s back.”
Paul Brandon, a professor of motorcycle engineering at London’s Kingston University
composite materials. He says,
“The bike could be put into
production now. If the factory
were to produce just 20,000
bikes a year, each one would
cost less than US$25,000.”
But for Goodman, it’s the
bike’s durability, range and low
running cost that excites him
most. “The top speed would be
60-70mph, and the range would
be over 100 miles. So if the bike
43
MOTORSPORTS
FUTURE RACE
It is one of the oldest race festivals, undoubtedly
the most challenging and demanding circuit, but
the Isle of Man TT is also the world’s most innovative
bike race. The fact that it hosted the world’s first
zero-carbon grand prix is a case in point.
The race is the brainchild of Azhar Hussain, a
British entrepreneur and co-founder of Mavizen.
Hussain’s electronics firm is most famous for producing MP3
players, but it has recently started to design and manufacture
electric bikes, one of which was entered into the 2009 TTXGP.
Hussain says he came up with the idea in 2008, and after
presenting a business case to the Isle of Man government and the
race organizers in June of that year, he was given permission to
organize two 37.7-mile races.
The top riders compete in a professional class race, but Hussain
also laid on an open class event for innovative teams who are
experimenting with alternative energy sources for the first time.
The 2009 event was a great success, but will it prove to be a
one-off? “We are already in talks with the organizers about staging
an event next year,” reveals Hussain. “The challenge now is to grow
the TTXGP. We have had a lot of interest from teams as far afield as
China and Malaysia, and in 2010 the race will be extended to two
laps. There are plans to introduce a five-minute pit-stop facility, so
teams can change battery packs.
“But we can’t forget that the race is in its infancy,” he continues.
“I think this year the challenge for most teams was simply to finish
the race. However, I believe that in five years’ time, the technology
will become so advanced that we will have caught up with the
petrol-powered bikes.”
The Kingston University team (above)
came up with several ideas and
concepts (left) during development of
the ‘lean green machine’ for the TTXGP
was used on a daily commute
that didn’t exceed 40mph, it
would be capable of traveling
108 miles before it needed to be
recharged. With a lifetime of at
least 3,000 cycles, the bike
would exceed 300,000 miles.
And best of all, the running cost
would work out at less than
US$0.10 per mile.” It’s hardly
surprising that Goodman is
excited about the future. E&H
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
44
OEM INTERVIEW: BENTLEY

Ulrich Eichhorn, Bentley’s head of

engineering, says the onus is on mass
production car makers to make a
difference when it comes to emissions

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009


Emissions
are important.
Even to us
here at
Bentley
Words: Dean Slavnich
■ You could be forgiven for
thinking that manufacturers
nestled in the exclusive top tier
of the automotive world don’t
care very much about fuel
economy and emissions
legislation. Surely the term
‘sustainable transportation’ is
something that the likes of
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche,
Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce
and Bentley – all with their
large-displacement engines –
do not consider?
“I can’t talk for others, but
emissions have always been
important to us,” insists Dr
Ulrich Eichhorn, Bentley’s
head of engineering and the
man credited for helping to
drive the prestigious British car
45
OEM INTERVIEW: BENTLEY
maker to the healthy place it
finds itself in today.
“We’ve always met EURO 3,
4, and 5 legislation, long before
it was mandatory. Nowadays,
when people talk about
emissions, they refer to CO2
alone. In reality, emissions
include much more than this,
and it is all of these different
aspects of emissions that we
are working on – and solving.”
Having been in the industry
for nearly two decades – the
last six years with Bentley –
Eichhorn has some forthright
views on car makers and
emissions targets: “We are
working on emissions, of
course, but Bentley does not
contribute much to overall
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
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 47
OEM INTERVIEW: BENTLEY
automotive emissions output,”
he states.
“There are 70 million cars
sold every year – perhaps that
number will be a few million
down this year – and we only
build 7,000 Bentleys. That
makes a very, very small
contribution to emissions, and
typically our vehicles are not
driven a lot.”
Eichhorn’s engine team has
calculated that the emissions
contribution from all Bentleys
ever built is so miniscule that it
cannot be measured. “I think
the best analogy is of a few
droplets of water in an Olympic-
sized swimming pool,” says
Eichhorn. “Bentley does not
have any influence on total
CO2 emissions output on a
worldwide scale.”
With his sharp designer
Italian suit, exclusive Breitling
watch, a preference for a
Lamborghini Miura, and an Above and below: In addition to the Nobody can even measure this system harnessed from within
almost politician-style polished new flexfuel engine in the Supersports, amount of emissions.” the VW Group? The man
argument, Eichhorn presents a Bentley is said to be also working on a Over the last six years Bentley shaping Bentley’s engineering
hybrid powertrain for future products
compelling case that the onus is has reduced CO2 output by future is tight-lipped: “I can give
not on the exclusive automotive 15%. The aim for the next you full details of it in 2011,” he
top tier to make a difference: three years is to further reduce laughs. Rumor has it, though,
“I’m not looking for a cop-out; emissions across the Bentley that Bentley is going down the
my analogy merely puts things range by another 15%. This will hybrid route.

“We think electric

into perspective,” he argues. be done through two plans of In contrast, Eichhorn is
“We obviously need to do our action: a flexfuel (biofuel) certainly well versed on

cars have a future,

bit, but if a ship has two leaks, engine that drives the alternative powertrain
and one is huge and the other Continental Supersport (see technologies, having joined VW

but the problem is

tiny, the concentration would page 04), and an all-new Group from Ford in 2000 as
not be on plugging the small powertrain that promises to executive director of research.

the batteries are

leak! The contribution to deliver a 40% fuel-economy There’s also no doubt that the
emissions from all luxury car improvement over Bentley’s Bentley man sees mileage in

not quite there yet”

makers is 0.00007%. How can existing engines. Will it be a electric vehicles and is aware
you argue against that statistic? downsized IC unit or a hybrid that in recent times car makers
have shifted away from biofuels.
“We think electric cars have a
future, but the problem is the
batteries are not quite there yet,”
says Eichhorn. “In the short to
medium term, to make an
impact over the next 5-10 years,
there is no way around biofuels,
especially the second-generation
technology.
“We suspect there might be a
fuel cell future, but I think that’s
at least 20 years away, and the
problem with fuel cells is that
we have a chicken and egg
situation: we need hydrogen but
there’s nowhere to fill up. This is
something that is not really a
problem with biofuels.”
Eichhorn is a big fan of
second-generation biofuels, and
flexfuel engines are playing a
key part in Bentley’s emissions
reduction program.
“Second-generation biofuels
use a closed CO2 cycle, taking

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

48
OEM INTERVIEW: BENTLEY
CO2 from crops, and then the
car burns it back out into the
environment. We’re not
claiming it to be 100% CO2
neutral, as some fuel is used in
the logistics chain, but, once
enough biofuel is produced so
that it can be used in plowing
and logistics, we can claim this
to be a 100% CO2 neutral
solution. We’re not there yet.”
But the bad press (see Offer’s
column on page 24) that first-
generation biofuels got (from
Despite building only 7,000 cars a year, Bentley is having to adapt to market needs and develop eco-friendly powertrain solutions
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
AnCaption
all-newhere please caption
powertrain
from the
caption
based carhere please
maker caption
is due to be here please
incaption herenew
2011. The please
unit promises to
deliver a 40% improvement in fuel
economy over Bentley’s current engines
“A flexfuel vehicle
the notion that cars are run on
crops that could feed starving
does away with the
people in the developing world)
still concerns Eichhorn. “That
chicken and egg
statement was never really true,
but not entirely untrue either.
problem because
Biofuel is typically grown on
wasteland, where nothing was
essentially the car
grown in the first place,” he
explains, pointing to Brazil,
can run on either
where graze land was set aside
for the biofuel business. “No
ethanol or petrol”
food for humans was grown
there, only food for cows,” he
here
please
Crew-
launched
reiterates. “In the USA, where
they grow corn for biofuels, you
may argue they should ship this
crop to make tortilla chips, but
that cycle has also been broken
because it’s been proved that the
price of oil drives the price of
food. We are advocating second-
generation biofuels because the
entire plant can be used.”
Out of all the biofuels Bentley
could have opted for, ethanol
was the logical choice. “It is
capable of running in a
modified petrol engine,” says
Eichhorn. “There is also an
industrial-scale production and
distribution system behind
ethanol, whereas for most
other biofuels the support
infrastructure is lacking.
“A flexfuel vehicle does away
with the chicken and egg
problem because essentially the
car can run on ethanol, petrol or
any mix of the two. This means
you’re not relying on petrol
stations that might, or might
not, sell ethanol, as there’s
always a petrol backup.”
Eichhorn says around 70
billion liters of bioethanol has
been produced to date. It’s this
staggering statistic, combined
with the fact that a large number
of vehicles can run on E85, that
has led to Eichhorn’s underlying
confidence in flexfuel engines
for Bentley. E&H
50
COVER STORY: MERCEDES-BENZ
Electric avenues
The S400 BlueHybrid sedan is just the start of Daimler’s assault on the emerging
electric- and fuel-cell vehicle market, says research chief Christian Mohrdieck
Words: Graham Heeps
■ Mercedes-Benz’s satisfaction
at getting the S400 BlueHybrid
to market later this year might
be tempered by the knowledge
that the car’s battery technology
is already some months behind
the cutting edge, because of
the lengthy testing and quality
engineering processes of the
automotive sector.
“Being an engineering guy at
heart I always want to do better
than I can do today,” admits
Christian Mohrdieck, head of
fuel cell and battery drive
system development at Daimler
Corporate Research and
Advanced Engineering. “At
some point in time you have
to fix the technology and then
work exclusively on quality and
maturity. Otherwise you can
never guarantee an automotive-
type of maturity in a vehicle.
“The lithium-ion technology
in the S-Class project was fixed
some months ago and we are
now in the very final phase of
development – so we’re doing
things like reliability testing
and quality engineering,” he
continues. “The Continental/
Johnson Controls-staffed
production line for this lithium-
ion cell was implemented some
two years ago; but we’re not in a
position to change that because
then we’d start at a
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
much earlier point in time and
have to redo many of the
development cycles.”
Up to the C-samples – the
final development units before
production – all the prototype
production was done by
Daimler engineers in house,
following a development
program with cell-supplier Saft.
The technology was then
handed over to Continental for
manufacturing and production.
Daimler began lithium-ion
research projects as early as
1994. Mohrdieck still sees the
technology as immature in
automotive terms, but he
thinks it’s the best bet for the
near future.
“At this time I don’t see any
other technology giving the
same performance in terms of
power, energy density, and
cold-start capability, which is
a clear advantage of Li-ion
versus NiMH batteries,” he
says. “However, for high-power
hybrid batteries, we need a few
more years of development to
reach the same level as NiMH
batteries, especially because
high-energy batteries require a
specific safety concept.
“Maturity takes time,” he
continues, “and
Mercedes-Benz presented Concept
BlueZero earlier this year: three tech
demonstrator vehicles that prove
Daimler is exploring three different
routes to sustainable transportation.
Pictured above is the electric vehicle
The hybrid powertrain in the upcoming
S400 BlueHybrid features a disc-shaped
electric motor that serves as starter
and alternator. During acceleration, the
motor provides a torque boost of 160Nm
S400 BlueHybrid features a lithium-
ion battery pack from Continental
you always have to go through
the same processes in order to
have a reliable product. Once
you have solved the functional
issues with the technology, such
as cold-start and total lifetime,
then you have to go through the
systematic process of making a
system suitable for automotive.
“Our industry is very different
to aerospace, for example – we
require very high numbers with
the same high quality. In an
aircraft you can afford to have
redundancy, but the cost rules
that out in cars.”
The S-Class hybrid sedan is a
milestone for Mercedes-Benz,
but Mohrdieck considers that it
is just the beginning for Daimler’s
electric- and fuel-cell vehicle
future. The Concept BlueZero
trio of battery-electric vehicle,
range-extended battery-electric
vehicle, and fuel-cell vehicle, is
indicative of the company’s
three-pronged future strategy.
“No single one can address all
the customers’ requirements,”
argues Mohrdieck. “The battery-
electric vehicle is excellent
for urban
 51
COVER STORY: MERCEDES-BENZ

“The lithium-ion technology in the

S-Class was fixed some months
ago and we are now in the very
final phase of development”

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

52
COVER STORY: MERCEDES-BENZ

STILL GOT THE BLUES

At January’s North American International Auto Show 2009 in
Detroit, Mercedes-Benz showed a modular drive concept for
electric vehicles in the form of three Concept BlueZero cars.
Measuring 4,222mm in length, all BlueZero models are practical,
full five-seaters with a payload of around 450kg and a luggage
compartment capacity of over 500 liters. The cars are described
by MB as ‘near-series’. “We have not decided when a vehicle with
the particular shape of BlueZERO will be launched,” Christian
Mohrdieck told E&H at the show. “But it is indicative of a future
model. The top hat isn’t so important; the core of the technology is
the FWD, sandwich-floor architecture that enables all different
drivetrains to be accommodated. That’s a synergistic approach.”
Each variant houses a different drivetrain in its floor. BlueZERO
E-CELL has a battery-electric drive with a range of up to 200km;
the BlueZero E-CELL PLUS adds an internal combustion engine to
extend to 600km with an electric-drive range of 100km.
Using a normal household 7kW charging capacity, the pair’s
lithium-ion batteries require two hours of charging time per 100km.
At the rear, the BlueZero E-CELL PLUS has the same 1-liter
turbocharged gasoline engine as the Smart Fortwo as a range
extender. This three-cylinder powerplant has an output of 50kW at
a constant 3,500rpm. If required, it can recharge the 17.5kWh
lithium-ion battery by means of a similarly rated alternator.
Meanwhile the BlueZero F-CELL’s fuel cell gives a range of over
400km. The concept’s powertrain is shared with the B-Class F-
CELL that goes into limited production later this year, followed by
small-series production in 2010 and 2011.
Mercedes says its powertrain engineers have put together a
modular system for the concepts that comprises several drive
components that can be combined in a flexible fashion. These
include the liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries with a storage
capacity of up to 35kWh and the compact electric motor with a
maximum output of 100kW (continuous output 70kW), which
develops a peak torque of 320Nm.
According to Mercedes, all three BlueZero variants accelerate
from zero to 100km/h in less than 11 seconds.

driving with short ranges. If you
want to go longer distances and
have to refuel during the day
then you need longer range and
shorter refueling time, which
essentially means fuel-cell
vehicles. Then there’s the fact
that batteries are likely to
remain restricted to A- and B-
Class-sized vehicles because of
the batteries’ weight and size. So
if we want to continue making
vehicles the size of the C-Class
and bigger – and those are our
core vehicles at Mercedes – then
we need to look at other
technical solutions besides
battery technology, which
means range-extended vehicles
and fuel-cell vehicles.”
Advanced work continues
apace on all three options at
Mohrdieck’s base in Nabern in
suburban Stuttgart, where more
than 400 people are at work on
fuel-cell and battery-electric
drivetrains that will one day be
driving Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
He says that following Daimler’s
acquisition of a stake in Evonik
subsidiary Li-Tec in late 2008,
and the formation of a joint-
venture company with Evonik
to further develop and produce
batteries and battery systems for
automotive applications, the
staff levels at Nabern are likely
to increase slightly. Daimler
already has a joint-venture
with Ford following the two
companies’ acquisition of
Ballard’s acclaimed automotive
fuel cell business in 2007.
Mohrdieck’s powertrain
engineers have already
achieved much on the process
development side to get robust
batteries into automotive
production, but he’s keen to
see further advances. “We’ve
had to build a lot of our own
test rigs but there are now
standards for doing certain
testing, such as accelerated
lifetime testing using increased
temperature. The key is
calibration because you have to
extrapolate; you need to know
what final conclusion you can
draw from certain test results.
“After a lot of investigation
we believe we’re in a position
to say that, for example, the S-
Class hybrid battery will meet
its specification by lasting 10
years. That’s good for a start but
not long enough; I’d rather see
15 years.” E&H

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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56
OEM INTERVIEW: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE

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Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009


