Electric Vehicles— Concepts

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14 INTERVIEW Nalin Mehta, Managing Director Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd

18 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT Ultra-Capacitors for Electric Vehicles: Future Perspetives

60 NEW VEHICLE Honda CR-V — Flexible, Practical & Better

ELECTRIC VEHICLES—

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E-VIABILITY?

Dear reader,

To question the viability of electric vehicles, at a time when Mahindra Reva has launched its latest bet, the e2o, might sound a little preposterous. But recent studies and developments within the industry do demand a serious look at the practicality of pure electric vehicles.

The Indian government has announced the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 with some ambitious intentions. While most of it looks promising on paper, the current reality is quite different. Globally, consumers continue to show little interest in EVs primarily because of the well-documented issues with high cost, short driving range and lack of charging stations. And the situation in India isn’t any different.

Aggressive goals set aside by many countries are now being rethought and reworked. Many vehicle makers too are reconsidering their EV plans. Even Takeshi Uchiyamada, the father of the Toyota Prius, is questioning the promise of battery electric vehicles, claiming EVs haven’t worked out to be ‘a viable replacement’ for gas-powered cars.

In October 2012, academics in Norway published a study that claims EVs could be more polluting than is widely assumed. It highlighted the counterproductive promotion of EVs, when the electricity consumed is produced from oil and coal. Another study conducted in the UK recently has named India the least green country for electric cars, essentially because of the country’s overdependence on coal to meet its power generation demands. The study argues that in India and China, where power generation is heavily coal-based, electric cars result in emissions similar to traditional petrol vehicles. It claims that carbon emissions of EVs in countries with predominantly coal-based generation aren’t different to an average petrol car.

A Deloitte study in 2011 expects mass adoption of EVs in India to be ‘gradual’. With the current generation of technology, the actual EV buyers would be in the region of 3-5 % by 2020, the report stated. While these may not be in sync with the NEMMP targets, it is clear that viability of EVs would not just depend on government subsidies, but largely on removing significant technology barriers that exist today.

DEEPANGSHU DEV SARMAH Editor New Delhi, April 2013

autotechreview.com April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 1 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES — CONCEPTS, SOLUTIONS & COMPETENCE

24, 32, 36, 42 | Long before petrol became the preferred power source for mobility, electricity was a tried and tested power source for vehicles. Issues such as low range and speed almost brought an end to these vehicles in the 1920s. More than nine decades later, the same issues continue to hinder the electrification of mass-mobility. In this issue, Auto Tech Review takes a look at the technology developments, challenges and viability of electric vehicles.

GUEST COMMENTARY

12 Strategic Technology Management in Indian Auto Component Industry Vice President (Engineering) – Electrical, xEV, HVAC & Electronics Systems, Maruti Suzuki India Limited

INTERVIEW

14 “We are Uniquely Positioned to Take Advantage of Future Challenges” Nalin Mehta, Managing Director, Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd (MNAL)

2 CONTENTS

NEWS COVER STORY SHOPFLOOR

4 Interactions 24 Technologies, Architectures for 56 Mahindra Navistar — Growing in 8 News Electrified Vehicles Stature, Acceptance Johannes Fuchs, Markus Lienkamp TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT 32 Transmissions for Electric Vehicles NEW VEHICLE 18 Ultra-Capacitors for Electric Vehicles: Claudio Torrelli Future Perspectives 60 Honda CR-V — Arghya Sardar, Suresh Babu Muttana 36 Systems Competence for Flexible, Practical & Better Electromobility Thomas Röhrl, Gregor Schmitt, Lutz-Wolfgang Tiede DECODING TECHNOLOGY

42 Assessing the Customer Value of 64 Hybrid/ Electric Vehicle Charging Electric Vehicles Danny Kreyenberg, Jörg Wind, Jan Devries, Alexandre Fuljahn OTHERS

01 Editorial TECHNOLOGY 03 Imprint

48 Investigating a Range Extender Running on Bio-Diesel Michael Aschaber, Wolfgang Beuer

54 Volkswagen XL1 — Future Mobility Benchmark

COVER PRODUCT Mahindra Reva IMPRINT

Editor: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Publisher & Managing Director: Editorial & Business Office: [email protected] Sanjiv Goswami Springer India Pvt Ltd 7th Floor | Vijaya Building | 17, Barakhamba Road Principal Correspondent: Arpit Mahendra Design & Production: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay New Delhi – 110001 | India [email protected] [email protected] + 91 11 4575 5888 (P) | +91 11 4575 5889 (F)

Deputy Manager – Ad Sales: Sudeep Kumar Auto Tech Review (ATR) is a monthly magazine focussed on automotive technology, and appears 12 times a year. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Springer [email protected] India Pvt Ltd. No part of this magazine can be reproduced in any form, including photocopies and For Subscription orders and reader registrations, information retrieval systems, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Springer India For Editorial Contribution, write to the Editor at please visit www.autotechreview.com Pvt Ltd Limited reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. [email protected] Printed and Published by Sanjiv Goswami on behalf of Springer India Pvt Ltd. Printed at Gokul Offset, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase – I, New Delhi and published at Springer India Pvt Ltd, 7th Floor, For Advertisements, write to Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Or, contact Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Vijaya Building, 17, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi. [email protected] [email protected] ©2013, Auto Tech Review autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 3 INTERACTION DASSAULT SYSTEMES, JD POWER