OEM INTERVIEW: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE
■ In an era when nearly all
car companies and their
suppliers are regularly being
sold, downsized or closed
altogether, a successful start-
up is an all-too-rare good
news story. Fisker Automotive
is confident that it has not
only the vision and the
financial backing, but also the
engineering resources and
technical know-how to bring a
luxuriously appointed, plug-in
hybrid sports cars to market.
USA-based Fisker’s setup is
a far cry from the low-volume
start-up sports car companies
that come and go with very
predictable regularity,
particularly in Europe. To
begin with, the company
founded by Danish car
designer Henrik Fisker does
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
57
not plan to be a particularly
low-volume OEM: a swift
ramp-up to 15,000 cars a year,
possibly as soon as 2011,
is the goal after the first
production Karma four-door
coupe leaves the line at
Valmet Automotive in Finland
in late 2009.
In order to get this and
subsequent cars into
production – a convertible,
the Karma S, is scheduled for
launch in 2011 – Fisker
has gone ahead and hired a
number of experienced
ex-OEM engineers, including
director of engineering
Thomas Fritz, who, like
Fisker, has had stints at BMW
and in Ford’s now-defunct
Premier Automotive Group on
his resumé.
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 59
OEM INTERVIEW: FISKER AUTOMOTIVE
Although headquartered in
Irvine, California, Fisker has
established its engineering and
development center in Pontiac,
Michigan, to be the focus of test
and development activity. “In
California we do a lot of the
design and powertrain work,
but Detroit has everything
for car development and
production, which is why we
have our engineering center
here,” Fritz explains. “Michigan
is also a more central working
location for us: it’s three hours
to California, and seven to our
production facility in Finland,
with a good time overlap.” Q DRIVE technology will provide a base for all
The 3,200m2 facility brings future derivatives from Fisker Automotive
together up to 200 engineers
and designers from Fisker and

its supplier base, which includes calibration work, particularly in

Valeo, Michelin, Hydro and
SEEN BUT NOT HEARD Magna (another of Fritz’s former
“We’re not going to be world leaders in trunk size or interior employers). For a small, if
space,” acknowledges Thomas Fritz. “But we will be leaders in growing, start-up OEM, the
design, powertrain, and other areas where the car industry is not expertise of its supplier base is
at this time.” One of these areas is in the Karma’s broadcasting crucial: “We have a critical mass
of sound from external loudspeakers when at low speeds in of core Fisker Automotive team
zero-emissions mode, to alert people to the car’s presence. “It’s members, but have also engaged
predominantly a safety feature, being friendly to the people and a lot of critical suppliers we’ve
environment around our car, but we will use it as part of our known for a long time. Our
DNA,” he explains. “All car makers have their sounds, but we network has been very
had to create one that is, in a way, artificial. When we tested the important for us in getting the
sounds we got very excited about the possibilities. We quickly right skill set of suppliers,
narrowed it down to a very specific sound and we’re currently whether it be the engine or
fine-tuning that sound, the frequencies, and the loudness at other parts and systems.
certain speeds over certain distances. “Our own team is growing
“People tell us it’d be great to download their own sounds to
day-by-day and it’s important
personalize the vehicle, but we don’t want to do that because
that those people too have good
we want the car to sound how we want it to sound. It has to
skill sets and leadership
have its own DNA. As well as that it has to blend with the
exhaust note from the gasoline engine as at times the two will be
qualities,” he adds. “They must
emitted simultaneously.” also have a passion for cars and
must understand cars – they
must be car guys – because we
work almost 24/7. It’s not a
standard working day, there’s
still a lot of work to do.”
This is, after all, still a startup
company with an ambitious
new product that demands large
amounts of integration and
Below: Fisker and his team have worked
hard to match powertrain innovation
with very contemporary design cues
Karma offers the driver two driving modes: Stealth Drive, which is
the quiet economy mode for optimal relaxed and efficient driving,
and Sport Drive, which will access the full power of the vehicle
the fields of powertrain and
electronics. As well as leveraging
the knowledge and facilities of
its suppliers, Fisker has
supplemented the extensive use
of CAE in house for activities
such as crash analysis and
vehicle dynamics development
with time at third-party physical
test facilities. As Fritz says, “Of
course, we are outsourcing part
of the work because we don’t
want to have everything
internally [in terms of test
equipment] and then not use it
some of the time.”
The company is tight-lipped
about exactly which facilities
and locations are being used,
although many are in California
and Michigan and are known to
include a number of proving
grounds, climatic engine test
cells, and a wind tunnel to
tweak the design of the front air
intakes and spoiler to reduce
drag for better fuel economy.
The latter task had to be
accomplished without spoiling
the lines of Fisker’s original
design concept for the Karma.
As Fritz explains, “It’s part of the
DNA of the Fisker brand that
exterior design is very nicely
proportioned. We have 22in
wheels on the car. Henrik is a
car design guru and big tires
speak a lot for the language
of the car. We will not be
competing with anyone doing
mass-market vehicles so we
would accept certain comfort
limits – 22in tires may not give
a super-comfortable ride.”
Fritz talks a lot about the
importance of the Karma in
establishing the DNA of the

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

60
OEM Interview: Fisker Automotive
Karma uses Q-DRIVE plug-in hybrid technology, developed exclusively for Fisker by
Quantum Technologies. A fully-charged Karma burns no fuel for the first 50 miles
fledgling Fisker brand that’s
already benefiting from much
media attention from around
the globe. Fortunately, though,
he can draw on previous
experience, having led a similar
exercise in determining brand
identity at Rolls-Royce after
BMW took over. He recalls, “I
had to understand what made
a Rolls-Royce – was it the
proportions, the NVH, or the
acoustics? You have to know
where you can cut corners, and
where you cannot. This was
a very helpful experience.”
With electric motors driving the wheels
directly, Karma needs no transmission
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
If the first customers for the
US$87,900 car do indeed
receive their cars in late 2009 –
and the company insists it is on
track to deliver then –
then the Karma’s
development will
have taken a
little under two
years, which is
impressive by
any standards.
“The reason it’s
fast is because
the people
working on
the engineering
activities have done
this before, and with
this type of technology,”
Fritz reasons. “The Henrik
Fisker approach is to get
as many experts on it as
possible. As well as that, we’ve
streamlined the process and our
decision-making is much
quicker than it would be for a
standard OEM. But we’ve not
Power to the karma
The Karma’s powertrain is unusual if not unique, and brings its
own development challenges. The gasoline DI engine from the
Pontiac Solstice is tied to the generator set, providing 130kW of
continuous power, 170kW at peak. There are two rear traction
motors rated at 300kW, although according to Paul Boskovitch,
manager of engineering, powertrain and electrical at Fisker
Automotive, “They’re actually much better than that”. The
motors are geared down through the Quantum-supplied Q-
Drive. Stealth and Sport modes are available, with the Karma
resorting to its IC engine at 25% charge in Stealth mode, or at
50% in Sport mode, to make additional energy available.
“Any type of hybrid is a big integration exercise, specifically
controls integration and vehicle characteristics integration,”
explains Boskovitch, who previously worked on advanced
powertrains at GM and Ricardo. “We’ve got fairly complex
algorithms that are constantly optimizing the energy in the entire
vehicle, continuously making trade-offs. That then goes down to
the motor control software, the generator, and engine controls.
The second thing is integration of this type of driveline into the
vehicle itself – the NVH issues, packaging aspects and EMC.”
Powertrain development is being done through a mix of in-
house Fisker personnel and facilities, and outsourcing. “We
do have capabilities through our powertrain provider Quantum,”
he notes. “We’re not going to be a General Motors where you
have almost all your equipment in-house. For the future, the
critical rigs we’ll need, we’ll bring in. And for the ones where we
feel it’s more effective to leave them outside, then we will leave
them outside.”
“We’ve eliminated bureaucracy and made
quicker decisions, while meeting the OEM
standards that are out there today”
Thomas fritz, director of engineering
The Karma uses an
aluminum spaceframe from
Hydro in Denmark. The structure has
over-achieved on the torsional stiffness
shortened the process by are out there today. We know
eliminating pieces that are that there will always be times
important. We’ve eliminated when sparks will fly, that there
bureaucracy and made quicker will be things we didn’t plan for.
decisions in a lot of areas, while But that’s the same for all car
meeting the OEM standards that manufacturers.” E&H
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 63
SUPPLIER INTERVIEW: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER

IPT’s revolutionary battery management

system helps to ensure buses in both
Genoa and Turin consistently run on time

Bus breakthrough
Buses that consistently run on time? Such a radical concept might soon become a reality
due to new and advanced battery technology being pioneered by a German company
■ One of the greatest journalists
of the 21st century, Ryszard
Kapuscinski, once remarked
that people standing at bus
stops look the same the world
over. Kapuscinski observed
that those waiting for buses
everywhere from Vienna to
Vanuatu carry the same tired
and defeated expressions on
their faces.
But the Pole, who died in
January 2007, probably never
had time to visit Genoa or
Turin. If he had done so he
might have noticed the five
passengers waiting to board the
number 23 bus on Via Colombo
Cristoforo in downtown Turin.
Somewhat curiously, their faces
display none of the negative
characteristics that Kapuscinski
describes. An elderly woman
smiles at her friend across a
street, and a teenager sits
serenely on the bench beside
her. Their body language speaks
volumes. It is the body language
of passengers unaccustomed to
delay. And it’s all due to the
Inductive Power Transfer
Charge system (IPT) pioneered
by Conductix-Wampfler, a
leading supplier of energy
supply and data transmission
systems, which helps to ensure
passengers are not kept waiting.
The German company, part of
the Conductix-Wampfler group
with over 1000 staff members,
is headquartered on the banks
of the Rhine. However, it chose
Italy as the testing ground to
launch the technology that
could revolutionize bus travel,
not to mention boost sales,
which last year exceeded
US$309 million in the group.
The IPT system, which has
now been functioning in the
northern Italian cities of Turin
and Genoa since 2002, is the
result of a partnership between
Conductix-Wampfler and Italian
Words: James Gordon
Mathias Wechlin, senior product
manager at Conductix-Wampfler, is
now working hard to install contactless
power transfer units in vehicles
bus manufacturer EPT. The
technology enables 25 buses in
Turin and eight in Genoa – each
with a state-of-the-art onboard
battery management system –
to run for long periods without
a break. The system is a
contactless power transfer unit
that enables the battery to be
charged without any mechanical
contact or intervention.
The IPT charge system
reduces the need for overnight
or daily charging due to an
underground IPT charge system
that transmits electricity to the
bus every time it stops at a bus
stop.
One man with an in-depth
understanding of the IPT
technology is Mathias Wechlin,
a senior IPT product manager
who has worked for Conductix-
Wampfler for 18 years. Speaking
by phone from the USA,
Wechlin, who was educated
in Germany and Switzerland,

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

64
SUPPLIER INTERVIEW: CONDUCTIX-WAMPFLER
was only too happy to discuss
a system that he hopes one day
will be rolled out in cities across
Europe. “Each time the bus
stops to drop off passengers, the
battery management system
determines exactly how much
energy it needs and sends a
data signal to the track supply,”
he says.
“The track supply then
transfers the energy through a
series of subterranean feeding
cables to a primary coil that is
buried under the ground at each
bus stop. The primary coil in
turn transmits the electrical
energy via inductive power
transfer to a secondary coil that
has been installed underneath
the bus. From there energy passes
to a rectifier unit and finally to
the energy storage device.
“The IPT charge system has
been up and running in Turin
since 2002, and we’re extremely
happy with the technology.”
But seven years ago, Wechlin
and his team faced a number of
challenges when developing and
testing the technology. “We
encountered hurdles, but no
major obstacles. For example,
in the early stages we had to
closely monitor the relationship
between the onboard battery
system and track supply to
ensure that the bus was
receiving the optimum level of
electrical energy. Too much
Above and below: The IPT charge system
has been up and running in Turin since 2002
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
energy and the battery could
overheat, not enough and the
bus would be unable to
function properly.”
Now, however, Wechlin and
his team have new goals to
strive for. “The big challenge
now is to universalize the
technology. Over the next few
years we have to work closely
with the OEMs to make sure the The battery management system determines
IPT system can be successfully exactly how much energy the bus needs
implemented globally. We are
also working hard to install the
system in cars.
“The IPT system will work in
exactly the same way,” he says,
“but the primary coil is inserted
at parking facilities, eliminating
the need for drivers to charge
their cars at night. We also
want to install the IPT system
in electric-powered delivery
vehicles. Opportunity charging
points at loading and unloading
zones would mean that the
delivery firms could make more
drop-offs.”
But the greatest difficulty, he
predicts, will be to cope with Above: The principle workings behind OEM. I cannot talk figures or
demand. With the global oil the advanced battery management timeframes, but I can say it is
system from Conductix-Wampfler
price climbing steadily once very exciting news. And it is
again (a barrel of oil costs particularly satisfying and
US$71) the multinationals are heartening that we are at our
once again knocking on busiest in the worst recession
Conductix-Wampfler’s door. since the 1930s. But that is the
“We’ve never been busier,” adds time when major OEMs look for
Wechlin. “Regarding IPT, I can cutting-edge, cost-effective
confirm that we are in advanced technologies. It’s our job to
talks with a major multinational provide them.” E&H
TIME SAVING IS IN THE BAG
Waiting at the airport baggage carousel after a trip away is truly
depressing. It’s the moment every jet-lagged air passenger
dreads – and the moment they realize that their holiday is over.
Conductix-Wampfler may not be able to rid passengers of
their holiday blues, but the company is currently working on
developing bespoke Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology
for airport vehicles. If successfully implemented, Mathias
Wechlin believes that the technology could lead to reduced
waiting times for passengers at arrivals halls. “Opportunity
charging will enable airport vehicles such as baggage reclaim
trucks to work for long periods without charging breaks,
meaning that the airport managers should be able to clear
baggage reclaim areas more quickly,” he says.
Wechlin thinks there is scope to install the technology in a
number of airport vehicles, including passenger stair vehicles,
lavatory servicing and portable water supply vehicles, air cargo
tractors, and passenger transit vehicles.
Nancy Gautier, a spokeswoman for the Airport Council
International (ACI), the voice of European airports, adds, “The
technology that is being proposed is of great benefit to airports.
Not only is it cost-effective, but it will enhance the experience of
passengers.”
With many of the world’s airports facing a bleak future, it
may not be long before airport managers come knocking on
Conductix-Wampfler’s door.
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Bosch Rexroth’s HRB system
is being tested on refuse trucks
in New York City and Berlin
Cash for trash
Bosch Rexroth is helping to keep major city centers around the world
clean with innovative powertrain technology for garbage trucks
■ One man’s trash is another
man’s treasure, or so the
saying goes. So perhaps it’s no
coincidence that Bosch Rexroth
AG, a company that employs
more than 35,000 staff and one
that generated sales of US$8.3
billion last year, has chosen
to test its new Hydrostatic
Regenerative Braking (HRB)
system on refuse trucks in New
York City and Berlin.
Last month, New York City’s
Department of Sanitation
(DSNY) began a period of
extensive trials that will last up
to a year. A number of vehicles
in the DSNY fleet have been
equipped with the Bosch
Rexroth HRB technology, which
has been installed onto a Crane
Carrier chassis company, an
Oklahoma-based OEM, and
partly funded by the New York
State Energy Research and
Development Authority.
But even before the field
trials began last month, Bosch
Rexroth and its partners had
reason to be optimistic. That’s
because initial testing conducted
by its global team revealed that
the HRB system can reduce the
fuel consumption of vehicles
in the class 7 and 8 categories
(heavy-duty vehicles weighing
more than 11,800kg) by as
much as 25%.
Michelle DuHadway, account
manager for Bosch Rexroth’s
Parallel HRB system, says Bosch
first began developing this
technology in the USA six years
ago with a team of just
20 engineers. But, she says,
the HRB system has advanced
considerably since it first
came into being in 2003.
SUPPLIER INTERVIEW: BOSCH REXROTH
Words: James Gordon
Rexroth’s DuHadway says that the HRB
system is ideally suited for refuse trucks
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
67
“We’re excited to be at the
field trial stage of testing,” she
says. “We’re fortunate that the
system is being tested in a
variety of settings. This will
obtain more real-world data that
shows the HRB can provide
considerable fuel savings, and
emissions reduction.”
The vehicles will undergo a
series of trials including braking
tests, acceleration tests, route
collections tests and dyno
testing to evaluate emissions,
and DuHadway explains why
the refuse industry is the perfect
arena to trial the HRB braking
system: “The HRB system is
ideal for sanitation vehicles
because refuse trucks are always
stopping and starting. Instead of
allowing braking energy to be
lost as heat, HRB converts it
into hydraulic energy and stores
it. The next time the vehicle
accelerates, the stored energy is
fed back into the drive line,
relieving the load on the engine.
The technology is designed in
such a way that the more
intensive the start/stop cycle,
the greater the reduction of fuel
consumption using HRB.”
DuHadway, who worked as
a production manager for an
68
SUPPLIER INTERVIEW: BOSCH REXROTH
As well as targeting sanitation vehicles, Bosch Rexroth engineers are also working
hard to adapt HRS for bus applications and other commercial truck applications
advertising agency before
joining Bosch in 2006, says that
making the transition from the
off-road to the on-road market
presented the company with its
greatest challenge. “Taking
proven parts and hydraulics
knowledge and applying it to
the on-road market has been a
rewarding challenge.
“Additionally, having the
support of our parent company,
Robert Bosch, which is a market
leader in the on-road market,
has been a great asset. But if
the technology is to be globally
successful, one engineering
hurdle must be overcome. We
must ensure that older vehicles,
which have been equipped with
standard braking equipment,
have the opportunity to upgrade
to the HRB system. Therefore,
we’re currently investigating a
retrofit strategy.”
Instead of allowing braking energy to be lost during the journey of a garbage truck, the HRB system converts braking energy
back into hydraulic energy and stores it. The next time the vehicle accelerates the stored energy is fed back into the transmission
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
But DuHadway is confident
that the HRB team can succeed
with the support it receives from
Bosch Rexroth. “We are very
excited about the future,” says
DuHadway.
“When the testing is
successful we would like the
technology to be rolled out in
states across the USA. And I can
confirm that we are involved in
advanced talks with a private
“I can confirm that
sanitation fleet in California.
Beyond this, we want to make
we are involved in
the system universal.”
And so while Bosch Rexroth’s
advanced talks with
primary market is developing
HRB technology for refuse
a private sanitation
applications, the system is also
available for bus applications
fleet in California”
and it is being further developed
for other commercial markets
around the world.
“In the next few years, we
also plan to unveil a series
CLEAN STREETS
It’s the ‘city that never sleeps’, and certainly the garbage
produced every day by New York’s eight million residents
gives the city’s refuse collectors ample opportunity to work
late into the night.
Every day more than 2,230 garbage trucks patrol New
York’s five boroughs, collecting over 12,000 tons of
residential and institutional refuse and recyclables a day
– and that’s just the bags the collectors pick up at the side
of the road.
“It’s a real challenge to keep the garbage at bay,” says
Rocco DiRico, the DSNY’s deputy commissioner, “so
when Bosch Rexroth came to us and suggested we field
test its HRB system, we were delighted. We hope that the
technology can improve efficiency, and it represents an
important step toward achieving the commercialization
of heavy-duty hybrid hydraulic vehicles. That has to be a
good thing.”
Although nobody is sure exactly how cost-efficient the
technology will prove to be, Michelle DuHadway thinks
that the HRB system could help DSNY to reduce brake
maintenance costs on its large fleet of vehicles. “On
average DSNY replaces brakes approximately once a
year,” she says, “which takes the truck out of service for
at least two days. We hope to improve that figure by at
least 50%.”
She concludes, “We should have a clearer idea how the
trial is progressing by the end of this year.”
hydraulic hybrid system for
medium-duty applications,” she
says. “This is an infinitely
variable transmission (IVT) that
replaces the conventional
transmission and driveline with
a propietary high effciency
pump and motor technology.”
By then it is likely that the
crippling global recession that
has altered the USA’s automotive
landscape, bankrupting US car
giants Chrysler and General
Motors, will have eased. But
even in this most difficult of
financial times, Bosch is
committed to injecting a great
chunk of capital back into its
research and development
budget. This year alone,
DuHadway says, Bosch will set
aside more than US$5.7 billion,
or 8% of its sales revenue for
research and development. She
also confirmed that the Tier 1
supplier will invest a large
portion its R&D expenditure
on products that protect the
environment and conserve
resources. “We’ve been very
fortunate to keep our team
together. However, the HRB
technology we are working on
now is in great demand. And it
makes me proud to know that
we are working on solutions
that can help US businesses in
this severe downturn.” E&H
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70
THE ELECTRIC SURGE

High voltage
Never before has EV development been so popular. E&H takes a look at who’s
doing what in the global automotive industry

h
nic
av
Sl
an
: De
rds
Wo

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 71
THE ELECTRIC SURGE

Tesla Roadster
Company: Tesla Motors
Cost: Over US$100,000
Batteries: Custom microprocessor-controlled lithium-ion battery
pack with 6,831 individual cells
Range: 354km (220 miles)
Charging: Full charge in less than four hours
Power output: 248bhp, 375Nm of torque
Top speed: 201km/h (125mph)
0-100km/h: Around 4.1 seconds
Weight: 1,113kg
We say: Tesla is an interesting case. The company benefited
from a lot of media attention a few years ago, but over-ambitious
growth plans along with technical issues with the Roadster have
hampered progress. E&H went to test the Roadster toward the
end of 2008 and the car failed to start due to onboard diagnostic
problems. Despite this, a second product, the Model S, is due
soon and it could be key to future growth for the company

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

72
THE ELECTRIC SURGE

Z.E. Concept
Company: Renault
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack produced by the Automotive Electric
Supply Corporation, a joint-venture company between Nissan
and NEC. The battery pack comprises 48 modules, each of
which incorporates four elementary cells
Range: Around 60km (37 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours
Power output: 95bhp electric motor with 226Nm of torque
We say: Renault’s take on emissions reduction and enhanced
fuel economy is simple: further optimization of IC engines along
with the full development of EVs. The French car maker will
have no fewer than three EV products on the market
within six years, one of which will be heavily based
on this concept

e2
Company: GEM (owned by Chrysler)
Cost: Around US$8,000
Batteries: 72V system
Range: 48km (30 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours
Power output: 15bhp
Top speed: 40km/h (25mph)
Weight: 517kg
We say: Despite Chrysler’s recent plight, the US car maker is
standing firm over its support of GEM. Chrysler’s Pea-Pod EV
concept harnesses many technologies from GEM

TH!NK City
Company: TH!NK
Cost: Around US$23,000
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack
Range: 170km (106 miles)
Charging: 80% in eight hours
Power output: 40bhp
Top speed: 96km/h (60mph)
0-100km/h: Over 17 seconds
Weight: 1,113kg
We say: Rumors earlier this year indicated that TH!NK was about
to embark on a collaboration with a large OEM to develop a
four-seater electric vehicle in sedan format, but such a deal has
not yet materialized. Plans are in motion, however, to roll out the
current TH!NK City range to nearly all European markets and
North America

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

 73
THE ELECTRIC SURGE
Smart ED
Company: Mercedes-Benz
The product: Expect a full market launch within two years
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack
Range: Around 115km (71 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours
Power output: 55kW from the motor and inverter
Top speed: 120km/h (75mph)
0-100km/h: Around seven seconds
We say: Mercedes-Benz and Smart have become serious
players in EV development. Fleet trials are currently taking place
in Berlin and London, and the German OEM looks likely to
become an early European leader in this field. Suppliers involved
in the Smart project include Zytek and Continental. Mercedes-
Benz also has an electric A-Class in development

Fetish
Company: Venturi
Cost: Over US$250,000
Batteries: 31 modules of lithium-ion batteries placed in a T
formation in a central unit. The battery pack weighs around
248kg and is liquid-cooled
Range: 250km (155 miles)
Charging: Full charge in three hours
Power output: Electric motor produces 180kW and 220Nm of
torque
We say: Developed and produced in Monaco, Venturi is an EV
for the super-rich. The worry is that it might be surpassed by
Fisker Automotive’s Karma (see page 20), Tesla’s Roadster, and
Lightning Car Company’s Lightning GT. Watch this space

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July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

 75
The electric surge
Mega City 2-Seater
Company: Nice
Cost: US$19,750
Batteries: Lead acid
Range: 97km (60 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours
Power output: 4kW from the motor
Top speed: 88km/h (55mph)
Weight: 750kg
We say: Nice is one of the few EV developers championing lead
acid batteries. The general feeling is that the company is being
left behind by its rivals, such as TH!NK

Alias
Company: Zap
Cost: Around US$35,000
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack
Range: Over 161km (100 miles)
Charging: Full charge thought to be around eight hours
Top speed: 241km/h (150mph)
0-100km/h: Around six seconds
Weight: 733kg
Nissan Electric Vehicle We say: The Robin Reliant of the EV world, but there’s more to
Company: Nissan Zap vehicles than just the three-wheel design. The Alias is a
The product: The production version of Nissan’s various EV futuristic-looking car that’s raised the profile of the company, but
concepts is due to be launched in late 2010 will Zap ever manage to branch out from its super niche market?
Cost: Expected to be around US$25,000
Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries developed in conjunction
with NEC
Range: Around 160km (99 miles)
Charging: Nissan engineers are intent on realizing an 80%
charge in 15 minutes. This could be a major breakthrough
Power output: 80kW from the motor and inverter
We say: Like its Alliance partner Renault, Nissan also
sees a future for electric vehicles. The Japanese
OEM’s EV program dates back to the mid-
1990s, and this concept is more than
just a tech demonstrator. The
batteries, motor, and many
subsystems will be used in
Nissan’s production
EV in 2010

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

76
the electric surge
Lightning GT
Company: Lightning Car Company
Cost: Around US$175,000
Batteries: NanoSafe. Lightning says that unlike standard lithium-
ion, NanoSafe batteries don’t need to be kept cool when
charged/used or heated to get them to perform in subzero
temperatures. It’s something different to the rest of the field
Range: The aim is 300km (186 miles)
Charging: Full charge in around three hours
Power output: The Hi-Pa Drive technology is made up of four
120kW permanent magnet brushless motors. The battery pack is
good for 36kW
Top speed: At least 209km/h (130mph)
0-100km/h: Around five seconds, but a real-world sprint time of
4.5 seconds is realistic
We say: The UK’s answer to Tesla. There’s a great deal of Mini E
innovation taking place at this company, but it is likely to remain a
Company: BMW
niche player until cheaper, mass-produced models are rolled out
Cost: US$850 a month to lease
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack with 35kWh and 5,008 cells grouped
in 48 modules
Range: 241km (150 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours, but owners will be able to
decrease this time to just over two hours if they have Mini’s high-
voltage wallbox fitted in their garage
Power output: 204bhp, 220Nm of torque
Top speed: 153km/h (95mph)
0-100km/h: 8.5 seconds
Weight: 1,465kg
We say: This is a project to watch. BMW is seriously considering
EVs as a solution to long-term sustainable transportation, and
the Mini E might be in dealerships by 2013. The flaw with this
product is the enormous battery pack; it’s so big that the Mini E
is a two-seater

Reva (G-Wiz in the UK)

Company: Reva Electric Car Company
Cost: Around US$14,800
Batteries: Lead acid
Range: 80km (50 miles)
Charging: 80% in under three hours
Power output: Reva makes use of a three-phase AC induction
motor with torque of 52Nm. The motor can run at a high speed
of 8,000rpm
Top speed: 80km/h (50mph)
Weight: 750kg
We say: The biggest challenge for the Indian company is now to
create an actual electric vehicle. The G-Wiz, for example, is
classified as a quadricycle (category L7e) under European law

R1e
Company: Subaru
Cost: Around US$17,500, but this price will probably drop to
around US$13,000 by 2013
Batteries: Lithium-ion pack
Range: 200km (124 miles)
Charging: Full charge in eight hours
Power output: 40bhp
Top speed: 104km/h (65mph)
We say: Although not quite yet ready to deliver a production EV,
Subaru is hot on the heels of Mitsubishi and the i MiEV product.
The R1e will be ready for market launch by 2011. A testing
program is currently being undertaken in the USA

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

EV Network
The EV Network - the one stop shop
for finding the UK’s electric vehicle
charge points including online database,
interactive maps, and SatNav configuration.

EV Network
URL: http://www.ev-network.org.uk
e-mail: admin@ev-network.org.uk
Phone: 01268 541502
78
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The multiple operation modes of the Dynamic All-Wheel-Drive Hybrid System from Giant Lion. The technology has been designed to make use of reliable, low-cost components
NEW HYBRID
ARCHITECTURE
An advanced powertrain technology has been released
that incorporates a wide range of hybrid functionality
■ Giant Lion Know-How has developed a
hybrid powertrain architecture designed for
use in SUVs, small trucks and logistic
vehicles. The Dynamic All-Wheel-Drive
Hybrid System (DAHS) is a four-wheel-
drive technology that includes a hybrid
powertrain and incorporates a range of
hybrid functionality, yet maintains a simple
layout. It has been designed as a system
that is easy to manufacture and to assemble
and uses reliable, low-cost components
that are readily available off the shelf. A
sophisticated operating strategy uses the
implemented hybrid functions and realizes
a considerable mileage improvement.
A hybrid system consists of two different
energy converters and storage systems. In
this case, an IC engine has been coupled
with an electric machine. The main goal
is to avoid those regions of operation in
which the IC engine shows very poor
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
efficiency levels. In particular, it is not
advisable to use an IC engine for propulsion
under part load, as the electric machine
offers a much higher efficiency level.
A powertrain layout has to be designed
in such a way that both machines can be
operated and combined very efficiently. The
DAHS system provides the opportunities to
achieve that goal.
The IC engine is connected to a
conventional automatic gearbox and can be
decoupled from the rest of the powertrain
by a friction clutch. An intermediate
transmission distributes the power to the
rear and front axles, both of which can be
disconnected by two additional friction
clutches. However, the electric motor is
attached through a differential gear,
realizing a speed increase for the motor and
the engine. Friction brakes on two of the
three terminals of the differential in
combination with the clutches in the
powertrain can be used to realize different
operation modes of the system.
There are numerous driving modes
available. An integrated control system
that is connected to the clutch and brake
actuators, as well as to the automatic
gearbox control, has been developed to
reliably regulate those driving modes.
DAHS offers the flexibility to choose a
driving mode that is suitable for the
situation at hand and accommodates input
from the driver. It is possible to run in
four-wheel-drive hybrid mode, thus using
both machines for optimal traction and
driving performance. If the all-wheel drive
is not required, the front axle can be
decoupled from the rest of the powertrain
so that friction losses occurring at that axle
are avoided. By opening the clutch, the
vehicle runs in a force-addition hybrid
mode, using the electric motor to power
the rear axle and the IC engine for the front
axle. All those three hybrid modes offer
start-stop operation of the IC engine, load
fencing, recuperative braking and boosting.
A driving mode with locally emission-free

The technical layout of the inner working of the Dynamic All-Wheel-Drive Hybrid System from Giant Lion in Taiwan
propulsion can be chosen with the pure
electric rear-wheel drive. For driving
scenarios where the hybrid functions would
not net a fuel benefit, such as on more
long-distance journeys, it is possible to
disconnect the electric motor entirely from
the system and use only the IC engine for
propulsion of the vehicle.
The operation strategy for the DAHS
has been optimized to minimize fuel
consumption in urban driving scenarios
with a high degree of start-stop operation.
The basic strategy focuses on stopping the
IC engine when it would run under part-
load conditions, and thus with a low-
efficiency level. During those phases, the
vehicle uses the electric motor for propulsion.
In the event of a power demand that
exceeds the electric motor’s capabilities,
the IC engine has to be started again. This
decision is based on driver input as
indicated by the pedal position and the
vehicle speed. An additional control layer
ensures the safety of the electric storage
device and alters the IC engine switching
points based on the state of charge of the
battery pack.
A sophisticated powertrain model has
been used in order to assess the total fuel
saving potential and the performance
characteristics of the DAHS. In addition
to this, it is possible to employ a rapid-
control prototyping process using software
modeling so that the control strategy can
be tuned, tested, and verified. For the
simulation, vehicle parameters have been
extracted from the SUV Ford Escape, which
is powered by a 2.3-liter engine. An electric
motor has been modeled according to a
commercially available motor model. The
permanently synchronous motor has been
designed for a peak power output of 30kW.
A lead-acid multiway power battery pack
designed by Giant Lion Know-How with a
capacity of 90AH(3c) at 72V normal voltage
is being used as the energy storage. Power
density is rated at 470W/kg (>soc 40%).
Internationally standardized driving
cycles such as the NEDC and Federal Test
Procedure (FTP) have been used as inputs
for the simulation runs. Results of the
NEDC simulation are shown on the next
page, comparing the DAHS vehicle and the
Ford Escape 2.3-liter reference vehicle.
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
79
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Operating points of the IC engine are
shown for both base and hybrid powertrain
configurations. It can be clearly seen that
during hybrid mode the IC engine is
operating at a much higher efficiency than
a conventional system. In addition to this,
the IC engine is shut off during the start
and stop phases, thus resulting in a
reduction of idling losses.
DAHS presents a way to easily add
hybrid functionality in a four-wheel drive
powertrain. By adding an electric motor
and a multiway terminal battery pack
consisting of a low-cost, high-reliability
VRLA battery, and by implementing the
electrical components into the mechanical
powertrain via a differential, it is possible
to achieve a great improvement in fuel
economy and acceleration capability.
Simulation runs have been conducted,
using standardized testing methods such
as the NEDC and FTP regulations. Those
simulations have been run with a
simulation model of a conventionally
propelled reference vehicle and with the
modified hybrid vehicle. During test
simulation runs, the operation strategy of
80
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

PPS TECHNOLOGY
The PPS hybrid powertrain system, jointly
studied by Giant Lion and fka mbH,
integrates the electrical driving capability
into a conventional powertrain by a
clutching unit and two electrical machinery
units that provide much less power
capacity then the onboard internal
combustion engine. The operating principle
of the PPS powertrain is simple: while the
engine is running at a low efficiency region,
the clutching unit is disengaged. The
mechanical power output from the IC
engine fully drives the generator to
generate the electrical energy to the
traction motor for vehicle motion. While
the vehicle is driving at high speed, the
clutching unit is engaged, with the
mechanical power of the engine running at
a high efficiency level to drive the vehicle
directly. The switch condition of the
clutching unit is based on vehicle speed
and the sensor signal of engine torque
value. The main feature of the PPS system
is that it does not use a main-battery pack,
which eliminates the dependence on main
battery pack of hybrid powertrain, and
avoids the induced problems on cost and
The technical layout of PPS hybrid powertrain system, which has been jointly developed by Giant Lion and fka system reliability.

the technology has been gradually and

continuously tuned and improved. The
results of the simulation runs have been
assessed and analyzed with a focus on the
fuel economy behavior of the system. A
close examination of the operational
behavior of the IC engine has been
performed, and the hybrid functionality of
the powertrain layout has been confirmed
and its effect on the fuel economy has been
quantified. In addition to this, the
improvement in acceleration capability has
been proved and quantified. In the two
driving cycles mentioned above, the DAHS
vehicle has shown an increase in mpg of
22-33%. Depending on the driving
situation, these mileage figures are bound
to vary, but the acceleration capability rises
by approximately 40% for the 0-60km/h
sprint. E&H The total fuel economy enhancement that the innovative Dynamic All-Wheel-Drive Hybrid System can realize

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Giant Yang at Giant Lion
✆ +886 2 2731 8811
@ giantleo@ms24.hinet.net
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 501

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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82
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TEST AUTOMATION
A new system can help OEMs with HEV development, boosting
design efficiency with hardware-in-the-loop simulation
■ The design of the modern vehicle has
dramatically changed, as have the processes
by which it is developed – driven by
governmental regulations and market
demand for improved quality and fuel
economy. Vehicle development strategies
have traditionally focused on reducing
emissions and fuel consumption without a
compromise in power, but today’s modern
vehicle has evolved from a mostly
mechanical system to include complex
electronics and software algorithms. This
shift has given car makers the opportunity
to enhance vehicle drivability through the
use of computer-based optimization
systems, specifically HiL simulation.
Electronics have promised to play a
bigger role as car makers move to more
innovation in hybridization and improved
vehicle properties. For example, the
number of ECU modules in a standard
passenger vehicle has climbed from three to
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
as many as 70 in high-end vehicles such as
the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series. As
the number of ECU modules increases with
the deployment of HEV architectures, the
needs on the in-vehicle network start to
change dynamically: in essence, they need
to be faster and more deterministic.
For these reasons, the techniques and
tools that engineers use to develop and test
HEVs needs to evolve. Finding an optimal
operation strategy for the HEV is a very
complicated and complex process. HiL
testing techniques provide a virtual reality
in which to simulate the vehicle dynamics
of today’s advanced hybrid electric
powertrains, reducing the number of
prototype units (such as components,
subsystems and vehicles) required for
testing and validation. This reduction in the
complexity and variation of the number of
test units yields a direct benefit in both
development cost and resource reduction.
Left: A&D Technology and moving
the vehicle into the test cell
The development of HEVs represents a
unique set of challenges. For example, in
many cases the complicated hybrid control
system is developed in parallel with the
physical system itself. As a result, the
complete HEV system is typically not
available when the vehicle controller is
ready to be tested, and this sometimes is
due to limited component availability. An
advanced energy storage device is a prime
example of a component that has an
extensive development and validation
phase that may not allow the component to
be a part of the early hybrid control system
development activity.
In an ideal engineering scenario, where
key system components such as the hybrid
control unit and the complete system exist,
engineers are faced with the challenge of
test condition repeatability. The dynamics
of an HEV can make it difficult to perform
repeatable tests, so if a problem is identified,
it can take a considerable amount of time to
first determine the cause of failure, and
then validate that it has been resolved. HiL
simulation provides a test environment that
is consistently repeatable without risk of
human error, and a capability to address
product-to-product variation.
Another challenge in HEV development
is that electrical systems have higher
bandwidth than mechanical systems, and
therefore command smaller simulation time
steps. Such small time steps sometimes
require special solvers and interpolation
techniques to ensure accurate results. More
problems occur when simulating power
devices, such as a DC-DC inverter, because
of their normally high switching
frequencies in terms of the simulation
sampling frequency. This sampling must
have microsecond precision, and in order
to obtain high simulation speed, it is
important to incorporate faster processors
and simplified models, which is where HiL
simulation becomes a necessary tool.
To meet these challenges, A&D
Technology offers the Andromeda system to
enable HiL simulation capability at a test
bench level. The core of the Andromeda
system is a high-speed, real-time controller
 83
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Left: A&D Technology’s real-time

HiL and simulation system

enables drivability assessment and

that runs the vehicle simulation models as
well as the algorithms to control the
primary testing equipment such as the
dynamometer, drive, battery simulator,
battery load devices and related power
electronics. As the HEV system evolves with
new parts, the virtual components such as
transmissions, energy storage devices, and
electric motors/generators can then be
exchanged within the simulation. This
flexibility makes it possible to investigate
different concepts (including parallel,
series, and split powertrain designs), and
component sizes of the hybrid electric
vehicle powertrain in respect to fuel
consumption and exhaust-gas emissions.
In the path to hybridization, it is clear
that HiL simulation is critical to the
development and test phase in order to
maintain reliability and time-to-market
requirements in a highly cost-sensitive
world. Implementing HiL simulation
development to become a part of the
vehicle creation process at a much earlier
stage than is seen today.
NextGen Research forecasts that the
market for consumer hybrid vehicles will
grow at a 28% annual rate from 2008,
when 550,000 HEVs were sold worldwide,
to sales of 1.9 million by 2013. The car
makers who successfully address the
influences of comfort, pedal response, and
uniformity in acceleration and gear shifting
while neutralizing the negative impacts of
oscillation, torque variation, noise, and
vibration will have the most to gain in this
projected HEV market. E&H

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Mahoney at A&D Technology
✆ +1 734 822 9558
@ info@aanddtech.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 502

Hybrid Design Services, Inc.