DASSAULT SYSTEMES | MODULARISING THE VALUE CHAIN

in collaboration with Local Motors and can carry numbers lowers the usage of materials and emis- out functions such as reconnaissance and deliv- sions. The overall development time too would au- ery & evacuation in the battlefield. The vehicle tomatically reduce and so would the unexpected- was designed with inputs from over 12,000 ness of any unforeseen delays. Importantly, during members of an online community. Participants the design process the manufacturability of a car were asked to submit their designs online after too can be tested. This helps make the entire which they were reviewed. Using the Dassault process streamlined and efficient as going back software, the vehicle went from a concept to pro- to the drawing board is significantly reduced. totype stage in six months. Dassault is presently offering solutions, which Chowdhury said that this span is usually in can also help companies track their supply chain the range of six years for such vehicles developed and logistics and make them more efficient. Manu- in a traditional way. Using the right software and facturing is another area, where OEMs spend a lot feedback from people during development though of money and making changes is extremely expen- helped shorten the cycle to just 10 %. Applying sive. Using Dassault products, companies can vir- similar processes within the automotive industry tually create factory and check parameters such as could reap huge benefits for companies in the movement of people and machinery. The overall Cluster solution is the buzzword for all industries form of lower cost, better products and flexibility factory layout can be optimised for maximum space today, including the automotive sector. Increas- in product portfolio. utilisation and safety standards. Co-development ingly, manufacturers are looking for a cluster of In one of our earlier issues, we mentioned the by engineers from a supplier and OEM too becomes solutions offered by a single provider, because a huge gap between the development cycles of cars more efficient as they’re able to work together in streamlined supply chain often results in quicker and smartphones, due to which effective commu- real time. and efficient operations. The rapidly increasing nication becomes a challenge. Using such solu- Dassault Systemes is in discussion with multi- input costs further necessitate involvement of tions could potentially reduce this gap and offer ple auto companies in India and the response is such solution providers. better connectivity to consumers as a result. encouraging so far. Chowdhury refused to share any One such company is Dassault Systemes, names for now but said he expects the business to which has developed a portfolio of products aimed CLUSTER SOLUTION grow at a good pace in India, where the company is at providing multiple solutions to customers, in- growing at a double-digit rate. Talking of non-prod- cluding a wide range of 3D design software, 3D We were told that the company’s 3DExperience, a uct challenges, he mentioned that one of the great- digital mock-up and Product Lifecycle Manage- product launched last year is an example of a est challenges for the Indian automotive industry is ment (PLM) solutions. Dr Chandan Chowdhury, cluster solution. Using this platform, one can the lack of adequately skilled manpower. Engineers Managing Director, India Geo, Dassault Syste- design a car and virtually manufacture it to turning into management graduates are making it mes spoke to Auto Tech Review about these solu- assess various parameters. Post this, testing hard for companies to find the right people to gen- tions and their effectiveness. functions such as crash-worthiness too can be erate the right amount of product development. done using the 3DExperience. Chowdhury said FROM DESIGN TO MANUFACTURING OEMs can make huge savings due to non-requirement of having to carry out tests physically. Also, TEXT : Arpit Mahendra If the industry has to put an end to sluggish not having multiple prototypes or having a lesser markets, the need of the hour is to reduce cost, while increasing efficiency, said Chowdhury. Another key area to be worked upon is product development cycles, which need to become significantly shorter. The development process also needs to become more communicative so that more people, including potential consumers, can share feedback. Receiving this feedback in early development stages can lead to saving of significant amount of cost, as the chances of reworking are reduced substantially, he said. Citing an example, he said that Dassault de- livered the world’s first online, co-created military vehicle in the US. The vehicle was developed

4 www.autotechreview.com JD POWER ASIA PACIFIC | FUNDAMENTALS OF INDUSTRY STRONG

Global marketing information services firm, JD China and India, the trio thinks China posi- ties, Arora said that Indian companies are in- Power and Associates, believes the automotive tioned its growth in an artificial manner, creasingly investing in R&D. They might not be industry worldwide is governed by strong funda- making the automotive industry a pillar of its at the forefront in areas such as material tech- mentals. While the economic downturn exposed a industrial might. In India however, the industry nology but they certainly are one of the best in lot of issues such as overcapacity and mis- has grown more naturally and more in line with terms of vehicle design & engineering. He be- aligned supply and demand, a lot of these issues market forces. This translates into strong fun- lieves that the required capability exists in India have now been sorted. damentals for future growth. and it’s only a matter of time before Indian com- Speaking to Auto Tech Review ahead of the panies start improving significantly across all firm presenting its annual awards to the Indian NARROWING QUALITY GAP aspects of vehicle development. industry recently, Geoff Broderick, Vice President “There are some areas though, where & GM, JD Power and Associates said the industry One large change taking place presently is the growth is expected to be driven by legislation is now focussing on profitable growth, and not narrowing gap in quality between OEMs in devel- and not consumer demand alone. Some such chasing marketshare or volumes. Gerrit Kuyntjes, oped and emerging countries. As consumers’ ex- areas include safety and NVH. The real Vice President and GM, JD Power Asia Pacific and pectations grow in terms of quality, manufactur- challenge for the Indian automotive industry Mohit Arora, Executive Director, JD Power Asia ers all over are increasingly focussing on aspects though is to satisfy consumer demands at an Pacific too shared Broderick’s optimism. such as design and connectivity. The variance in affordable price. Doing so requires a lot of Responding to our question on the perfor- expectations between large cities and towns is innovative thinking and that is where Indian mance of the Indian industry and changing con- also an important factor for OEMs to consider. suppliers and OEMs will need to focus their sumer trends, Broderick said although there’s a Arora substantiated this through numbers. energies on,” said Kuyntjes. bit of slowdown in India, the market isn’t con- JD Power’s data suggests that 10 years back Meanwhile, the awards given out by JD tracting. “In terms of consumer expectations and about 25 % cars in India were equipped with Power Asia Pacific reflected the views shared trends, emerging markets such as India are con- power steering. Today, however, 97 % cars by the experts. MRF won the highest customer trasting to developed markets, where people feature the same, reflecting how soon an option- satisfaction for original tyres, proving the have known vehicles for years and have grown al technology has grown into a standard one. Indian company’s ability to deliver on customer around them. That said, everything is happening With cars no longer breaking down as in the expectations. The Hyundai Santro, Honda Brio, very fast in these markets, and models too are past, one of the next focus areas is going to be Maruti Swift DZire, Honda City and Toyota changing rapidly,” he said. human machine interface (HMI). This would not Innova won the India Initial Quality Study A consumer buying a car for the first time just involve the entertainment system but en- award. Most of these cars have been in produc- may not exactly know what to expect and Indian compass how communication takes place tion for years and feature more than 80 % lo- consumers can be very discerning. They educate between an occupant and the vehicle. In a nut- calisation. Offering the best quality in their themselves on the internet and expect good shell, companies will need to look at every segment also speaks of the ability of local sup- quality, good value for money and up-to-date system that impacts human senses and creates pliers to deliver global quality. technology within the vehicle, they said. a quality perception. Full details of the awards can be found at Talking about the differences between Talking of technology development capabili- www.jdpower.co.in.

Mohit Arora, Executive Director, Geoff Broderick, Vice President & General Gerrit Kuyntjes, Vice Presiden & General Manager JD Power Asia Pacific Manager, JD Power & Associates JD Power Asia Pacific

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 5 INTERACTION HERO ELECTRIC

HERO ELECTRIC | E-MOBILITY CHALLENGING, BUT PROMISING

The recently announcement of the National Elec- Another key aspect of the NEMMP is that it tric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 (NEMMP) by the discourages the traders and short-window opera- Indian government envisages the adoption of six tors from affecting the market. The requirement to to seven million EV and hybrid vehicles by 2020. invest in R&D and achieve a certain rate of locali- And a large chunk of this will come from electric sation will eventually make the system sustaina- two-wheelers, which have already ridden down ble only for serious players. This is extremely im- from a wave of success. In a recent interaction, portant since the target number for the govern- Sohinder Gill, CEO, Global Business, Hero Elec- ment is made up mostly by two-wheelers and this tric offered his perspectives on the future of these is the area, which is easier to penetrate on a vehicles and the industry. mass scale. The launch of these vehicles will then The present scenario for electric two-wheelers be followed by technologies such plug-in hybrids, isn’t very bright in India, if seen without NEMMP’s electric three-wheelers and buses etc, which are push. The Indian buyer is still looking for some still under development. kind of a magical solution from electric two- Gill said that the government policy is a lot wheelers. Gill said these expectations are a result better thought this time, as instead of providing a required in R&D. Areas such as lightweighting of campaigns led by various independent distrib- flat subsidy to vehicles of a particular kind, the through better implementation of material science utors, especially the fly-by-night operators, who focus is on providing efficiency-linked subsidies. will play an important role in encouraging electric were selling unbranded Chinese products. The This will ensure that vehicles with higher efficiency mobility. With range anxiety being a major deter- false promises eventually led to high sales of attract more subsidies and are easily adopted by rent, it’s imperative that companies develop lighter electric two-wheelers. Eventually though, as con- people. Another advantage of this move will be that vehicles in order to offer enhanced range. sumers experienced the first battery replacement manufacturers will be encouraged to develop more From an Indian perspective, companies need cost and the overall charging cost, the promises efficient technologies in order to achieve sustaina- not reinvent the wheel. Gill believes there’s poten- started falling apart. Negative sentiments in the bility. This way the government too will get better tial for Indian companies to develop products market took over, and the promising new idea return on its investment in the form of lesser pollu- ground-up, especially where they need to depend started losing its sheen. tion and lower expenditure on buying crude oil. on international markets for specific materials. In For companies such as Hero Electric, this But what happens when subsidies get other cases, there has to be a focus on customis- turned out to be the biggest challenge for about removed? Will EVs continue to be an attractive ing technology for Indian requirements. “Control- 18 months – getting people back to believe in proposition for consumers? The new NEMMP looks lers, for example, are available easily in many electric two-wheelers. Many customers still view at this aspect, but the industry still has a lot of countries but aren’t customised to suit Indian these products with suspicion. Changing this thoughts to be generated in this area. “The industry driving cycles. The chip in that controller doesn’t mindset and scenario is where the NEMMP comes and government also need to look at whether the support functions such as overload control, vibra- into play, Gill opined. vehicles being sold under the plan are taking away tions, rough usage, etc, which are quite common any share from petrol vehicles or are just catering in India. Such components hence need to be de- ENCOURAGING INITIATIVE to new customer creation. The plan will be com- veloped with inputs that enable the above men- pletely successful only if we’re able to reduce oil tioned functionalities,” he said. Gill believes the NEMMP would help the industry in consumption and the related pollution. If imple- Hero Electric has made a significant progress three ways. First, as the government is making an mented and monitored well, the plan’s cost could in the area of lead-based batteries. Starting from announcement, people will look at it more seriously turn out to be a fraction of what the country will a process of buying batteries from China, the and the trust factor will improve. Second, the save in the form of foreign exchange and the subsi- company has been able to develop batteries in a upfront cost for consumers will reduce significantly, dies they’re presently offering,” he said. way that they’ve become more reliable. This which is more important for most market consum- process took the company about three years as ers rather than total cost of ownership. Third, the NON-EXISTENT INFRASTRUCTURE every new battery needs a checking cycle of about consumers will look at the extra value they’re re- six to eight months. In India, companies need to ceiving for a lower cost, owing to subsidies. Talking of the challenges and areas of improve- focus even more on the batteries as the climate Gill, who is also Director – Corporate Affairs at ment, Gill said that battery and related electronics’ conditions are extreme in nature. Most batteries the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, manufacturing in India is almost non-existent. For here fail in the period starting from April to July as India (SMEV), believes NEMMP would not result in example, no one in India makes electric motors for the temperature inside the battery box can exceed immediate rise in EV sales. “It might take about electric vehicles and hence companies have to 55° C. In such cases, energy density packaging six to nine months to achieve a countrywide pene- depend on imports. The industry and government and battery management systems need to be tration, following which we might see some visible need to collectively understand that to get about looked into in detail. sales,” he said. seven million vehicles on road, a huge change is