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We provide hybrid vehicle and renewable energy system simulation, design, engineering,
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84
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
ENERGY-EFFICIENT
PRODUCTION
Are lamination die systems the answer for motor designers
seeking complete freedom with 3D part geometry?
■ ‘Green’ and ‘energy-efficient’ are two
terms used to describe all sorts of new
products. The advertiser hopes consumers
will assume that the product is good for
society and the environment, but this is
often not the case, resulting in many
consumers becoming skeptical.
If a product or process is ever truly
green, it is when its manufacture is miserly
in the use of raw materials and labor, and
when the final product performs with
energy efficiency. LH Industries wants to
explore this, especially in relation to the
manufacture of electric motors.
The design engineer of an electric motor
has the challenging responsibility of
striking an optimum balance with factors
such as core design, winding specification,
mechanical componentry, and a precise and
compact assembly. She/he aims to achieve
the sometimes incompatible goals of energy
efficiency, cool and quiet operation,
reliability, and longevity – all at a highly
competitive price.
The rotor and stator cores are at the
beginning of this process. One of the
company’s missions is to consider die and
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Above: Lamination strips nested for material savings
stamping techniques for producing
laminations/cores that bring to realization
the engineers’ performance goals and
consume electrical steel economically.
Keeping the amount of raw material in the
product to an absolute minimum saves
money and ensures greenness.
A combination of efficient motor design
and the efficient use of lamination steel is,
fortunately, not contradictory. Generally, the
stator designs with the highest level of
Left and below: Images of the electromagnetic cores
stock utilization are linear designs. These
would include ‘slinky’ strips and linear,
formable stators, with the most efficient of
these being nested in the strip. Such
designs can keep offal to a low of 15-20%,
depending on the lamination’s design.
Linear strips that cannot be nested consume
more material, perhaps up to 40% offal.
By comparison, most typical rotor/stator
progressive straight-strip layouts have offal
percentages of well over 50%. Material
consumption may be reduced in nested
multi-row layouts or through the use of
‘zigzag’ contoured coil stock. There are
great advantages to this more traditional
style of lamination/core production.
For example, through the interlocking of
laminations, coupled with the automatic
skewing and stack rotation, finished cores
are produced with the best possible
parallelism and perpendicularity. No
secondary operations are required.
Regardless of the method chosen, the
production of high-efficiency motor designs
requires consistently precise rotor and/or
stator cores. Control of the stamping and
interlocking process becomes increasingly
important as motor cores get longer
(making taller stack heights).
The alignment and concentricity of the
final motor assembly system depends on
the quality of the cores on which the entire
assembly is constructed. The precise
measurement of coil stock entering the
lamination die is another technique the
company uses to assure close control of
stack height and to save on material use.
Control of stack height to a range of less
 85
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

than ± one lam thickness is consistently

achievable.
The motor designer has other important
considerations: envelope-size constraints,
precise mounting requirements, winding
specifications with high-percentage slot fills,
and insulation. An economical lamination-
strip configuration, coupled with advanced
technology such as LH Carbide’s Varilok,
may extend material, manufacturing and
space savings, through eliminating parts
Above: State-of-the-art multi-row lamination stamping systems on offer from LH Industries in the USA
from the final assembly.
If mounting features are added as an
integral part of the stator core, material and By providing lamination die systems of motor possible, resulting in improved
labor can be saved and the accuracy of the such impressive capability, LH Industries operating economy, performance, quality,
final assembly can be improved. Varilok can give automotive motor designer’s and accuracy – all at the lowest
techniques can be applied to linear, complete freedom with 3D-part geometry, manufacturing cost. Such a process is green
formable stators and the more conventional allowing him/her to apply advanced by any definition, and is a great beginning
interlocked rotor/stator designs. techniques to produce the most efficient for efficient motor design. E&H

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Tom Neuenschwander at LH Industries Corp
✆ +1 260 432 5563 ext: 1251
@ tneuensc@lhindustries.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 503

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July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

EDTA is your information source on the electric drive industry.
Driving toward:
> economic strength
> energy security
> sustainable mobility
> environmental quality

Electric Drive Transportation Association

electricdrive.org • 1-202-408-0774
 87
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Above: AVL built its Turbo-Hybrid powertrain last
year and applied it to a BMW 3 Series. The engine
was developed in cooperation with Bosch and LUK
TURBO HYBRID
DEMONSTRATOR
An innovative demonstrator project has shown that it’s possible
to combine high fuel efficiency with a fun-to-drive element
■ Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
reduction will remain the key challenge for
the automotive industry for many years due
to legislative, social, environmental and
economic reasons. However, for most
vehicle classes, this can’t be the only focus
as customer expectations regarding
drivability and the fun-to-drive element
also have to be met. If two vehicles show
the same fuel consumption, in most cases
the one that will be purchased will be the
product that offers sporty characteristics or
high comfort levels.
A detailed analysis of the fuel economy
potential offered by hybridization of a
gasoline engine shows that the shifting of
the operation points of the IC engine is a
major effect. The classical hybrid functions
(brake energy recuperation and idle stop/
start) have less potential; this can be gained
only by a hybrid system. The overall
powertrain has to be optimized in order to
achieve the maximum fuel reduction.
Downsizing the combustion engine and
downspeeding by wide ratio spread and
proper final drive ratio leads to a
tremendous increase in fuel efficiency. The
impact on drivability due to these measures
is compensated or even over-compensated
by the additional use of an electric drive. To
avoid suffering a low battery, which would
disable the torque support from the e-drive,
Austria-based AVL has developed and
patented a special strategy to guarantee a
high level of battery charge. Energy needed
for support at low engine speeds is gained
back at higher speeds by using the
overboost capability of the turbocharged

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

88
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Right: AVL’s Turbo Hybrid powertrain realizes high fuel
efficiency and an outstanding fun-to-drive aspect
combustion engine. Under full load
conditions, a reloading of the battery is
possible. Thus, the Turbo-Hybrid was born.
In 2008, AVL built its Turbo-Hybrid
powertrain in a BMW 3 Series demo vehicle
in cooperation with Bosch and LUK. In
comparison to a 2008 reference vehicle, a
fuel reduction of 10% in the NEDC could
be demonstrated, and the overall driving
performance and fun-to-drive aspect is
improved. The strategy of recharging
the battery by engine overboost was
successfully demonstrated on the test track
and in real-world operation. With moderate
add-on costs for the combustion engine,
the required add-on costs for the electric
components can be reduced, resulting in
lower drivetrain costs and a better benefit-
to-cost ratio than other hybrid systems.
The driving range of electric vehicles is a
fundamental element in market acceptance
and success. An intelligent system approach
using new range-extender technologies
addresses this primary requirement. AVL
has developed an innovative range extender
technology demonstrator to meet the
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
requirements of lowest NVH levels, smallest
package space, high power/weight ratio,
system integration, and competitive
production costs.
To reduce costs and vehicle weight, the
battery size and output are optimized for
the majority of driving schedules. Longer
driving distances, which are driven less
frequently, will not be covered by the
battery alone. For these longer distances, a
user needs to extend vehicle driving range.
The AVL range extender is an independent
auxiliary power unit added to pure electric
drive vehicles to extend the operational
driving range beyond what is possible in
pure electric mode.
The modular design of the AVL range
extender has focused on the acoustics,
weight, and packaging space, with
competitive production costs and
system efficiency for the required output.
Depending on the specific application,
the internal combustion engine can be
designed as a two- or four-stroke piston
engine, or, for the lowest NVH and
compactness, as a rotary engine. Because
of the specific drivetrain system layout, the
electrical system and the internal
combustion engine can be optimized for
single point operation. All the range
extender functionalities are integrated in a
modular package to minimize interfaces
with the vehicle.
The AVL range extender solution can be
tailored to meet specific customer vehicle
requirements. There are also benefits from a
reduced development effort due to the
reduced system complexity and optimum
system efficiency with minimum fuel
consumption in addition to a production
volume design.
Based on highly integrated core
competencies in powertrain engineering,
testing, and simulation, AVL’s specific range
extender services encompass concept
development and simulation to technical
specification development, IC engine and
electronic system integration, model-based
component optimization, operation
strategies, and controls, up to verification
and prototype and production
development. E&H
Left: The range extender is a unique system
that provides efficiency at an optimized cost
Contact the author
Klaus-Peter Zeyen at AVL
:www.avl.com/turbohybrid
: www.avl.com/rangeextender
4 Reader Enquiry Card No. 504
 M13en_0509

More: Less:
25% fuel savings Fueling stops

The Hydraulic Hybrid from Rexroth reduces fuel costs by up to 25%.

The Hydrostatic Regenerative Braking System HRB from Rexroth helps you bring fuel con-
sumption under control. Virtually complete recovery of braking energy makes HRB especially
effective for stop-and-go driving. Heavy vehicles like refuse trucks, buses, or fork lifts can
achieve reductions of up to 25% in fuel costs and up to 40% in brake wear – protecting both:
the environment and your budget. Bosch Rexroth. The Drive & Control Company

Bosch Rexroth AG
www.boschrexroth.com/hrb

8609_M13en_210x297.indd 1 02.07.09 10:25

90
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TIME-TO-MARKET
OPTIMIZATION
A complete three-phase inverter design kit that can handle
power up to 80kW is set to take the (H)EV sector by storm
■ HEVs and pure EVs are already playing
a key role in the reduction of energy
consumption and CO2 emissions in
personal transportation. Infineon now
offers a complete three-phase inverter
system – the HybridKIT – which supports
designers in minimizing efforts during the
development of (H)EV architecture and in
evaluating Infineon’s HybridPACK2, an
IGBT power module designed for
applications up to 80kW.
The HybridKIT for HybridPACK2
features a typical three-phase inverter
design. A DC-link capacitor is used in
inverter systems to decouple the battery
and the module, with film capacitors
being the most appropriate choice in this
context. The most important parameters
to be dimensioned are working voltage,
allowed ripple voltage and RMS current. In
order to achieve a low stray inductance of
the complete system, the module and
capacitor have to be matched mechanically.
Power losses occurring in the module
have to be dissipated to ensure they do
not exceed the maximum permissible
temperature specified in the manufacturer’s
module data sheet. As a result, the design
of the cooling system is of great importance
to achieve best performance.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Implementation of a complete set of
control, monitoring, evaluation, security
and protection functions on the driver and
control board involves concept design
including component selection, schematics
design and determination of a layout that
ensures a good EMC performance and
includes the necessary clearance and
creepage distances. Furthermore, software
has to be developed, tested and fully
debugged. A great effort has to be made to
build an inverter system that will play an
important part in (H)EV architectures.
The design challenges have been taken
care of completely in the HybridKIT
package (Figure 1). Therefore, a smart
solution is offered to the industry, enabling
an easy and fast development of the
inverter and complete (H)EV architecture
design. Time to market can be optimized as
a result of quick evaluation. The HybridKIT
technology not only represents a reference
design, but also enables early system tests
when included in a hardware-in-the-loop
(HiL) or first in-vehicle packaging studies.
Infineon’s power module HybridPACKM2,
as the first important block of HybridKIT,
fulfills special requirements with regard to
thermal cycle stability in an automobile.
Great improvements were made during the
Figure 1: Design challenges have
been overcome with HybridKit2
development of the HybridPACK module
family both to the connection of the
bonding wires on the chip surface and to
the solder joints between base plate and
substrate, satisfying the requirements of
most liquid-cooled systems.
The design of HybridPACK2 is geared to
the requirements of an 80kW drive and
temperature measurement via the NTC
elements of HybridPACK2.
Designed for a junction operation
temperature at 150°C, the module
accommodates a six-pack configuration of
third-generation Trench-Field-Stop IGBT
and matching emitter controlled diodes. It
is rated up to 800A/650V and offers lowest
conduction and switching losses.
HybridKIT also includes the DC-link
capacitor B25655J4507K from the
company Epcos AG. It is electrically and
mechanically matched, resulting in a
compact design with low stray inductance.
It is adapted and tested to ensure a perfect
fit to HybridPACK2. For applications
requiring a higher power or operating
temperature, a water cooling element is
included, which can be screwed directly to
the IGBT module using an integrated
rubber gasket for proper sealing. All design
parameters are optimized for a compact
body and long lifetime.
The six-channel IGBT driver board has
been designed to be electrically and
mechanically optimized for HybridPACK2.
Main features include: a DC/DC power
supply, which ensures proper isolation of
the six different drivers; an isolated DC-link
voltage measurement; and temperature
measurement via the NTC elements.
The logic board contains all parts for the
control of the driver board. It offers the
interface for all the others elements that
build a complete inverter system: motor
interface; current sense interface and
communication (CAN and RS232). The
onboard Infineon microcontroller
(TC1767) enables easy implementation. As
the HybridKIT comes with a documentation
which includes parts list, circuit design and
layout data, it enables an accelerated start
towards your (H)EV system. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHORS
Carlos Castro and André Wankelmuth at Infineon
✆ +49 89 2340
:www.infineon.com/hybrid
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 505