6 www.autotechreview.com Another critical issue in India is charging. company is looking at special application vehicles need to come together to finance at least the Voltage fluctuations and frequent power outages too. Helping them develop a variety of products is battery cost over a period of few years. This will have negative impact on the battery life. In order the fact that they’ve worked extensively on battery speed up adoption and the volumes in turn will to reduce this, Hero Electric has developed a new technology in the past few years. Gill believes the speed development. By then, one can expect to charger from which details about charging can be company’s present capability is good enough to see better and stable lithium batteries, but even retrieved whenever required. These details are offer the best possible solutions and make the then lead might account for about 70 % of the then used to educate the customer about tech- most from the push by NEMMP. An interesting part market. niques that can help them prolong battery life. about the battery development is the fact that Gill believes that this time around there’s a Such region-based innovation is critical for the Hero Electric tried working with an Indian partner bright chance for electric mobility to take off for success of electric mobility in India. at first but things didn’t work well. The lack of two-wheelers. He expects that with things going Electric motor is another area which needs to suppliers with the right technology or the willing- right we could see more than four million such ve- be focussed on in the coming years, said Gill. ness to try out new paths forced the company to hicles on the road by 2020, fulfilling a large chunk More companies including Hero Electric are advo- look at a Chinese supplier. In the next two years, of the NEMMP’s target. However, he said that the cating raising the bar for low-speed categorisa- the company worked on various parameters to path to this success isn’t easy and a lot of work tion from 25 km/h to 35 km/h. This is despite the arrive at the stable stage it is at today. across the value chain of the industry needs to be problem of a higher inverse relationship between Talking about lithium-ion as an option, Gill carried out. Focusing on not just technology devel- speed and efficiency in two-wheelers. The target said lead is the favoured material presently for opment but India-centric, flexible and cost-effec- is in the range of 35 km/h to 50 km/h of top speed two-wheelers. The main reasons for this include tive innovations are what will drive the growth of with high efficiency. Achieving this would signifi- the unfavourable reaction of lithium to heat, life electric mobility. cantly increase the practicality of the vehicles for cycle reliability and cost. He expects lead to be the most kinds of city usage and attract greater inter- favoured choice till the point it’s deemed to be too TEXT : Arpit Mahendra est from consumers. heavy to derive optimum efficiency from a vehicle. However, the company is simultaneously working FUTURE PLANS on products with lithium but isn’t being able to get the desired life from the battery presently. Talking of future products, Gill said that their In order to encourage adoption of lithium-ion focus isn’t limited to just two-wheelers, and the powered vehicles, the government and banks too

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 7 NEWS E-MOBILITY

MAHINDRA REVA | E2O – GLIMPSE INTO OUR FUTURE

Anand Mahindra, Chairman and MD, M&M addressing the media in the presence of Rajan Wadhera, Chetain Maini, Dr Pawan Goenka and Pravin Shah

March 18, 2013 saw the introduction of one of numerous technologies, which are generally seen provide free power for the life time of the vehicle India’s much-awaited vehicles in recent times. on cars from a segment or two above. It is and make the overall emissions zero. Mahindra Reva’s electric car e2o, which was powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, which is The range is further helped by the presence earlier known as the NXR, was launched almost roughly equivalent to 6,000 smartphone batter- of regenerative braking, which charges the bat- 15 months after it was showcased at Auto Expo ies. The 48 V battery pack powers a three-phase teries, every time the vehicle decelerates. When 2012 for an on-road Delhi price of ` 5.96 lakh. induction motor, which develops 19 kW of power slowing, the electric motor acts as a generator This would be the cheapest rate on offer on the and a torque of 53 Nm. A fully automatic trans- and develops electricity, which is sent to the e2o because the Delhi government offers a mission rounds up the powertrain package. battery pack. This way the kinetic energy that rebate on the purchase and registration of any The battery can be charged through a stand- would’ve normally been lost, is converted to elec- electric vehicle in the State. Although the ard 220 V 15 A socket, normally found in all tricity. This not only extends the range but also company was expecting some sort of an an- homes. Charging time is five hours, after which lowers the emission footprint further. nouncement regarding subsidies on EVs in the the claimed range is 100 km; an hour-long Another highlight about the e2o is the REVive just-announced Union budget, the government charging can offer a 20 km range. With a top technology, which has been patented. It address- stayed clear from making any commitment. speed of 81 km/h, the e2o is strictly limited to es the range anxiety associated with EVs to an city usage and at that its small dimensions extent. In case the vehicle runs out of power, the TECHNOLOGY prove very useful. The vehicle comes with a 5 m user can access some reserve power, good charging cable as standard but can be ordered enough for about 10 km. The activation can be The e2o is aimed at offering users with a con- with a longer one on request. For an additional done using a smartphone application, which venient and emission-free drive within cities. cost, consumers can also opt for a Sun2Car solar alerts the company’s related department, who in Despite it being a low-cost EV, the car features charging installation. The unit can theoretically turn can remotely activate the power reserve.

8 www.autotechreview.com Another beneficial connectivity feature is The e2o is made at the first Indian Green Build- In the end though everything boils down to remote diagnostics, which can alert the consum- ing Council platinum rated facility in Bengaluru. numbers and economics and this hasn’t been the er of any fault via sms or email. Some issues can The plant makes use of solar energy and natural strong point for EVs globally. Even manufacturers be remotely fixed as well, leading to greater con- light for power and light requirements. In addi- such as Nissan and Chevrolet are struggling to venience. An e2o consumer will anyways need to tion, every e2o that rolls off the line is charged get the Leaf and Volt off the showrooms despite pay very few visits to the service centre as due to for the first time using solar energy. government subsidies. Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Nissan, fewer moving parts, a typical EV needs less The car’s body panels are made from special- once considered Denmark as a nation that would maintenance. In the case of e2o, just an annual ly formed plastic with impregnated colour, which lead in the revolution for EVs. Three years after service is required and that too can be done at makes them body scratch and dent resistant. that thought was shared, EV sales in Denmark home if one opts for this facility. This also allows the plant to do away with stood at 73. The largest challenge for Mahindra welding and paint shops, both of which are Reva will be the lack of a charging infrastructure CONNECTING WITH FUTURE major consumers of power during a vehicle’s and government support as of now. The company production cycle. is installing charging points across some cities, We’ve talked about the growing importance of but it’ll need support from various stakeholders to two-way communication between the car, its oc- THE FUTURE? achieve desired numbers. cupants and the infrastructure in some of our The future surely seems more promising as past issues. The e2o sets a benchmark in this All the technologies put together make the e2o a the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan is yet area from a price perspective. Ten on-board smart vehicle in its price segment. Since there is to be deployed. The plan could help e2o and computers manage every aspect related to elec- no other similar vehicle, all comparisons will several other EV and hybrid vehicles make an tronics and communication to and from the car. need to be made on the basis of price for now. inroad into the mainstream of mobility. The A driver information system provides critical Mahindra Reva invested about ` 100 crore in the concern here though is that the government’s vehicle information to the driver in order to help development of the vehicle, far less than what implementation of the policy is yet to be seen him/ her extract more efficiency. OEMs normally invest to develop a typical entry- and past policy results aren’t exactly encourag- Display takes place on a 6.2 inch colour level hatchback from scratch. Despite the lowing. Mahindra Reva has done its part by devel- touch screen, which also offers GPS navigation investment, the company has been able to roll oping and delivering the best possible technolo- as standard. These computers are also responsi- out some global and India first technologies. gy towards a cleaner and greener environment. ble for constantly monitoring and transmitting This comes across as one of the best and effi- The next few years would hopefully throw open a vehicle information, making remote diagnostics ciently exercised examples of frugal engineering. lot of answers. possible. Smartphone connectivity too has been pushed to a new level in the e2o. Users can now use their phones to lock/ unlock their vehicle from anywhere, elim- inating the need for physical presence within a certain distance from the vehicle. On hot summer days, the phone can also be used to remotely start/ stop the air-con- ditioning unit. Additionally, the phone application’s trip planner integrates the remaining range into the maps and allows for better planning of journeys. Such extensive smartphone integration is a first for any Indian vehicle and also reflects the growing importance of this technology as people expect to stay connected in vehicles. Being an electric vehicle, the tail pipe emissions of the e2o are naturally zero but the company also ensures that its manufacturing is the greenest in the country.