SCS Parylene C Adhesion
Autoclave 125 C
(1 hr)
Test Conditions
48 hrs @ 50% RH
24 hrs @ 50% RH
Adhesion test per ASTM 3359 tape test method (0=Poor; 5=Excellent)
CONFORMAL
COATINGS
Advanced, new coatings and adhesion technologies are playing
an ever-important role in the latest automotive applications
■ To meet consumer demands for safety
and efficiency, and legislative demands for
a cleaner, more efficient operation, the
transportation industry must continue to
advance drivetrain, battery storage, electric
motor, fuel cell and renewable fuel source
technologies. As these advanced systems
become more sophisticated and complex,
new challenges are met along the way.
First, designers are being tasked with
increasing the functionality of electronic
packages while decreasing their emissions
footprint. This dynamic leads to compact
packages that function at a high level, but
also produce more heat than older designs.
Additionally, components must decrease in
size in order to fit, so they are often delicate
and complex in nature.
For many years now, automotive
manufacturers have relied on conformal
coatings to protect components from
automotive elements including
temperatures and exposure to moisture,
chemicals and gases. However, some
common conformal coating formulations
fail because they cannot survive the
operating environment; are too heavy to
coat delicate components; or their uneven
nature results in voids that create failures.
Parylene conformal coatings are inert,
pinhole-free coatings that are applied via a
room temperature, vapor-phase deposition
process. Parylene has been used in the auto
industry for nearly 40 years due to the
excellent chemical, moisture and dielectric
barrier protection they provide. Parylene
coatings are ultra-thin and lightweight, and
as a result they do not add much mass to
delicate, critical components. Their ultra-
thin nature enables Parylene coatings to
penetrate even the smallest of crevices,
resulting in complete encapsulation.
Second, materials such as glass, silicon,
plastics and carbon fiber are making their
way into these electronics designs, and at
times present a material challenge of their
own. Adhesion of a coating to a substrate is
critical to the effectiveness of the coating.
Without good coating adhesion, moisture
can pass through the coating and deposit
on the substrate, creating blisters (bubbles),
corrosion and electrical failure. With new
materials and substrates being used in
automotive applications, adhesion
technologies must also improve to meet the
new demands of these materials.
Optimal adhesion of Parylene to a wide
variety of substrates such as metal, plastic,
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
91
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Left: Comparison of adhesion
promoter performance
Below: The Parylene is applied
via a room temperature
vacuum deposition process
elastomer, glass and paper is commonly
achieved with a treatment of A-174 silane.
A solution for designers that face material
challenges in the design of their products is
AdPro Plus, an adhesion technology
developed by Specialty Coating Systems
that improves adhesion of Parylene coatings
to challenging substrates including
titanium, stainless steel, gold, chromium,
Santoprene, polyimide and solder mask.
AdPro Plus enables Parylene coatings to
protect the wide range of materials that are
used in today’s complex technologies.
Finally, as environments continue to
become more extreme, components must
survive rising operating temperatures,
exposure to corrosive fluids, chemicals
and gases, and exposure to UV light.
Many traditional coatings crack or split
after such exposure, causing premature
failure of components, which in turn
creates expensive warranty claims for
manufacturers.
Parylene HT, engineered by Specialty
Coating Systems, offers unmatched
protection in high-temperature
environments (up to 350°C long term,
450°C short term), making it an ideal
conformal coating to protect parts such
as MEMS, sensors, fuel cells, hybrid
components and circuit assemblies used in
leading-edge technologies. Parylene HT also
provides excellent dielectric protection and
superior UV stability. In addition, AdPro
Plus has demonstrated improved stability at
elevated temperatures, making it an
excellent adhesion tool for applications in
automotive harsh environments. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Alan Hardy at Specialty Coating Systems
✆ +1 317 244 1200 ext. 261
@ ahardy@scscoatings.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 506
92
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
ADVANCED VEHICLE
COOLING
The ever-increasing need to equip vehicles with energy-efficient
components is being catered for by a leading Italian supplier
■ Reducing total vehicle energy demand
and managing its energy consumption
better is increasingly important as energy
becomes an evermore precious commodity.
The value of a vehicle’s energy-efficient
system or components is gaining
importance due to the rising cost of
traditional fossil fuels and the increasing
investment in alternative propulsion
systems to produce low-emission and
zero-emission vehicles.
SPAL, a technology leader in the field of
electric ventilation systems, has analyzed
the growing needs of vehicles equipped
with hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell-based
propulsion systems. The Italian supplier
has worked closely with leading vehicle
manufacturers to design and develop a
series of key functions for the vehicle
cooling system.
The company’s new range of brushless
motors equips axial fans and centrifugal
blowers for applications such as energy
storage cooling, engine cooling, and HVAC
– including the SBL300 sealed brushless
motor that features a wide range of benefits.
Because of the use of high-energy
rare-earth magnets, and a state-of-the-art
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
sine-wave sensorless drive, the SBL 300 can
reach a remarkable electrical efficiency of
85%. This makes it one of the most efficient
motors in the 300W power range. This is
further sustained by the use of dedicated
high-performance fan designs that optimize
fluid dynamic performance. The result is
high airside performance at minimum
electrical load.
The SBL300 is IP68 and IP6K9K
compliant, and that means that the motor is
fully sealed and can operate in the presence
of any aggressive or hazardous substance.
The integrated power and control
electronics are separated within the motor
to ensure the control electronics operate at
lower surface temperature levels, this
greatly increasing durability and overall
product reliability.
The SBL300 has a double-sealed ball
bearing design, guaranteeing an impressive
product life of more than 30,000 hours.
Compact vehicle designs and the need
to contain vehicle weight require small,
lightweight components. An innovative
inner rotor design uses rare-earth magnets
in place of traditional ferrite magnets and
an all-aluminum body construction. Both
Left and below: Completely sealed
brushless motor fan offers IP68 and
IP6K9K waterproof protection
the overall motor dimensions and weight
are greatly reduced so that the SBL300
can offer a 650g weight saving over other
motors of comparable power.
Another important aspect that has been
taken into account during the design of the
SBL300 is the need to operate with a low
NVH, given the reduced noise levels of an
electrically driven vehicle. The low inertia
rotor greatly reduces mechanical unbalance,
and an optimized fan design further reduces
mechanical and air-rush noise.
For the highest overall system efficiency,
it is important not to waste energy. The
SBL300 is continuously regulated by a
PWM signal, which enables the fan to run
at the ideal speed to perform the required
function. Personalized advance control
strategies are available at a customer’s
request, and the onboard diagnostic
capabilities and built-in protection features
are readily available.
As a company that continues to expand,
SPAL addresses the ventilation needs of the
upcoming hybrid, electric and fuel-cell
vehicle applications, new-generation
internal combustion engines, and advanced
HVAC systems. E&H
CONTACT THE COMPANY
:www.spal.it
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 507

POWER SOLUTIONS
A new class of phosphate chemistry cathode materials has been
pioneered that could drive forward the international EV market
■ Automotive manufacturers are actively
developing and marketing several types of
EVs, such as HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs. The
vehicles differ through their respective
drivetrains, a combination of the IC engine
and electric motor powered with large
battery packs, ranging from 10-80kWh.
For more than two decades, Valence
Technology has been developing battery
electrode-cathode materials and large
format battery-cell technologies to help
meet the varied demands of safety,
temperature stability, long life and a wide
range of charge/discharge from 1-30C that
drivetrain power demands.
The IC engine has dominated road
transport for more than 100 years. It has
evolved into a low-cost, reliable machine
for lifestyle comfort, convenience and
good performance. Society has grown
accustomed to the operational parameters
of a typical mid-range IC engine vehicle,
and to gain public acceptance, the EV must
Battery capacity
HEV 10kWh
PHEV 20kWh
EV 40kWh
Figure 1: Performance requirements of the battery pack and what’s needed to meet such challenging parameters
match these parameters as closely as
possible. This places great demands on the
battery system. Figure 1 shows the typical
battery pack performance requirement
needed to meet these parameters.
To be competitive, the batteries have to
be easily recycled, completely safe, and
achieve a long-term cost target of
approximately US$0.25/Wh. Batteries also
need to have a useful service life of around
10 years, and work within operating
temperatures of -30°C to +50°C.
Valence has focused on developing four
key areas for large-format large-capacity EV
battery technologies: cathode electrode
materials, large-format cells, battery pack
and battery management system
electronics. It has made important and
innovative advances in each area.
To reduce the fire hazard posed by the
earlier lithium-ion cells, such as lithium
cobalt oxide cathode (LCO) materials, at
high temperature, Valence has pioneered a
Discharge C-rate Battery pack weight
10-30 150 lb
10-20 250 lb
10 550 lb
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
93
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Left: Valence’s battery management system
adds value with one unit per system
handling up to 100 modules or 800V
new class of lithium phosphate cathode
materials: lithium iron magnesium
phosphate (LFMP); lithium vanadium
phosphate (LVP); and lithium vanadium
fluorophosphate (LVPF). These are very
stable under all extreme conditions, and at
high temperatures. Using LFMP chemistry,
Valence has commercially marketed large
format battery packs since 2005. It has an
unblemished safety record.
The life of most LFMP cells is 1,000-
2,000 cycles at 80% initial capacity. To
address the slightly lower specific capacity
density of LFMP, Valence has developed
proprietary LVP cathode powder, rivaling
the capacity density of LCO.
Valence was a pioneer in developing large
format prismatic cells in the 1990s, and has
successfully marketed portable power packs
using prismatic 5Ah cells. Its new energy-
cell design, the prismatic single 10Ah
cell, is a large capacity format with an
impressive power rate up to 10C, and it
also has exceptional safety properties. These
batteries could meet both PHEV and BEV
applications with only a simple air-cooling
system. This has the advantage of making
powertrain design simpler.
The company has also successfully
commercialized its U-Charge range of large
battery packs. This includes standalone
packs with voltages from 12-19V and
capacities of 40-138Ah. The company’s
battery management system (BMS) protects
the packs and provides effective balancing
of the component cells during charging.
The batteries can be linked in series or
parallel to form a large battery bank – an
example would be a 700V pack for an HEV
bus application. The packs show a long and
stable life of 2,800 cycles at 80% remaining
capacity.
A new class of phosphate chemistry
cathode materials pioneered by Valence
could provide the critical impetus to kick-
start the EV market. With its commercial
experience of large battery packs and BMS
electronics, Valence is well positioned to
meet EV battery demands on safety, life
cycle, and power rating. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Dr K. C. Lim at Valence Technology
✆ +44 28 9084 5401
@ KC.lim@valence.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 508
94
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
BATTERY PACKS
The battery pack is the heart of any electric vehicle, and getting
it right is essential to provide satisfactory vehicle performance
■ Governments in Europe and North
America are aggressively driving industry to
electrify personal transport. There are
grants and tax benefits for OEMs, and tax
breaks for EV drivers to encourage the
change. The pressure on the OEMs has
been passed on to suppliers and
engineering consultancies to deliver the
required systems and componentry to make
viable FEVs, HEVs and PHEVs.
Battery pack technology is critical. OEMs
will succeed or fail by the safety, reliability
and performance of the battery packs used
in their vehicles. Depending on powertrain
configuration – FEV, HEV or PHEV – there
are differing requirements.
The HEV requires higher power density
to deliver and absorb large amounts of
energy into a relatively small battery pack
(<5kWh). This requires different
characteristics to an FEV, which has a larger
battery pack (up to 80kWh), and energy
density takes priority. Plug-in hybrids lie
somewhere in-between, typically much
closer to hybrids (10-30kWh), depending
on their EV-mode driving range.
When requested to deliver a 600V
battery system for an FEV, Lithium Balance
took the opportunity to see how intelligent
a battery system its engineers could
develop. To achieve the target voltage, 144
cells had to be connected in series, battery
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
management was crucial here because Li-
ion batteries need to be kept within a
recommended voltage range – going above
or below that voltage range shortens the life
of the battery cells dramatically, and with
some Li-ion chemistries, overcharging
incurs a fire risk.
The batteries all need to be charged to
the same level and discharged at the same
rate to prevent individual cells operating
outside their specified range and being
damaged as a result. This is more difficult
than it seems as factory-supplied batteries
are not identical and will start to diverge in
terms of state of charge (SOC) after a few
charge/discharge cycles. To prevent this, the
battery pack needs to be balanced so that
the individual battery cells are charged and
discharged equally.
Many of the high-performance Li-ion
batteries for EVs and HEVs come as
prismatic cells, metalized, flexible plastic
rectangular sacks with two electrodes
emerging from them. These batteries need
to be mounted and protected before they
can be safely used. The prismatic cell
design benefits from low weight and has
provision for expansion if the cell heats up,
delaying cell rupture.
To make a practical battery pack out of
these cells, Lithium Balance started by
grouping individual cells in batches of
Main image: Modular battery
pack showing 30V battery
units with connected
communications buses
Left: Modular battery showing
internals and finished battery
eight, using a custom, printed circuit
board that positioned them with a small
expansion gap in-between and connected
them in series. These modules were housed
in a PVC box with an elastomeric filler to
cushion the individual cells.
As each battery cell needed to be
individually monitored, this would have
meant at least 144 cables going to the
individual cells. Lithium Balance engineers
were able to avoid this cable spaghetti by
using a modular battery management
system in which local monitoring units
(LMUs) take care of the individual up to
eight cells/LMU with a central management
unit (BMCU) managing the whole pack.
The LMUs were daisy-chained in series to
reduce the cabling to a single four-strand
cable that ran from LMU to LMU before
terminating in the BMCU, which, in turn,
interfaced with the vehicle CANbus.
In this way, Lithium Balance could add
an LMU to each individual battery module,
making the system modular with building
blocks made up of eight-cell (30V) batteries.
All that remained was to make a suitable
main switch box – a key feature in modern
battery packs as the high voltage and power
densities of modern battery packs mean
engineers cannot simply use mechanical
switches or solid-state switches alone.
Instead, Lithium Balance made use of
semiconductor and mechanical switches in
combination. The end result was a simple
and tidy arrangement of the battery system
with a minimum of wires, which provides
the necessary performance to the
satisfaction of all concerned. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Adetunji Adebusuyi at Lithium Balance
✆ +45 58 51 50 12
@ info@lithiumbalance.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 509

FAST-CHARGING
SYSTEMS
Having supplied the forklift market with fast-charging units
for over a decade, Aker Wade is now turning its focus to EVs
n Fast-charging systems for EVs are not
a new concept. They first began to be
adopted for electric forklift fleets more than
10 years ago, and today, tens of thousands
of forklifts are fast charged. Many of these
chargers come from Aker Wade Power
Technologies, based in Virginia, USA.
The company has now launched a full
line of intelligent fast chargers, developed
by its power electronics engineers and
industrial software specialists. With wireless
networking and web-interface capability,
they have alerted the forklift industry to
the value of a smarter, faster charger.
Aker Wade rose to the top end of the
industry through a better technology and
a simple business model. CEO Bret Aker
states, “We only build fast chargers.”
The EV world is waking up to the need
for fast charging, and the company is ready.
Aker explains, “Fast chargers will play a
pivotal role in the adoption of EVs.
“Although the majority of infrastructure
will be for standard-rate chargers, fast
charging solves a variety of problems for
different users including those wanting to
travel long distances and fleet operators
with heavy usage vehicles. Even proponents
of battery swapping have embraced fast
charging to reduce their battery inventory.”
Aker Wade has developed several fast
chargers for leading EV makers and
network implementers. It is also adapting
their chargers into Level 3 DC fast-charging
stations. These have the ability to charge
Li-ion batteries in as little as 10-15 minutes,
similar to the time to pump gas.
“People are already comfortable buying
and pumping gas and the EV fast-charging
experience should be no different to that,”
says Aker.
The company’s EV charger technology is
similar to that used in their industrial
chargers. The major difference is that, with
forklifts, the charger dictates the power
output, based on feedback from the battery.
Charge rates for EVs are usually controlled
by a battery management system (BMS) that
comes with each battery.
“The BMS tells our charger how much
power to deliver,” says Aker. “Lithium-ion
chemistries vary, and they each need to be
charged differently. ”
One of the major implications here is
that the speed of the charge is driven by the
BMS. Depending on the battery chemistry,
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
95
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Left: Aker Wade has developed
several fast chargers for leading EV
makers and network implementers
it can take 10-30 minutes for a full charge
using current battery technologies. For fast
charging to be adopted across the world,
BMS and connector standards are critical.
Aker Wade is working with several
organizations to advance these standards,
and its fast chargers are being designed to
charge EVs from most major US, Japanese
and European car makers.
“The eventual goal is for all manufacturers
of EVs to adopt a common connection
standard worldwide,” explains Aker. “We’re
working to make sure that happens soon.”
So what role will fast charging play in the
future? Proponents are convinced it is one
of the keys to EV adoption.
“Fast charging means we can provide
consumers with what they want – a quick
in-and-out – using off-peak energy, stored
locally,” says Aker.
“Electrical energy can be distributed,
stored, and used much as hydrocarbon
fuels are today,” he adds.
“This is a ‘win-win-win’ situation as the
economics are attractive for the consumer,
the energy provider and also the energy
reseller. By shifting the load to the grid at
night, we save money, and avoid adding
load to the electricity grid when power is in
high demand.” E&H
Contact the company
: www.akerwade.com
4 Reader Enquiry Card No. 510
96
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Tank IC Engine
Electric
Engine
Auxiliaries and Additional
Hybrid Auxiliaries
Traction
Battery
DRIVELINE ENERGY
Understanding energy flow in hybridized vehicles is not easy,
but there’s now a program on the market to help engineers
■ Romax Technology continues to
expand its hybrid vehicle expertise with the
further development of advanced driveline
analysis capabilities for hybrid vehicles.
Latest developments include the detailed
reactions of all driveline elements to
changes in vehicle use typical of real-world
driving scenarios, and the subsequent
optimization opportunities that such
knowledge permits.
The ongoing concerns over vehicle
emissions and the cost of energy continues
to drive the industry toward more efficient
solutions, with hybridization and the
electrification of vehicles seen as the natural
progression. Having recognized this trend,
Romax Technology has, over the past few
years, developed technical capabilities and
solutions that give engineers a detailed
analysis of energy use throughout the
hybrid vehicle driveline, the related
behavior of the components within
that driveline, and hence a thorough
understanding of the contributions to,
and effects on, overall fuel use.
Initial development work showed
detailed energy flows through all energy
flow paths in the vehicle driveline, within
all subcomponents of that driveline, and
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Gearbox
Hydraulic
Pump
Electric
DCDC
Vehicle System
with the capability to subdivide those
energy flows into different operating states.
This immediately opened up the ‘black box’
that is the complex interaction and flow of
energy within a hybrid vehicle, showing
how and where all the energy is distributed.
Given the number of possible hybrid
vehicle driveline configurations and control
strategies, the search for the optimum is
truly the crux of the matter. Romax’s latest
optimization development is a detailed
fuel stack-up analysis, with which engineers
can understand exactly how and why the
energy demand is as it is – covering aspects
such as efficiency losses in parts, subsequent
energy demands that these place on other
components, and how these change with
different modes of vehicle driving.
Left: Total driveline energy analysis begins
with a top-level driveline overview
Below: Detailed energy methods blend
seamlessly with driveline analysis expertise
Consider the following scenario: an
engineer develops, analyzes, and optimizes
a vehicle driveline for a specific set of
conditions – such as the vehicle weight,
drive cycle, and the power demand of the
auxiliaries. In the real world, however, it is
rarely so predictable that it fits a predefined
operating condition, and so, for example,
aspects such as what happens when the
vehicle weight changes, the driving route
differs, or the air-conditioning is running
at maximum power need to be taken into
full consideration. The fuel consumption
readings will change, but the key question
is, do the automotive engineers understand
why it has changed?
Romax’s fuel stack-up method monitors
exactly what happens when use of the
driveline changes. The energy change at
source is relatively easy to understand,
but this would have a knock-on effect
throughout the rest of the driveline. The
first connected component, for example,
would see a change in the demand for
energy coming from it. This has two effects:
one, if more energy out is needed, then
more energy in is required. Yet that change
in energy flow through the component
will, more than likely, affect the efficiency
of that component. This adds a secondary
contribution to the amount of energy
demand required by that component. The
two are therefore intrinsically linked.
This is the situation across only one
component, but what then happens in a
complete vehicle driveline, across a chain of
many components and subsystems? What
happens when there is more than one
source change in total energy demand?
Suddenly, the contributions to and reasons
for changes in overall energy and hence fuel
consumption can grow out of proportion.
To understand exactly what is happening, it
is essential to understand how and why the
overall fuel consumption has changed, and
therefore to make an optimized vehicle
driveline that is robust to a broad range of
perceived operating conditions.
By adding this feature to its portfolio,
Romax Technology has moved another step
forward in offering complete hybrid vehicle
design and optimization capabilities in the
growing field of hybrid and electrified
vehicle drivelines. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Jones at Romax Technology
✆ +44 115 951 8836
@ lindsey.jones@romaxtech.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 511
2164 Romax Technology AD 27/5/09 09:06 Page 1