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 9 NEWS MISCELLANEOUS

VARROC GROUP | STRONG CHINA FOCUS

Diversified Indian supplier, Varroc Group recently Meanwhile, Varroc Lighting Systems also announced their acquisition of the Visteon equity hosted a 14-member Chinese trade delegation interest (50 %) in its China-based lighting Joint from the Foreign Investment Promotion Centre of venture, Visteon TYC Auto Lamps Co Ltd. The re- Commerce Bureau of Changzhou in March. The maining share in the new entity – Varroc TYC delegation’s decision to travel to India was in- Auto Lamps Co Ltd – will remain with TYC Broth- spired by Varroc’s acquisition in Changzhou. It ers Ltd of Taiwan. was led by Fang Guoqiang, Vice Mayor, Chang- Tarang Jain, Managing Director, Varroc zhou People’s Municipal Government and com- Group said the acquisition completes an impor- prised of members from the Administrative tant step in the group’s strategic plan to focus on Committee of Changzhou National High-tech its core businesses and expand its footprint into District (CND), including Wang Yuwei, it Vice Di- China, the world’s largest automotive market. The rector. The delegation’s foremost motive was to new company will be part of Varroc Lighting promote and encourage Indian companies to Systems, which was formed after the group’s ac- invest more in China. quisition of Visteon’s global automotive lighting Varroc is the first Indian auto components tions closed at $ 130 mn, encompassing a wide business. The deal, which includes manufacturing company to have two plants in Changzhou and range of exterior lighting products supplied to and engineering facilities in Changzhou and their third plant will soon be operational in global vehicle manufacturers, including front Chongqing, was worth approximately $ 20 mn. Chongqing. In 2012, sales for the China opera- and rear lighting systems.

NEW PRODUCT | HMSI CONTINENTAL | NEW BRAKE BOOSTERS AID LAUNCHES CB TRIGGER EFFICIENCY

Global automotive parts supplier Continental tive effect on the brake booster’s life. The new has introduced a new generation of all-alumini- system is available in 8/8, 8/9, 9/9 and 9/10 um brake boosters, which is claimed to weigh inch sizes and can be ordered as a front bolt about 50 % or 1.7 kg less in comparison to the version on request. earlier steel brake booster. The new 12 % (15 Stephan Krebs, Vice President, R&D Actua- mm) shorter boosters are developed amid tion Systems, Hydraulic Brake Systems Business strong demand from vehicle manufacturers for Unit, Chassis & Safety Division, Continental lightweight components, which helps in reduc- said the company has developed for the first Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) ing CO2 emissions. time a completely aluminium brake booster for launched the CB Trigger, a 150 cc motorcycle The company has optimised the this third generation product. based on the CBR150R. Prices of the CB Trigger Continental sees good acceptance for its next- nonetheless, will be announced by the end of generation brake boosters as OEMs across the April, when deliveries commence. The engine is a globe are trying to reduce weight, wherever safely 150 cc fuel injected unit with a peak power of 14 possible. The direct benefit from weight reduction hp, coupled with a torque of 12.5 Nm @ 6,500 is increased efficiency and performance. More im- rpm. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, HMSI claims portantly, brake boosters a fuel efficiency of 60 km/l for the motorcycle. serve as a base for various CB Trigger also comes with Honda’s Combi electronic safety systems Brake System, a segment first. The optional such as Anti-lock Brake Systems system is claimed to reduce braking distance by (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and other 32 % in comparison with a conventional brake driver assistance systems. With an ever increas- set-up. With more focus on commuters, the ergo- ing adoption of these systems, the company nomics have been improved to offer better internal dimensions seems extremely confident of the new product to comfort. The seating position is more upright and used thinner metal in order to achieve do well across markets, also owing to the flexible than the CBR150R. The CB Trigger is available in weight reduction along with improved packing. nature of the component. three variants – Standard, Deluxe and CBS. These reductions are claimed to have no nega-

10 www.autotechreview.com AGREEMENT | ISUZU TO ESTABLISH LCV PLANT IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Isuzu Motors India Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidi- ary of Isuzu Motors Ltd recently signed a Memo- randum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a light commercial vehicle (LCV) plant at Sricity in Nellore district. Sricity, a special economic zone, was proposed as the plant location for its proximity to Chennai, being in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh. Isuzu has acquired 430,000 sq m of land to build the plant and aims to sell 100,000 units of LCV per annum. The company also believes that the Sricity plant will support Isuzu’s main LCV operation in Thailand, where the company manufactures 300,000 LCVs and SUVs in a year. As per the MoU, the company will invest ` 1,500 crore in five to seven years, by when the plant would reach peak production. In India, Isuzu presently offers pick-up India as well. The Indian plant will start manu- Moreover, the pick-up truck segment, the core truck, D-MAX and pick up derivative, MU-7 as facturing D-MAX and MU-7 from late 2015 or of Isuzu’s LCV operations, has expanded to CBU imports from Thailand. Sales started in early 2016, the release stated. about 200,000 units. The company is optimistic March this year in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil India’s automobile industry is expected to about the growth and plans to tap it by selling Nadu, and the company is building up its sales witness a significant growth from the current about 100,000 units annually, a few years down network and plans to expand to other parts of 3.6 mn units to between 10-15 mn in 10 years. the line.

BOSCH GENERATORS | A CENTURY OF PRODUCTION

More than a century back, Bosch introduced the lowed by electric starter, and in 1926, Bosch creasingly being used on everyday basis. Spotting world’s first voltage regulating generator for motor launched the first electric drive for the wipers. the opportunity and addressing the business risk, vehicles. Then, the generator was just a power Bosch mostly manufactured ignition systems Robert Bosch made sure that Bosch automotive source for the electric headlights, which were till 1913. A single product focus in a rapidly de- lighting system was ready for series production by going through their initial years. Later, the gener- veloping automotive market was a very risky busi- 1913. The package was offered as a retrofit and ator laid the foundation for the electrification of ness strategy. Moreover, there was a need for safe consisted of two headlights, generator, battery the automobile. In 1914, the headlights were fol- and reliable lighting system as vehicles were in- and the voltage regulator. It was the first lighting system that paved the way for Bosch to become the world’s largest independent automotive supplier. Today, Bosch generators provide power to all electrical systems in a vehicle, not only making the vehicle cleaner and efficient but also improving their safety and comfort. Ulrich Kirschner, President, Bosch Starter Motors and Generators Division said generators are constantly getting smaller, more robust, and more powerful. “While the first generator provided a modest output of just 4 A, the latest generation of Bosch generators encompasses four output categories ranging from 130 A to 250 A.”

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 11 GUEST COMMENTARY

DR TAPAN SAHOO, Vice President (Engineering) – Electrical, xEV, HVAC & Electronics Systems, Maruti Suzuki India Limited

STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN AUTO COMPONENT INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION the fast changing environment and how well the industry is able to integrate technology management with the business strategies The Indian automotive industry has undergone a lot of transfor- of the firms. mation since inception, particularly in the last decade. The entry Technology development in the auto industry worldwide has of international automobile majors in India has seen the industry been primarily driven by regulations related to environment and landscape change dramatically, which in turn has propelled the safety, government policies and initiatives to meet the growing growth of auto industry and the auto component industry in In- needs of customers and remain competitive. From a regulation dia. In the fast changing global scenario, the auto component in- perspective, India has taken the path of following global trends dustry in India faces many challenges. Some of the major chal- (primarily in line with EU) and thus technology development has lenges include greater competition in domestic as well as export followed the developments in the developed world. markets, integrating into the global supply chain, quality level, To keep up with the technology development needs, technol- low overall technology capability in terms of product design & de- ogy acquisition through collaborations and alliances has been velopment, and manufacturing & associated technologies in the one of the preferred routes by the component industry in India. value chain, among others. The prime focus of the industry as a whole has been to improve The concept of attaining competitiveness on the basis of indigenisation levels and improve on operational efficiency. The abundant and cheap labour, favourable exchange rates and con- journey and popularity of TPM and TQM is a testimony of this. cessional duty structure is becoming inadequate and therefore, However, we find few examples of organisations developing true not sustainable. Technology has been considered as an important technological capability. A study conducted at IIT Delhi, ➊, maps contributor for competitiveness of countries at the macro level five major countries in terms of their “Manufacturing capability” and individual firms at the micro level. The Global Competitive- and “Technology capability” [2]. The study observed that Japanese ness Report 2000 introduced a new focus – Technology as one of companies established strong manufacturing and technology ca- the key drivers of sustained economic growth. The key question pability, and thus have been successful in the global automotive is how quickly the industry is able to adapt to the challenges of landscape. German companies have stronger technology capabili-

12 www.autotechreview.com ty and also get mapped in the same quadrant as Japan. While PHASES BROAD ACTIVITY EXPLANATION China’s manufacturing might is well-documented, it’s making 1 Export-orientation Production takes place domestically, and good progress in technology as well. Korea, on the other hand, foreign sales are primarily through designa- ted agencies seems stronger in manufacturing capability. 2 Direct sales Production takes place domestically, and Compared to this, automobile manufacturers in India (IA) foreign sales companies are established still lie in the quadrant of “Manufacturing Hub” and the extent of 3 Direct overseas Transfer of manufacturing and production technology capability is low compared to other countries. The rel- production technology ative position of India, China and Korea on the horizontal axis is 4 Fully independent The foreign location of R&D function begins based on trade competitiveness and thus explains the exports foreign businesses in this phase – technology development from these countries. The study also highlights that while R&D 5 Global integration Integration of all functions globally investments by auto component firms is quite high in developed countries, the component industry in India (IC) still lie in the first ➋ A Japanese policy framework for global competitiveness [3] quadrant. This reflects the fact that auto component manufacturers today focus on aggregate assembly rather than focusing on in- pability dimension. The other key aspect is that the quality of re- creasing value addition through design and technology. sources required for developing in-house technologies is phenom- enal, with high gestation periods. This being an important dimension, probably it has not attracted the attention of entrepreneurs/ STM & COMPETITIVENESS top management, particularly when easier options of sourcing technology through international collaboration are available. In simple terms, STM is strategic management of technology, keeping the business objectives in mind. It involves key activities from linking technology strategy to business strategies to effective WAY FORWARD management of innovation, technology transfer, adoption, adaptation, absorption, R&D, design and commercialisation. The ex- The goal of becoming world class partners can be achieved by ample of Japan is cited in many literatures as a successful case of successful strategic technology management. There is a need for establishing global competitiveness through strategic technology concerted efforts from individual companies’ top leadership, bold management. Japan’s success has come about through a national and encouraging policies from the government and required push policy framework, which has been followed by Japanese compa- and support from OEMs. While policy-makers should review nies to attain global competitiveness in different domains, ➋. long-term trends in technological competitiveness, firms should The concept of STM has been there for a long time, particu- evolve their own metrics to help with critical decisions on STM larly in select developed countries. However, there are several and their impact. The upcoming fuel efficiency, safety and emis- gaps in its understanding, adaptation and implementation in the sion regulations will provide opportunities for new technology context of India. While the industry worldwide is moving to- development and the recent announcement of the National Elec- wards a distinct tier-based structure, with OEMs as assemblers tric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 is expected to support the devel- and the Tier I suppliers taking a lead role as system integrators, opment of an ecosystem in India for xEV technologies through in- the Indian component industry is yet to come up in terms of the terventions in demand/supply, R&D and infrastructure develop- technical capability required for aligning itself with the global ment. Top leadership involvement is very crucial for any strategic trend. While the situation of low and slowly improving techno- change and the same is required for technology capability devel- logical competitiveness of the players and industry can be partly opment in auto component industry in India. Companies will attributed to strategic gaps in macro policies and their implemen- have to evolve and execute strategies to build dynamic capabili- tation, the gaps in firms may also be the root cause. ties on technology management and other related fronts to catch- At a policy level, the whole focus of the Indian automotive in- up with their counterparts in the developed world. STM deploy- dustry has been to develop it as a manufacturing hub till few ment can be more successful if technology capability is a focus years back. The aspect of developing ‘design capability’ only got area for the firms alongside technology acquisition, which can be included in the achieved by enhancing ‘absorptive capacity’ and by working High Technology Provider World Class III IV Automotive Mis- steadily on ‘in-house technology development’. G J sion Plan in 2006. U Germany Japan Absence of strong REFERENCES USA in-house R&D ef- [1] Cohen, W.M. and Levinthal, D.A.1990. ‘Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning & Innovation’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 35: 128-52 forts and efforts to C K [2] Sahoo Tapan, Banwet DK and Momaya K: Developing a Conceptual Frame- China Korea enhance absorp- work for Strategic Technology Management using ISM and MICMAC methodology: tive capacity [1] A case of Automotive Industry in India, Global Business Review, 12(1), 117-143 IA [3] Yamanouchi T. 1995. A New Study of Technology Management, Tokyo: Asian Technology Capability Technology provides some in- Productivity Organisation IC India Automobiles sight as to why India Components Low I Job order fulfiller Manufacturing Hub II companies in In- LowManufacturing Capability High dia have really not ➊ The IIT Delhi study looked at manufacturing and moved very far on Read this article on technology capabilities of five countries [1] the technology ca- www.autotechreview.com autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 13 INTERVIEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