Improve Fuel Consumption

with Romax Hybrid
Engineering Services
Finding the right hybrid concept is definitely challenging.
With Romax hybrid engineering services, it doesn’t have to be.
We can help you to:
• Compare and contrast different hybrid driveline structures with our advanced
energy flow analysis
• Predict efficiencies of driveline sub-systems
• Modify and optimise driveline layout and operation
Battery
• Analyse and improve fuel consumption across all operating conditions and vehicle life
Power Split
Device
Electric
What makes us unique?
Generator Motor • Break down of energy flow in the driveline to an unmatched level of detail
• Ability to compare functional efficiencies of different driveline architectures
• Guidance on design optimisation without being overwhelmed by data
Internal • Enabling a unique understanding of energy flow behaviour in different states
Combustion
Engine

To find out how Romax hybrid engineering

services can help you
Visit: www.romaxtech.com
Mail: sales@romaxtech.com

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98
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
VIRTUAL VEHICLES
Innovative development tools and technologies for the
efficient design and production of hybrid and electric vehicles
■ The need for lower fuel consumption
and reduced exhaust emissions has meant
the automotive industry has had to steadily
increase efforts to realize optimized hybrid
and electric cars. The latest developments
in the field of advanced electrical energy
storage technologies and innovative
electromechanical propulsion concepts,
with the appropriate control, open up new
perspectives for vehicles via improved
performance and reliability.
Sophisticated drive components with
reduced losses offer the possibility of
advancing the energy efficiency of the entire
drivetrain. Serial, parallel and combined
hybrid-electric concepts reduce exhaust
and acoustic emissions down to zero and
increase driving comfort and pleasure by
optimizing the interaction between the key
components during appropriate operation
modes. This may be turning off the
combustion engine during intermittent
periods or standstill, driving in electric
mode only, or supporting the combustion
engine during acceleration.
The design and development of key
electrical components are challenges that
need to be overcome if alternative vehicles
are to be realized. Engineering hurdles
aside, the advantages of such vehicles are
promising. Due to the high complexity
of hybrid drivetrains, comprehensive
investigations during the concept and
design phase of the entire drivetrain are
essential to realize highly optimized and
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
fine-tuned hybrid drives. Yet, a minimal
input of development time and costs is
also essential. Vehicle simulation plays an
important role in this, because it enables an
evaluation of different concepts as well as
flexible parameter specification of different
drivetrain components at an early stage.
As a result, the simulation of hybrid and
electric vehicle concepts is a major tool
in the overall development process of key
components in vehicles.
To meet these challenging requirements,
advanced development tools and modern
technologies are needed. The Mobility
Department of the Austrian Institute of
Technology (AIT) provides modern
simulation and testing environments for
advanced electric and hybrid-electric
vehicle technologies. As a development
partner to the automotive industry, AIT
Mobility Department offers modeling,
simulation, designing, prototyping and
Above: Graphic data of the measured and simulated
battery voltage levels in a real life driving cycle
Left: The modelica simulation model of
the inner workings of an electric vehicle
Below: The measured temperature
distribution of a battery module
testing services for electric drives and
electric components for new, alternative
powered vehicles.
For several years now, AIT Mobility
Department has gained crucial experience
in applications dealing with innovative
drive concepts throughout the different
types of vehicle structures such as cars,
motorcycles, trucks, all-terrain vehicles
and construction machinery.
Both the modeling and simulation
environments developed at AIT Mobility
Department is based on Modelica/Dymola,
as this environment offers multi-physical
simulations of complex systems. By means
of numerous developed libraries such as the
SmartElectricDrives Library for controlled
electric drives, the SmartPowerTrain Library
for longitudinal simulations and the
SmartCooling Library for thermal
processes, AIT Mobility Department
provides tools for simulations on the
vehicle systems level. These libraries are
constantly updated due to further
development and validation processes.
Results gained from vehicle simulations
can be used directly to determine, for
example, the size and capacity of the
battery or the type and power of the
electric machine that best suit the
requirements for that individual
application. Furthermore, these results
deliver important inputs for designing
prototypes for power electronic devices or
control units that can be tested in an HIL
environment or, in the final stage of the
design process, in real prototype vehicles.
AIT Mobility Department sets a high
value on safety aspects and therefore offers
standardized tests on batteries and electric
machines as well as mechanical and
electrical abuse tests to ensure the greatest
safety possible in all types of automotive
applications. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Dr Christian Grabner at AIT Mobility Department
✆ +43 50 550 6328
@ christian.grabner@ait.ac.at
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 512
Europe’s most important dedicated trade fair for powertrain design,
production, components and technology!

2010 for 2010!

22, 23, 24 June 2010

Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
www.engine-expo.com

Book your stand now - contact Tim Sandford

For more information contact Tim Sandford on +44 (0)1306 743744
or email tim.sandford@ukintpress.com | www.engine-expo.com
100
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TEST SOLUTIONS
FOR EVs AND HEVs
As the auto industry evolves, the need for development programs
that cater for new eco-friendly technologies continues to grow
■ In the emerging hybrid and electric
vehicle market, OEMs are in the position of
providing new and innovative powertrains
to the consumer. But concerns regarding
the long-term reliability and durability
of EREVs and all other EVs remain. As a
result of this, it is critical for powertrain
developers to revise their test plans and
equipment to address the characteristics of
advanced electric powertrains. Testing as
early as possible in the design cycle enables
developers to discover issues and provide
higher quality at a lower cost. However,
traditional powertrain test equipment has
been sized for the characteristics of an IC
engine and is not always appropriate for
electrified powertrains.
In the early phase of a program, engine
testing is used to make development
decisions. It is focused on the individual
components, their boundary conditions,
and potential failure modes. Once the
powertrain design is relatively mature,
the test plan is refined to collect data for
controls development, requirements
validation, durability and preliminary
calibration. At this point, testing will be
performed on the powertrain subsystems,
such as the APU, which is an IC engine
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
coupled to an electric generator. When
engine development is nearing production
intent design, testing is used for calibration
refinement, safety and making fuel
economy and emissions predictions. All
testing is conducted at the vehicle level.
The torque and speed responses from an
electric motor are very different from that of
an IC engine. One of the key benefits of a
hybrid powertrain is the traction motor’s
ability to provide instantaneous maximum
torque at low speeds (which a conventional
powertrain cannot do), plus the added
benefit of it acting as a generator during
braking conditions. As a result, test cells
need to have dynamometers capable of
both absorbing and generating low-end
torque, as well as having bi-directional
operation up to 15,000rpm.
The test cells have to be flexible enough
to provide either bi-directional battery
emulation or support for the energy storage
systems (ESS) in the cell. ESS refinement is
continuing, and is likely to do so into the
foreseeable future. With the advent of
different Li-ion chemistries, as well as the
use of ultracapacitors, ESS can take on
many forms, and requires a battery
emulation system with broad ranges of
Left: FEV EREV Dodge Caliber with
40 mile AER utilizing a 21kWh Li-Ion
battery, UQM PP145 traction motor
and APU with a three cylinder IC
engine and UQM PP75 generator
voltage, current and power. FEV
has more than two decades’
experience designing,
implementing, integrating and
testing advanced technology
powertrains in a variety of industries.
FEV has had the foresight to expand the
company’s engine testing capabilities to
include equipment required for EREV and
EV powertrain testing in the company’s
Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Development
Center (HEVDC) in Auburn Hills,
Michigan. This center includes: hybrid
powertrain test cells capable of testing
either APUs or hybrid powertrains, E-motor
test rigs and transmission test rigs capable
of generating and absorbing the necessary
torque at the full speed range of an
electrified powertrain, and a hybrid-capable
four-wheel drive chassis dynamometer.
Each of the mentioned facilities has battery
emulators capable of generating and
absorbing the required voltage and current
levels necessary for EREVs and EVs. By
using the facilities of the HEVDC, along
with the experience of FEV’s highly trained
personnel, the company is able to offer
high-quality services from concept to
production development of electrified
powertrains and vehicles.
FEV converted a production Dodge
Caliber SE to a plug-in EREV. The revised
powertrain includes: an APU (a 1-liter,
three-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to a
UQM PP75 generator); UQM PP145
traction motor; DC/DC converter; and a
21kWh Li-ion battery pack. The test plan
for integrating the new powertrain into the
vehicle began with testing the APU in one
of FEV’s hybrid powertrain test cells. This
enabled calibration of the highest efficiency
operating points for the APU. Additional
subsystems were also tested independently.
Once preliminary calibration was complete,
the powertrain was integrated into the
vehicle. FEV then used the hybrid chassis
dynamometer to refine calibration and
determine range and fuel economy.
Additional testing, development, and
refinement are ongoing using FEV’s HEVDC
in Auburn Hills. E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Rzemien at FEV
✆ +1 248 373 6000 ext: 2254
@ rzemien@fev-et.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 513
Engine Expo 2010 will host its first-ever Pavilion
exclusively for suppliers and developers of electric, hybrid and fuel cell technologies

2010 AT ENGINE
EXPO 2010
!
22, 23, 24 June 2010
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
www.engine-expo.com

Book your stand now – contact Tim Sandford

For more information contact Tim Sandford on +44 (0)1306 743744
or email tim.sandford@ukintpress.com | www.engine-expo.com
102
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
NEXT-GENERATION
CELL SYSTEMS
A Taiwanese company has taken the covers off its new cell
technology, which boasts a 50% increase in energy density
■ LiFeBATT, a leading Taiwanese energy
solution provider, has just released its
second generation of cell technology that
boasts a 50% increase in energy density
while retaining its high discharge rate
capability and long life. In addition to
enhancing the energy density of the new
cells, fast charge characteristics of
LiFeBATT’s next-generation technology
have also been increased, allowing a 50%
state of charge (SOC) increase in six minutes.
The new cells are available in energy and
power-type powders, and they are already
proving to be very popular with OEMs
around the world. Several companies now
have prototype vehicles with the system,
and through its international technical
sales network, LiFeBATT is growing quickly
and bucking the credit crunch trend.
The LiFeBATT approach to battery
solutions has been to partner with vehicle
manufacturers that use innovative
techniques to bring their vehicles to
market. One such organization is the Blue
Bird Innovation Group (BBIG) which
has over a decade of innovation and
technological development in both electric
vehicle and infrastructure design. The BBIG
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
team first came to prominence with its
development and race engineering of the
electric Bluebird land speed record car,
which attained several speed records in
1998-2000 and was awarded a Millennium
Design Award in 2000.
Following the success of the Bluebird
project, the BBIG team went on to design a
highly innovative and technologically
advanced commercial vehicle, the XDV, for
its client, Express Dairies, although this
vehicle has yet to enter production. The
XDV was one of the first electric vehicles to
fully endorse ‘hot swap’ battery interchange
and champion the belief that the future
design of electric vehicles has to engineer
in lightness and efficiency at a competitive
cost in order for EVs to become fully
commercially viable, particularly in the
hard-nosed logistics and home-delivery
business sectors.
BBIG maintains that the future of
commercial EVs has to be commercially
viable to succeed.
“We see too many manufacturers
producing overly complex and overweight
vehicles, which are entering the market at
ridiculously high prices,” says BBIG’s head
Left and below: The LiFeBATT approach to
battery solutions has been to partner with
vehicle manufacturers that use innovative
techniques to bring their vehicles to market
of development, Martin Rees. “Producers
must realize that there should be no
premium put on green technology, and
until we see a raft of new designs at
affordable prices, commercial EVs will
struggle to be widely accepted.”
As a result, BBIG has advanced its
thinking into the adoption of viable cost
options for batteries.
“We see a great opportunity for battery
producers, such as our partner, LiFeBATT,
to bring new ideas on energy provision to
the EV world,” continues Rees. “It is no
longer acceptable just to sell or lease
expensive batteries to customers who need
to run their commercial operations on a
mileage rate similar to what they currently
use with diesel or petrol, and we are
fortunate to have LiFeBATT working with
us to bring new initiatives to market in the
very near future.”
BBIG has recently launched its second
generation QEV model, which the group
claims will be truly cost competitive with
regular diesel models of the same weight-
carrying capability (3.5 tons).
With an entry level price of just under
US$32,000, the QEV-2 looks set to take the
world by storm. LiFeBATT UK CEO, Ian
Goodman, is equally optimistic: “We are
very excited to be working with BBIG. It
has a long history of design innovation and
we look forward to bringing new initiatives
to market with BBIG and its vehicles.” E&H
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Ian Goodman at LiFeBATT
✆ +44 1702 527883
@ ian@lifebatt.co.uk
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 514
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LINKING INNOVATION TO EXECUTION

104
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
INNOVATIVE
COMPONENTS
From advanced AC three-phase electric motors to new Zebra
battery technology, a Swiss supplier is pushing the boundaries
■ Swiss company MES-DEA, based near
the Swiss-Italian border, has extensive
experience in the design, development and
manufacture of components for electric
vehicles. Its wide-ranging production
capabilities include AC induction motor
and inverters, AC/DC and DC/DC
converters, battery chargers, fluid heaters
for cockpit heating, vacuum pumps for
break circuit assistance, and the high-
energy ZEBRA battery.
MES-DEA started out as a company
specializing in components design and
production, but has grown over the past
decade to offer the industry a complete
design of solutions that convert
conventional cars to electric power.
Following the acquisition of ZEBRA
technology in 1999, MES-DEA began a
program focusing on the electrification of a
small fleet of electric Renault Twingos to
test the components. The results were so
good that the company decided to produce
a small series of electric Twingo models,
followed by production of electric Smart
and Panda models, produced in Italy by
ATEA. So far 66 Twingo and 50 Panda units
have been manufactured, and this fleet of
vehicles has covered more than one million
kilometers (621,370 miles).
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
MES-DEA also supplies ZEBRA batteries
and components to EV manufacturers
around the world. There are more than
3,200 vehicles fitted with innovative
ZEBRA battery systems, saving more than
6,000 tonnes of CO2 over 10 million
kilometers (over six million miles).
But MES-DEA is not resting on its laurels
in its search for new technologies to help
realize sustainable transportation. For
example, AC three-phase electric motors
specifically designed for EVs make use of
special materials, such as copper wires,
that are suitable for high-frequency voltage.
These electric motors feature three levels
of insulating enamel coating, and special
manufacturing process, including autoclave
drying and epoxy-resin covering to prevent
humidity formation. Nominal power varies
from 4-40kW (100kW peak power), and
they have air or water cooling.
A new inverter has also been designed for
EV applications. This technology presents
a very innovative solution, focusing on
vectorial motor control. The firmware is
updated and the proprietary software
package, Powertrain Supervisor, has been
developed to provide a friendly interface to
customers for the parameters that need to
be established. Different types of pumps,
Left and above: MES-DEA supplies parts and
batteries to electric vehicle manufacturers
around the world, including TH!NK
fluid heaters and current converters,
designed for EVs, are also available.
Such experience makes MES-DEA one of
the most widely acknowledged competence
centers for EV development in the world.
Fiat Brazil used the company for the
development of Palio electric vehicle, now
manufactured in Brazil by FIASA and
Itaipu. Work on the design and assembly
of the first prototypes was undertaken
successfully by MES-DEA in its high-tech
facility in Stabio.
Highlighting the progress MES-DEA has
made, the electric Berlingo, powered by
Venturi, is equipped with ZEBRA batteries
and an array of MES-DEA components and
has been selected by the French postal
service (La Poste), as one of the final
supplier. A possible order of 500 units will
follow. In another case, MES-DEA was
called to support a customer with
development of EVs, and provided
knowledge and technical support, as well as
a customized solution of the ZEBRA battery
and the Powertrain Supervisor package.
The company is helping customers
around the world, including: Norwegian
car manufacturer TH!NK for its A306;
Tecnobus in Italy with its 6m-long fully
electric bus; and Mercedes-Benz UK with
its 100 Smart London project. It is also
helping Altra-IVECO to develop the fully
electric Daily, fitted with a complete
MES-DEA electrification kit, including two
or three ZEBRA batteries, a 200-330kW
motor (40kW nominal power, 100kW
peak power), a TIM600W inverter, and a
BC-278-Z-3-A battery charger.
MES-DEA’s activity is now focused on
improving the ZEBRA battery and
developing its phase battery charger to
reduce recharging time. In response to
demand the company is designing more
powerful AC three-phase induction motors
with a copper cage rotor and a permanent
magnet synchronous motor. E&H
CONTACT THE COMPANY
: www.mes-dea.ch
:info@mes-dea.ch
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 515
106
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
NEW FLYWHEEL
CAPACITOR UPDATE
A development direction for Formula One may herald a
breakthrough in electrical energy storage for hybrid vehicles
■ Italian Motorsport electronics specialist
Magneti Marelli and British high-speed
flywheel specialist Flybrid Systems have
announced a collaboration to develop a
new energy storage solution for the kinetic
energy recovery system (KERS) used in
Formula One. The product will deliver a
high-power electrical storage system for
hybrid racing cars. It is capable of deep
depths of discharge with no performance
degradation, and a long service life.
The flywheel capacitor consists of
a high-speed carbon fiber flywheel
(incorporating Flybrid technology)
connected to a high-speed electric motor
generator using systems from Magneti
Marelli, all of which are managed by
Magneti Marelli’s control electronics.
The device works by applying the
recovered electrical energy captured from
the vehicle during braking events to the
electric motor generator. The energy is
stored in the flywheel capacitor by speeding
up the flywheel. During acceleration, the
stored energy is returned to the vehicle by
transforming the kinetic energy of the
flywheel into electrical energy using the
motor generator.
The flywheel capacitor will not use
energy storage systems based on chemical
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
batteries, and the first to be developed
will have a specification of 60kW power
and 600kJ total storage capacity (this
specification can be readily adapted to any
vehicle requirements). Both partners will
draw upon extensive experience with their
own KERS products to deliver a working
prototype before the end of June 2009.
The electric motor and flywheel will
rotate at up to 60,000rpm and the flywheel
will sit inside an evacuated chamber that
includes special containment features to
ensure complete safety. A small electric
pump will occasionally top up the vacuum
so that no regular maintenance is required.
State-of-the-art magnetic design of the
motor generator along with high-efficiency
electronics are expected to deliver round-
trip storage efficiencies of approximately
80%. The device has a low cooling
requirement and contains no flammable
materials. The complete flywheel capacitor,
including the associated electronics, is
expected to weigh just 20kg.
Commenting on the suitability of this
product for mainstream road vehicles,
Flybrid Systems managing partner Jon
Hilton says, “The work we already have
underway with a number of major car
makers on our fully mechanical hybrid
Left: The new product complements
Flybrid’s existing mechanical hybrid system
Below: High-speed flywheel spins at up to
60,000rpm inside an evacuated chamber
systems shows that high-speed flywheel
technology can be engineered to meet the
required standards for road vehicles.
High-speed flywheels are smaller, lighter,
more efficient, and safer than current
generation batteries, and are also recyclable
and very low cost.
“The flywheel capacitor is an interesting
new direction for us,” says Hilton. “We
look forward to realizing the physical test
results. We are expecting a similar level of
efficiency as our existing mechanical hybrid
system products that use a continuously
variable transmission to connect the
flywheel to the vehicle.
“We expect that the existing mechanical
systems will have a size and weight benefit
for high-power applications and that the
new electric drive solution might be better
suited for smaller classes of car and vehicles
where the packaging space around the
drivetrain is tight.”
The new flywheel capacitor product will
be commercially available for motorsport
applications from Magneti Marelli and
Flybrid Systems. Both companies will
continue to further develop, manufacture,
and distribute their own existing KERS
products. E&H
The flywheel capacitor will use a high-speed electric
motor that’s supplied by Magneti Marelli in Italy
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Jon Hilton at Flybrid Systems LLP
✆ +44 1327 855 190
@ ehm@flybridsystems.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 516
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108
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Left and below: UQM motor and controller systems

address the growing demand for hybrid electric vehicles

hybrid-electric powertrains. “By

introducing this powerful yet easier-
to-package system, we hope that more
customers will be able to take advantage
of our technology,” adds Roberts.