“WE ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUTURE CHALLENGES”

Within a few days of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) announcing the completion of purchase of the Navistar Group’s stake in Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd (MNAL) and Mahindra Navistar Engines Pvt Ltd (MNEPL), Auto Tech Review caught up with Nalin Mehta, Managing Director, MNAL to understand the roadmap for the company in India henceforth. Increasing market penetration, better understanding of customer requirements and improved product and distribution strategy would be the key growth drivers for the company.

Born in 1958, Nalin Mehta went on to complete his Bachelor of For Mahindra Renault Pvt Ltd, he led the Logan brand Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, launch, and rose to head the organisation as the CEO, leading Kharagpur and followed that up with an MBA from the Faculty to taking over of MRPL by Mahindra. In April 2010, he took of Management Studies, Delhi University. Prior to joining Mahi- over as the Chief Operating Officer of MNAL, before taking ndra & Mahindra in 2000 as General Manager – UVs, he worked charge as its Managing Director a year later. He is currently an with Hindustan Motors for nine years. There, he launched Mit- Executive Committee member of the Society of Indian Auto- subishi Lancer, which was noticed and hailed for many innova- mobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and a Governing Council mem- tive firsts in the Indian automotive market. ber of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

14 www.autotechreview.com ATR _ What is the road ahead for MNAL And what would you count as your much on improving productivity. And considering the changing dynamics post opportunities? thanks to some of the regulatory mecha- the Navistar stake buy-out? The biggest opportunity in India is the nisms, or the lack of them, the focus of NALIN MEHTA _ The response from all market itself. We may be going through a the industry has always been on doing stakeholders, including the customers, rough patch currently, but no one believes things at a minimum cost, but not at the has been very positive. For our custom- it’s a rough patch for long. With all its best services. A lot of our customers are ers, brand Mahindra and the trust associ- cyclic behaviour, if you compare two rele- now moving from being a transportation ated with the brand always factors in vant periods (good-to-good and bad-to- provider to a service provider, and hence their purchase. Our dealers and suppliers bad), CAGRs have been in the range of there’s a larger focus on productivity. are anyways very comfortable because 8-9 %. Everybody believes the story going Our efforts have been to fill-in small we share a lot of common strategies with ahead is similar. To my mind, that’s the gaps in the industry to give our custom- our automotive business. big opportunity. ers a delightful experience. Consumers Talking about our abilities and tech- Secondly, there’s a lot to be done on not only view our products as technolog- nology needs, from the business growth products. We’ve had similar kinds of ically advanced, but also look at our ser- point of view, we have a perpetual trucks for the last two to three decades. vices as being ahead of time. We are the licence agreement and a technology sup- MNAL has been the pioneer in making first ones to offer four years unlimited port agreement with Navistar for good, relevant cabins for the market – warranty on the whole truck, and a engines. We would need to upgrade the giving relevant comfort to the driver, 48-hour uptime guaranty. We are the first MWM engine to meet BS IV regulations, offering better NVH characteristics and to introduce a 24x7 call centre backed by and we are geared for that. In trucks visibility, good clusters and adjustable engineers who speak in seven languages. though, we don’t need any help any- seats. These are opportunities we have more. We have developed capabilities in- encashed upon. You have products in the 25-49 tonne house and are self-sufficient. segments and obviously you’d build differ- Post Navistar, it is business as usual But like you said, there’s big growth ent applications on them. Do we also see for us. We are constantly looking at syn- opportunity in the market itself? you creating sub-segments? ergies within various functions. For Absolutely; there’s been a duopoly in the What you’re saying is very relevant. instance, we have nearly 1,000 tractor market for way too long (85 % between When I spoke about the industry becom- dealers and 250 of them work as author- Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland), and ing more service-oriented, they’re also ised service centres for our trucks. This newer players have a large field to play looking at readymade, customised solu- sort of synergy can be hastened with on. At MNAL, we’ve built a great product, tions. We have already moved in that MNAL becoming a fully-owned Mahin- a strong product development team, and a direction and are already offering concrete dra operation. modern plant with the best of equip- mixtures integrated with our truck. We’ve ments. These are the reasons why we already made a bulker and offering it as You obviously had lot of learning through believe there is a great opportunity for us an integrated solution. Soon, we will offer your association with Navistar over the to grow this business. different variants of refrigerated vans as last three to four years. Are there areas Secondly, the industry hasn’t focussed an integrated solution. We see such you still think you need to work on? The trucking industry is very heterogene- ous in nature. You can perhaps divide this segment into a few hundred micro segments, where the applications are substantially different. The impact on the product, the impact on engineering and the impact on performance is significantly different in different such segments. So, the learning doesn’t stop. The biggest challenge that we all face is real world usage information. The industry doesn’t organise itself well – the operators, for instance, are not able to share the kind of data that a developer would want. The road conditions are dynamic and so are the driving cycles and emission standards. Roads have wid- ened, and overloading has reduced. But we do need more and more accurate real world usage information, so one can simulate it. Lack of real world usage information is a big challenge for the trucking industry, said Mehta autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 15 INTERVIEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