NEW PROPULSION
This philosophy is in line with UQM’s
history of dedication to hybrid and electric
vehicle development. Roberts addresses the
legacy by saying, “We are typically known

TECHNOLOGY as providers of high-performance but

expensive systems. To address system-cost
constraints we have to decrease the size and
A powerful new compact and lightweight vehicle propulsion weight of the systems while maintaining or
improving performance. This is not an easy
technology offers the power and torque of heavier-duty drives task, but the PowerPhase 145 shows that
we are heading in the right direction.”
■ In keeping with its history of producing negative effects on system efficiency. As a Dana Friedman, the company’s marketing
cutting-edge electric propulsion systems, result, the new system shares many of the coordinator, explains that the new system
UQM recently enhanced its vehicle same dimensions with its smaller brothers was developed to address the entire
propulsion line-up by introducing the (PowerPhase 75 and 125), except for length passenger vehicle market, not just the one
PowerPhase 145 system. and weight. Motor length was increased important OEM. “The 280mm diameter
Like the other vehicle propulsion systems from 252mm to 279mm, and weight is up systems have always been a popular choice
offered by UQM, the PowerPhase 145 is slightly to 50kg, although the controller for passenger vehicles due to packaging
extremely power-dense and compact, weight stays the same at 16kg. constraints,” states Friedman. “Now we can
producing 145kW/194bhp and 400Nm, The introduction of the PowerPhase 145 offer our customers the power and torque
and measuring only 280mm in diameter is an example of the way in which UQM is found in our heavy-duty drives in a smaller,
and 279mm in length. The system was addressing the increased demand for lighter, and less expensive package.” E&H
developed to meet the needs of a high-
profile OEM that required the power of the
company’s PowerPhase 150 system, but
could not package the larger drive in its
vehicle application.
“Our customer was visiting our facility
because they were interested in using our
PowerPhase 75 system as a generator in
their new series-hybrid vehicle,” explains
Andrew Roberts, UQM’s sales engineer.
“They liked the size of the system, but for
the propulsion side they needed more
power than even our PowerPhase 125
could provide.”
After a few moments of deliberation, the
company’s veteran motor engineers, Jon
Lutz and Josh Ley, determined that more
power could be obtained by extending the
motor length by about 25mm without any A UQM controller that’s been installed in a vehicle. The PowerPhase 145 is extremely power-dense and compact

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Dana Friedman at UQM
✆ +1 303 215 34 72
@ dfriedman@uqm.com
✔ Reader Enquiry Card No. 517

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
secure Lithium for
better vehicles
A lithium deposit in Nevada promises secure supplies to
support a new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles
n The downturn of the global automotive
industry makes it clear that it is imperative
to come up with a new business model
based on electric vehicles.
“We see that the economic recession has
actually forced governments, corporations,
and consumers to make decisions that
will return future benefits with respect to
profitability and sustainability,” says Jay
Chmelauskas, president of Western
Lithium. “We believe lithium is the building
block for better performing
and green transportation
and electrification
technology, and that
our lithium project in
the USA is positioned
to benefit during this
shift toward electric
transportation,
renewable energy,
and smart grids.”
Through various
engineering
studies
with URS
Corp,
Western
Lithium
is now
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Left: Location of Western Lithium’s Nevada lithium deposit
Below: Samples of lithium-containing clay core
from Western Lithium’s Nevada lithium deposit
Below left: Jay Chmelauskas, president of Western Lithium,
says lithium will play a key role in the further development
of electric and hybrid vehicles around the globe
differentiates the Nevada deposit as one
that will be able to increase production,
scaling up to a size capable of meeting new
demand and maintaining market share as
the market expands.
The exceptional growth in lithium
demand has come from developments in
new lithium-ion battery technology over
the past decade. Lithium-ion has replaced
almost all other battery technology for
small electronics over the past 10 years.
further developing its Kings Valley lithium Today’s lithium supply goes into batteries
deposit – one of the world’s largest known for portable electronic equipment, alloys
deposits of lithium – in Nevada, USA. Its that make lighter metals, and industrial
strategy is to enter the market as a major use in the area of ceramics, aluminum,
long-term supplier of high-quality lithium and lubricants.
carbonate. Western Lithium’s Nevada lithium
At the moment the company is deposit was first discovered in the 1970s
positioning itself to be the next large-scale, by the US Geological Survey. Chevron
high-quality supplier of battery-grade Resources took an interest in the project
lithium carbonate for the emerging and spent several years drilling the deposit
automotive lithium-battery industry. The and advancing metallurgical and various
company’s target is to produce over 10% of economic studies. The historical Chevron
the world’s lithium supply by 2013. The work identified approximately 11 million
timing of production is planned to meet tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, but
anticipated growth of the lithium market. the size of the market at that time did not
Most of the global supply of lithium warrant further work. The US Bureau
currently comes from salt brines in Chile of Mines began studying the deposit in
and Argentina. However, hard rock mines the mid-1980s and carried out its own
in Australia and China also supply the metallurgical and economic studies. It
lithium market. New salt brine producers advanced the project to a pilot plant using
in South America and China are expected a conventional process.
to push production costs higher into Western Lithium is now looking to
technically and geographically more conventional technology to progress
challenging production. engineering work in 2009 and 2010 toward
Western Lithium expects that the a construction decision by the end of 2010.
economics from mining its Nevada Over the coming months, the company
hectorite clays will compete favorably with expects the engineering feasibility studies to
these potential new brine and hard-rock be completed, and that, in turn, is likely to
producers. The location of the deposit in increase interest from major industrial
the USA is a major benefit and its size groups. E&H
Contact the author
Cindy Burnett at Western Lithium Corp
✆ +1 604 639 2144
@ info@westernlithium.com
4 Reader Enquiry Card No. 518
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112
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
AUTOMATED TEST INSTRUMENTATION
Arbin Instruments
@ info@arbin.com
: www.arbin.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 519
■ Arbin Instruments is one of the fastest-growing
manufacturers of energy-related testing equipment.
Combining the global talents of electrochemists,
expert electronic and software engineers and
an exceptional customer support staff, Arbin
Instruments has helped revolutionize the automated
testing instrumentation market. The company offers
standard and customized testing solutions for a wide
variety of energy-storage devices such as batteries,
supercapacitors and fuel cells. Arbin’s focus is
exceptional quality, performance and very high
reliability levels.
The company’s instruments provide scientists and
engineers with tools for performing R&D, quality
control, production and characterization in various
sectors including hybrid electric vehicles, medical
Arbin Instruments’ EVTS is an
applications, telecom technologies, and alternative automatic system designed
energy products. for testing high power EVs
TEST SERVICES FOR EVS
EVB Technology
: www.evbtech.com
: www.pluginconversions.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 520
■ EVB Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of GP Batteries International,
has manufactured batteries for electric vehicle applications since 1993 with full
license from Ovonic Battery Company on Ni-MH batteries. The company also
began mass production of lithium-ion batteries in 2008. EVB’s production facility
attained both TS16949 and TL9000 certification.
The Toyota Prius Plug-In conversion is one key project that engineers at EVB
has undertaken this year. The conversion from Plug-In Conversions Corporation
(PICC – an affiliate company of GP Batteries) in San Diego, California, is made
possible by using the same Ni-MH battery technology as the original and it
replaces the factory pack with a five times larger EVB battery pack while retaining
all original HV safety, control and monitoring systems. The mileage enhancement
system component enables electric-only operation at speeds up to 70mph with
fuel economy in the 175mpg range on the highway (charge depletion mode) as
measured by tests at the US Argonne National Laboratories.
Hybridization of a gantry crane (RTGC) for a harbor terminal is another
signature project in 2009 for EVB. The company’s Ni-MH batteries will be serving
one of the world’s busiest seaports, lifting and loading 40 ton containers and
giving a saving of 40% on fuel.
In addition to batteries, EVB provides a full turnkey solution to a wide range of
automotive and industrial applications from scooters, sedans, buses, commercial
and industrial vehicles, UPS, energy storage and solar applications.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
COMPUTER CONTROLLED TEST AND FORMATION EQUIPMENT
Digatron / Firing Circuits
✆ +49 241 168 090
: www.digatron.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 521
■ Digatron / Firing Circuits is a leading supplier of computer controlled
test and formation equipment. The company’s core strengths include the
development and production of custom-configured test stands for HEV testing
and battery pack end-of-line (EOL) testing applications. The EVT and BS Series
products incorporate IGBT technology providing ultra-fast, dynamic regulation
combined with high-speed data acquisition capabilities.
The Digatron / Firing Circuits HEV and EOL testing products employs a
dynamic 4Q inverter consisting of IGBT hardware and HIL software to test both
energy storage devices and hybrid electric drive systems.
Digatron / Firing Circuits offers the 4Q inverter with voltage ranges up to 900V
and current ranges to 1,200A. Units can be paralleled to achieve up to 480kW.
The 4Q technology allows for sinusoidal energy feedback to the grid with very
low total harmonic distortion. The power factor approaches unity (1.0).
There are a variety of additional input channels available supporting 16 bit cell/
module voltage monitoring, temperature and pressure monitoring and there are
inputs for other analogue or digital signals.
The 4Q inverter is equipped with CANbus interfaces to facilitate integration
with custom test stands and to establish communication to external battery
management systems (BMS) for control or data collection.
Turnkey solutions for HEV test stands and EOL testing are custom engineered
to satisfy even the most demanding specifications. Each project is directed by
experienced Digatron / Firing Circuits Project and Engineering personnel.
Digatron / Firing Circuits headquarters is located in Aachen, Germany. There
are two additional Digatron / Firing Circuits facilities – in Shelton, Connecticut,
USA, and Qingdao, China.
SAFE AND SPEEDY RECHARGING
Park and Power
: www.parkandpower.co.uk
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 522
■ Park and Power has been developing its systems with the primary drivers
being - safety and speed of recharge.
To help ensure safety and speed of recharge Park and Power is using a well-
tried and tested paddle plug and socket device that has been used in outdoor
challenging environments since 1992. The solution delivers control pilot signals
to ensure bi-directional data flow between the vehicle and the recharge system.
To enable a faster power delivery, Park and Power’s new recharge systems
offer the ability to deliver single and three-phase power from the same recharge
unit. In addition – and to help compatibility – both single- and three-phase power
can be delivered using the same plug and socket.
A new addition to their product line is the ‘at home or office, lite’ version that
enables the same connector and socket to deliver 240V at 13-32A. Mark Knight,
director at Park and Power says, “The ability to deliver a faster recharge via a
safe system ensures that our solution delivers more miles per minute.”

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
REAP Systems
✆ +44 2380 31 2944
@ sales@reapsystems.co.uk
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 523
■ REAP Systems specializes in the large, lithium-ion battery systems used in
electric vehicles and stationary systems. The company provides standard battery
management modules and accessories, bespoke products, consultancy and
complete battery systems.
The REAP standard battery management module incorporates over five
years experience of designing and manufacturing modules for a wide range of
applications. It provides full closed-loop control of each cell during both charging
and power delivery to maximize performance and prolong system life. In
addition, there is a separate hardware level safety system to provide a second
level of protection. Bespoke products offered include tailored versions of the
standard battery-management modules and customer-specific designs.
Consultancy services include design of battery systems and complete electric
vehicle systems; system integration to get all the subsystems in the vehicle
working together; and commissioning and tuning to produce optimum performance.
The company offers a complete design and build service for prototype battery
systems plus on-site installation and commissioning support.
REAP has provided battery management solutions for a wide range of vehicle
projects. Confidentiality agreements prohibit the publicizing of individual projects,
but projects include: formula student electric racing cars, mainstream motorsport
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGE POINTS
The EV Network
@ Tim@ev-network.org.uk
: www.ev-network.org.uk
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 524
■ The Electric Vehicle (EV) Network exists to document electric vehicle
charge points in the UK and to encourage provision of such facilities. Prior to
the formation of EV Network in 2007, such charge point information was divided
between numerous different web sites such as those of local authorities or grant-
making bodies, but no sites were comprehensive – they listed only the charge
points provided by this local authority in the UK or that grant-making body.
The EV Network allows electric vehicle users to find charge points by several
means including a searchable online database; interactive maps; and point of
interest files for satellite navigation systems. Using a suitable satellite navigation,
a user can locate charge points by proximity to their current or any other position
or plan a route via charge points.
Although the UK public charge point network is in its infancy, it is easily
exceeded by the relatively small numbers of electric vehicles in use. There are
more privately-owned locations than public ones where electric vehicles are
charged since, uniquely in the alternative fuels sector, electric vehicle users can
normally easily refuel their vehicles at their own homes or businesses.
In addition to documenting public charge points, the EV Network also uniquely
provides a membership scheme giving access to a larger private network of
charge points provide by other members. These charge points are offered on an
exchange basis as EV users cooperate to extend the use of their vehicles.
113
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
REAP Systems is helping to bring future EVs to market with advanced lithium-ion batteries
vehicles, high-performance electric road vehicles, armored fighting vehicles,
high-tech bus projects and hybrid taxi systems.
The company was founded in 2003 and its success is due to its unique
combination of practical implementation experience together with academic
depth and rigor.
AXIAL FLUX BREAKTHROUGH
EVO Electric
✆ +44 1483 745 010
: www.evo-electric.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 525
■ EVO Electric Limited was established in June 2007 to commercialize a
new design of Axial Flux permanent magnet synchronous AC motor/generator
developed by researchers at Imperial College, London targeting electric and
hybrid vehicle applications.
Axial Flux machines have inherently higher torque and lower costs than
conventional radial flux machines due to the greater availability of active
electromagnetic area per unit of volume. EVO has taken this promising concept
from lab to market through innovations in machine cooling, winding and
manufacturing. For example, increasing the surface area for cooling has enabled
higher currents and hence even higher continuous power and torque than
previous Axial Flux designs. The ultra-light and compact EVO design also
enables a very high peak torque. The 380mm diameter and 40kg model
produces 400Nm for 45 seconds and up to 600Nm in short bursts, thus
eliminating the need for gearboxes in many applications and facilitating
hybridization of existing vehicle models. The short axial length and flat mounting
faces make the machine very suitable for direct mounting onto a combustion
engine, low material costs give EVO motor/generators a cost advantage over
conventional motor/generator designs.
EVO is now working with a number of strategic partners to build and
demonstrate advanced hybrid and electric vehicles based on this technology.
Visit EVtransPortal.com today.
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
114
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

TEST SERVICES FOR EVS INDUCTIVE ROTOR-POSITION-SENSORS

D&V Electronics VOGT Electronic Components
@ sales@dvelectronics.com ✆ +49 8591 17 322
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 526 ✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 528
■ D&V Electronics is a leader in automated test equipment for EVs. The ■ The inductive rotor-position-sensor (RPS) developed by VOGT
company offers the global automotive industry a wide range of services and Electronic Components serves to determine the angular position of the rotor
technologies for hybrid vehicle electrical systems including testing EV and in synchronous motors (SM and PMSM).
hybrid motors, generators, controllers and batteries; laboratory, endurance, The sensor system was developed to work in automotive powertrain
dynamometers and production test machines for micro, mild and full hybrid and applications and has been refined in close cooperation with automotive system
EV systems; customer machine design, manufacturing, electronics, software suppliers and car makers all the way to mass production starting in 2009.
and firmware development. The working principle based on eddy current offers significant advantages in
D&V Electronics has several state-of-the-art technologies to offer to the the harsh automotive environment. It is proved to be immune against magnetic
industry, such as the ST-66 engine simulator; RS02 resolver simulator with interference, thus the RPS can work right inside the motor without additional
measurement and simulation modes; battery simulator with high power bi- magnetic shielding.
directional DC-DC power converter, 120-800kW; and the DCX-286 direct-drive The rotating target trace is formed by a thin layer of conductive material,
high-speed durability dynamometer for full hybrid motor-generators with thermal such as copper or aluminum integrally fixed onto the rotor body. Typically the
chamber and oil or liquid cooling systems. multiplication factor of the RPS corresponds with the number of pole-pairs of
the motor, without lowering resolution and accuracy of the output signal. Even
at 16 or more pole-pairs and large rotor diameters (300mm), the sensor module
remains at small dimensions, covering only a segment of the target ring. This
LITHIUM BATTERY HEAT MEASUREMENT makes the RPS suitable to work with outer-rotor motors, hollow-shaft motors
Thermal Hazard Technology and in-wheel motors. The system works within a viable airgap-range and shows
✆ +44 1908 646 800 good robustness to mechanical tolerances, such as eccentricity and runout.
: www.thermalhazardtechnology.com The Sin/Cos output signals are transmitted via demodulated, analogue,
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 527 single-ended voltage signals. Only four lead-wires are required including 5V
■ The effect of heat upon batteries, and the amount of heat released by DC supply and GND.
batteries, is best quantified by calorimetry. As lithium batteries are used in
automotive applications, new issues occur, such as very fast discharge and
large modules/packs.
Thermal Hazard Technology (THT), a world leader in battery calorimetry and
heat measurement, has expanded and modified its product range to meet these
challenges. For example, the battery performance calorimeter will accept
module/small pack-size samples and the multipoint option allows up to 24
thermocouples to measure surface distribution of temperature.
Calorimetry offers great stability levels and highest sensitivity and the original
THT world benchmark accelerating rate calorimeter is now complemented with
large calorimeters for large batteries (as a company, THT also offer high
sensitivity isothermal calorimeters).
Using an inbuilt cycler or hybrid test system, the battery can be tested under
charge/discharge, drive simulation conditions with simultaneous voltage and
current measurement. Tests can now be carried out appropriate to automotive
applications. Overvoltage and short circuit-abuse tests can be performed and
pressure output (internal or external) with gas collection for analysis is also
possible. Testing can be carried out from below -50°C to above 300°C.
With offices in the UK , USA and Asia, THT manufactures, sells and supports
the complete calorimeter product range and offers a comprehensive battery test
service for all thermal management issues. This includes a consultancy service The rotor position sensor from VOGT has been designed so that it can determine the
where requested, to make available calorimetry to all working in this area. angular position of the rotor in synchronous motors – including both SM and PMSM

In addition to the current topics related to fast developments in EV’s,

PHEV ’09 will deal specifically with the challenges of operating EV’s
in extreme climate conditions, remote communities and in military
applications. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet your international
colleagues at this Montreal, Canada event, September 28 to 30, 2009.

Visit www.emc-mec.ca for full details

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
 115
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

HEV AND EV RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS WHOLE VEHICLE DESIGNS, INTEGRATION AND HV COMPONENTS
Consilium Group R&D Vehicle Systems
✆ +44 1386 835 910 @ info@rdvs.co.uk
: www.cgl.eu.com : www.rdvs.co.uk
@ response@cgl.eu.com ✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 531
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 529
■ R&D Vehicle Systems, along with its sister company R&D Vehicle
■ Consilium Group (UK) provides a unique, dedicated and comprehensive Components, are leaders in the field of electric & hybrid vehicle systems
recruitment service to HEV and EV organizations and professionals both in the integration and high voltage power distribution.
UK and on an international scale. Building on a long history of whole vehicle electrical system design and
Due to the sustained growth within this technology sector, and the projected powertrain transplants, in markets as diverse as sports cars and military vehicles,
future demand, the competition for qualified and experienced professionals is RDVS moved into the EV field four years ago, growing strongly in the process.
very high. The company’s experience now includes the electrical leadership of OEM EV
With more than 10 years HEV and EV experience, Consilium Group is projects, whole electrical system design and bespoke component designs in key
established as a market leader on a global scale. Consilium Group’s enviable areas – HV power distribution and control systems; CAN-based controls and
database and network of both candidates and vacancies provide a unique interfaces. All components are designed and manufactured in house in both
ability to match the most technical roles with industry specialists. prototype and production volumes.
Consilium Group recruiters are
degree qualified in engineering with
actual real-world industry experience,
so whether the client is looking to fill
a role or find a new job, Consilium
Group recruiters can talk technically,
whatever the discipline.
Consilium Group services cover
the full range of technology from
vehicle manufacturers to electric
motors, from batteries to systems
integration. This is supported with a
long and successful record of building
complete teams of engineers for
major international clients, through to
one-off placements at small design
consultancies.

HYBRID DEVELOPMENT
TorLab AB
@ tor.anderson@torlab.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 530

■ TorLab AB in Gothenburg,
Sweden, provides electronics product
development and services.
Concept studies, auto electronics
including power electronics and
software development are areas that
Tor Anderson, founder of TorLab, has
been working in for over 20 years,
starting with the development of
electric hybrid vehicles in 1982.
Most technologies exist today for
building different types of hybrid car
configurations. But developing hybrid
technologies is quite costly and not
easy to achieve. The weight of the
electrical system with batteries and
the cooling of the electric components
are challenging factors.
The Swedish Energy Agency is
supporting 17 Swedish research
projects, and the goal is to reduce
emissions and fuel consumption in
light and heavy vehicles. TorLab AB
is participating in a Rear Axle Hybrid
Project for cars, and other members in
the project include OEMs, universities,
supplier Haldex Traction AB and
development companies QRtech.

July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology

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CHARGING ZONE
Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre, Oxford Brookes University
: http://tech.brookes.ac.uk/svec
@ svec@brookes.ac.uk
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 532
■ Householders across Oxfordshire in the UK will soon get the chance to
find out just what it’s like to own an electric car thanks to an exciting project run
by BMW and Oxford Brookes University.
But will a 40-strong fleet of battery-powered Minis mark the next step in the
evolution? BMW, Scottish and Southern Energy, Oxford Brookes University and
SEEDA, who are together running the ambitious Mini E Research Project,
certainly hope so. The project represents a hugely exciting moment for the
fledgling UK electric car industry as, for the first time, company bosses and
academics will discover exactly how a large number of zero-emission vehicles
cope with the demands of day-to-day driving.
The project is centred around Oxford and will look at the way 80 volunteers
drive their electric Minis in two back-to-back six month trials. The year-long trial
will produce data both from the battery-powered cars and in terms of driver
Engineers and mathematicians from the Oxford Brookes University’s Sustainable Vehicle
Engineering Centre will collect and analyze all technical data from the Mini E project
HIGH VOLTAGE PLUG-IN CONNECTORS
PFISTERER
: www.pfisterer.de
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 533
■ PFISTERER presents a new range of high voltage plug-in connectors for the
automotive field. At the heart is the HVC8 high voltage plug-in connector which
is equipped with the patented HICCON II connector system. In a version with
angled cable outlet it is only 36mm high and is thus around 40% lower than
current versions. The two- or three-pole plug-in connector with protection level
IP6k9k is designed to be used for traction motors and converters, in the
underfloor area itself or directly on the wheel hub. Among other attributes it is
characterized by a high temperature range of up to 180°C. Virtually unique in the
high voltage segment is the fact that the plug-in connector is suitable for use
with two wire cross sections: for 35mm² and 50mm². This developers additional
scope for the cable layout. The product family is designed according to a
modular design principle and thus allows a large degree of flexibility.
PFISTERER is the specialist for contact systems in energy networks. In the
field of energy technology the company has been setting standards for over 80
years, and for the past 10 years high-current plug-in connectors have been used
to drive electrical trains and transfer energy in motor vehicles. The German
family-owned enterprise manufactures products on three continents in its own
production facilities.
117
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
feedback, allowing experts from the University’s Sustainable Vehicle Engineering
Centre (SVEC)), based in the School of Technology at Oxford Brookes University,
to gauge the feasibility of the commercial roll-out of electric vehicles.
Professor Allan Hutchinson, Head of the SVEC, says of the project: “It is
essential that the environmental challenges facing the global automotive industry
are tackled now. Car makers are increasingly looking at ways to replace
conventional engines with low- or zero-emission alternatives and help meet
climate change targets.”
Both the academics and BMW bosses want the Mini Es to be treated just
like any other family car to discover how running one of these battery-powered
vehicles fits in with lifestyles today. Carefully assessing user attitudes to, and
their experiences of, these electric cars will give the best indicator of future public
acceptance of low carbon vehicles. Subjective feedback, gleaned by a team of
Brookes’ psychologists, will provide one of the best insights yet into public
attitudes toward electric vehicles.
Engineers, mathematicians and statisticians from the SVEC will collect and
analyze all the technical data and subjective driver feedback, supported by
the psychologists from the School of Social Sciences and Law. This panel will
study the fleet of electric Minis across their disciplines from both a technical
and lifestyle standpoint.
SVEC’s industry network, DRIVENet, is hosting a two-day Whole Life Vehicle
Conference at Turweston Aerodrome from November 18-19, 2009, at which there
will be an opportunity to test drive the latest electric and low carbon vehicles.
SVEC is at the forefront of developing new technologies to help the motor
industry meet the sustainability challenges of the future. Its research is
concerned with the whole lifecycle of the motor vehicle from raw materials, to
design, powertrain, alternative fuels, manufacture, disassembly, recycling and
reuse of components and materials. The Centre also specializes in forecasting,
strategy, business models and the implications of new legislation for the
automotive industry.
BATTERY MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY
Midtronics
: www.midtronics.com
✔ ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 534
■ Midtronics is focused on the development of innovative technologies for
battery management solutions. For preventative maintenance, professional
service, and warranty management, the company’s battery and electrical
diagnostic equipment is the required standard at vehicle dealers, service centers
and battery retailers worldwide.
Midtronics’ focus on custom-solutions fosters close, direct relationships in
order to fully understand its customers’ battery related opportunities. The
company creates value by providing unique, innovative solutions using superior
diagnostic platforms, technologies and creativity.
In 2008, Midtronics worked with General Motors to launch the SPS
programming support tool, EL-49642, which is based on the Midtronics PSC/
CX-PRO power supply charger series. The EL-49642 is required for two-mode
hybrid vehicle SPS programming.
In November 2008, Midtronics introduced its first hybrid vehicle-battery test
routine at the AAPEX show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Incorporating a wireless
convergence module that communicates information from the vehicle to the
EXP-1200 analyzer, this new test routine combines the capability to test the
external auxiliary battery with onboard diagnostics to perform an interactive
road test of the hybrid battery pack for the Toyota Prius. The test process
includes individual voltage and conductance battery pack-block measurements
as well as algorithms to identify hybrid-pack issues. The diagnostic process can
be performed as a full system test, or as separate diagnostic routines, including
reading and clearing trouble codes.
Midtronics Battery and Electrical Diagnostic Platforms include the award
winning inGEN IDR electrical diagnostic data recorders, GR series battery and
electrical diagnostic stations, EXP series expandable electrical diagnostic
platforms, and the PSC/CX-PRO power-supply charger series.
July 2009 | Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology
118
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Larger battery cell formats

International Battery
: www.internationalbattery.com
4 ONLINE READER ENQUIRY CARD NO. 535
n Over the coming years, energy consumption for homes, offices, and
transportation is expected to double from 15 terawatts to more than 30
terawatts. To meet this staggering increase in demand – without ravaging our
environment or becoming increasingly reliant on foreign energy sources – society
will need to reinvent how energy is generated, distributed, stored and consumed.
Innovative energy storage will be key in ensuring the efficient use of electricity,
especially given the intermittent nature of wind and solar power as energy sources.
Some companies, such as International Battery (IB), are rising to this challenge
by producing large-format lithium-ion battery cells. This large, commercial-grade
format allows a reduction in the number of cells required by 10-50 times, thus
increasing reliability by minimizing overall system complexity.
By providing a balance of short-term power and long-term energy, the large
format battery cell approach provides a very attractive energy storage solution
for demanding electric vehicle and stationary smart grid applications.
One of the greatest concerns with lithium-ion battery-cells lies in the heavy
use of organic solvents frequently used to produce them: critics argue that these
chemicals merely create a different type of environmental hazard. To address
such concerns, new state-of-the-art production facilities, such as IB’s facility in
Allentown, Pennsylvania – the first large-format lithium-ion production plant in the
USA – employ an all-aqueous production process. This approach not only
greatly reduces the use and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
but dramatically reduces both energy use and production costs.

Large format battery cells for electric vehicles today come in a wide variety of both shapes and sizes, including the nested (left), the slim (center), and the wide (right) module formats

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
A&D Technology..................................outside back cover
Adventec Manufacturing Inc..................................9, 103
Aker Wade...................................................................53
Arbin Instruments........................................................23
Arsenal Research.........................................................11
Automotive Testing Expo North America 2009..............61
AVL List GmbH...............................................................3
Bitrode Corporation......................................................36
Bosch Rexroth AG........................................................89
Conductix Wampfler.....................................................81
Consilium Group..........................................................53
D&V Electronics...........................................................58
Danfoss Silicon Power GmbH.......................................61
Design Investment.....................................................115
Digatron Firing Circuits..............................................103
DRIVENet / Oxford Brookes University..........................25
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International
Online Reader Enquiry Service...............................81
Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA)...........86
Electric Mobility Canada.............................................114
Engine Expo 2010................................................99, 101
EngineTechnologyInternational.com...............85, 97, 116
EV America..................................................................15
EV Network..................................................................77
EVB Technology / Gold Peak Batteries..........................86
EVO Electric Ltd...........................................................46
EVtransPortal.com.....................................................113
EVWorld.com.............................................................112
FEV..............................................................................66
Finnish Electric Vehicle Technologies Ltd......................69
Flybrid Systems...........................................................36
Giant Lion Know-How..................................................54
Hybrid Design Services................................................83
Impact Automotive Technologies................................119
Infineon Technologies AG.............................................19
International Battery Inc...............................................65
Isabellenhutte Heusler.................................................73
LH Industries........................................inside front cover
LiFeBatt.......................................................................17
Li-Tec Battery............................................................107
Lithium Balance...........................................................25
Maccor Inc.................................................................105
MES-DEA.....................................................................46
Midtronics...................................................................46
Opal-RT.....................................................................107
Park and Power...........................................................36
Pfisterer Kontaktsysteme...........................................103
Pihsiang Energy Technology Co Ltd.......inside back cover
Potenza Technology...................................................111
R&D Vehicle Systems Ltd.............................................77
REAP Systems.............................................................65
Ridek Systems...........................................................119
Rinehart Motion Systems...........................................116
Romax Technology.......................................................97
Scientific Climate Systems Ltd.....................................77
SPAL Automotive..........................................................13
Specialty Coating Systems...........................................62
Stridsberg Powertrain..................................................49
Swedish Hybrid Centre................................................74
Tawas Inc....................................................................23
Thermal Hazard Technology.......................................119
TM4...........................................................................109
Torlab..........................................................................65
UQM Technologies Inc..................................................58
Valence Technology Inc................................................21
VOGT Electronic Components GmbH..............................7
Western Lithium Corporation........................................39

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009

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 120
LAST WORD
Credit: Adrian Higgins
PROFILE
Name: Raf Schuermans
Job title: Senior manager, drivetrain design
Company: Toyota Motor Europe
What career did you want when you
were growing up?
As I child, I spent lots of time playing
with Lego and Fischertechnik. I
suppose I’ve always had an interest in
technical stuff and it became pretty
clear from a young age that I wanted
to study mechanical engineering.
The OEM I worked for was Volvo
and I was with them for 10 years.
I’ve been with Toyota for 12 years.
When did you first start playing
around with powertrains?
It all began when I was around 15
years old. My friend’s older brother
was replacing an engine on his car,
which was very old. They lived
around 5km from where we lived. I
took a wheelbarrow, walked the 5km
to collect the old engine and then I
disassembled it in my backyard.
What are the best and worst
elements of your job?
After 22 years in the industry, I’m
pleased to say my job still enables me
to work with technology. Working for
Toyota, we do not just sit at our desks
and design; we really get our hands
dirty and actually work with the
parts. Because of the type of job it is,
sometimes it can be stressful. I
suppose that, getting a bit older and
having a young family, it’s not always
easy to find a balance between work
and life.
What car do you currently drive?
A Toyota Avensis Wagon with a 2.2-
liter diesel engine.
Emissions legislation aside, what
would be your ideal engine design
specification?
It all depends on the type of car. If
I had the choice between a V8 or a
straight-six, I’d have to go for a
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology | July 2009
Combustion engines will still
be around in 15 years’ time.
Some people predict that
the IC engine will be dead
by then, but I disagree
straight-six. I suppose for Europe, a diesel engine is really an attractive
product because it enables the driver to get a good range on a single
tank. I think the industry has made very good progress over the past
few years in terms of the performance of diesel powertrains.
What do you think is the best engine that has ever been produced?
I think one of the best is the four-cylinder multivalve engine that was
in the Corolla GT. That 1.6-liter, naturally-aspirated, twincam four-
cylinder was named 4A-GE, and it was really famous. It was impossible
to break it. You could do whatever you wanted to it and many people
used it in rally motorsports.
Which manufacturers do you have particular respect for in terms of
their engine development, and why?
It’s accepted that BMW develops very good powertrains. But for me, the
great thing about BMW is its consistency across all its engines.
What is the proudest achievement of your career so far?
It’s not that I’m proud of any one specific product that I’ve helped to
develop, it’s more to do with getting people together to take part in
teamwork across the board. I’m very proud of establishing a drivetrain
design section at Toyota Motor Europe.
What personal career goals do you have for the future?
I’ve always been a powertrain guy. What we see now is that the
powertrain world is in a transition phase – powertrains are starting to
be electrified. So my next step will be to broaden my activities outside
purely mechanical development. With all these hybrids coming, there
will be interesting challenges ahead, especially at Toyota where we want
to broaden efforts in this area.
In your opinion, what will be powering passenger cars in the year
2025?
Combustion engines will still be around in 15 years’ time. Some people
predict that the IC engine will be dead by then, but I disagree. It will
be around for a few more decades because it is a reliable power source.
I also think there is still scope for its development, as we have shown
with the third-generation Prius. The industry simply can’t switch to
anything else overnight. What is becoming clear, however, is that the
IC engine will be supported in various degrees by electrical parts.
What would you like to see the legislators and manufacturers do in
the immediate future to improve engine efficiency?
Incentives are an important tool. There are several countries in Europe
that use them, and customer behavior really changes as a result. People
buy certain cars because of governmental incentives. As engineers, we
like to be challenged, and the dynamics between the car maker and
legislator will continue to push the boundaries even further. E&H
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g PHET® reserves all rights to change the wording and specification without prior notice.
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