We are a fairly significant player in the school bus segment, and we do plan to introduce a new range of bus in the LCV category soon. We enjoy a high marketshare in markets that offer CNG, and that would continue to be our thrust area. We haven’t started any major work on the 16 tonne HCV platform, but we have our eyes on it.

Give us an idea about MNAL’s position in the market today. In the LCV business, we enjoy a marketshare of about 11 %. This is a business that M&M was already in, even before we joined hands with Navistar. In the HCV business, while we did our seeding about two and half years ago, selling in a national scale started only two years ago. We have about 7,000 HCVs in the market today, with a steady increase in marketshare month-on-month. In the month of Mehta believes the industry would continue to make progress towards modernisation January this year, our marketshare in the HCV business was 4.2 %. I think the opportunities building up in the market. turers use thick walls that add up to the industry has also started recognising us as We don’t have a 49-tonne product weight of the vehicle. We are looking for a very important third player. right now, but have recently launched a aluminium foam sort of a material to be tipper with bogey suspension, which is used in the floor as well as side walls of What’s going to be the driving force for where the market is moving. It’s a low the reefer vans, and are working with the CV industry as well as MNAL in say maintenance and long lasting solution. companies with expertise on such areas. five years from now? We have consciously worked on mak- Eventually, these would help in better If I have to look at a five year horizon, the ing our products future ready. We see no thermal conductivity, insulation and CV industry as a whole would certainly significant issue in migrating to BS IV weight reduction. grow. Even if there are logjams at the standards, or addressing any new regula- decision-making level, after a certain time, tion that might come with regards to This obviously leads to better efficiency entrepreneurship kicks in. If there’s safety or cabins, for instance. Global and lesser operating costs? demand for goods, people would find a players coming into the country have Precisely, operating costs go down and way to deliver. I see the industry making brought cabins from their respective fuel efficiency increases. significant progress towards modernisa- countries, whereas MNAL is the only tion. I see a significant mindset change company to have developed a cabin Talk to us about product evolution in the coming into this industry, especially with understanding the needs of the custom- CV industry. What lies ahead for trucks a lot of young people entering traditional ers in the Indian market. Our cabin and buses? businesses like transportation. meets all regulations not just in India, Experiences from the global market tell us As a company, we are very well-posi- but globally. that engine power and cabin comforts tioned to take advantage of the situation. have gone up, telematics have become Entry of new and modern global players It’s widely believed that reefer vans have a more regular, safety norms have become will help the industry become better and large untapped potential in the Indian more stringent, and the hub and spoke more competitive. And, no one can stop market. What could one expect from model has become the right way of doing infrastructure development because it’s MNAL in this regard? business. I believe the Mahindra Group is gone beyond politics. We normally don’t We certainly feel the market for reefer uniquely positioned to take advantage of talk numbers, but I’ve been talking about vans would expand, especially with the this. As a group, we have the wherewithal 50,000 trucks in four years from now. We country looking at the large potential of to offer our customers a complete services will continue to focus on the modern, cold storage for numerous applications. package including relevant products, youth transporter. We will continue to Many transporters import reefer vans finance, logistics and telematics. To me, offer superior services, packaged services. from the middle-east. In fact, there exists that’s where the future lies. an interesting excise benefit if reefer vans are sold directly by a manufacturer. What are MNAL’s plans in the bus INTERVIEW: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Conventionally, reefer van manufac- segment? PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay

16 www.autotechreview.com

TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT ULTRA-CAPACITORS

ULTRA-CAPACITORS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES: FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

A reference image of a capacitor

18 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS INTRODUCTION Unlike batteries in which electrochemical reactions are responsible for charging One of the major reasons behind emer- and discharging, a capacitor stores energy gence of hybrid and electric vehicles as by means of a static charge. In conven- viable transportation options is the tional dielectric capacitors, two electrodes advancements in battery technology and are separated by a (dry) dielectric sub- power electronics. The current lot of elec- stance. Such capacitors have a very low ARGHYA SARDAR tric vehicles rely on batteries to store capacitance (ranging from picofarads to is Scientist E & Head, Transportation Division at TIFAC, Department of energy. However, there are still a lot of microfarads), and are used to filter signals Science & Technology, Government challenges associated with electric vehi- and tune radio frequencies. of India cles. Many of the major constraints asso- The second type is electrolytic capaci- ciated with electric vehicles – range limi- tor that uses a moist separator. These tation, performance limitation, charge capacitors are rated in microfarads (uF), acceptance, and safety, among other and are used for power filtering, buffer- things, relate directly to the battery tech- ing and coupling. The third type, ultra- nology. A better energy storage system capacitors use two layers of the same for electric vehicle demands for much substrate with a nanoscale separation SURESH BABU MUTTANA is Scientist C at TIFAC, Department improved battery technology. The ques- between layers. The very small distance of Science & Technology, tion is: is there any other rechargeable between layers and the presence of an Government of India energy storage technology that can electrochemical double-layer allows the replace batteries in future? Ultra-capacitor electrodes to have a much larger area, is one such technology that can poten- resulting in large capacities. tially play this role. They can offer electric There exists some ambiguity in the vehicles fast charging and a longer life. classification of ultra-capacitors. For sim- But traditionally ultra-capacitors have plification, they may be considered in been considered for high power applica- three broad categories – Symmetric, tions, and not an option for energy stor- Asymmetric and Hybrid. Symmetric ultra- age system due to its comparatively low capacitors include Electric Double Layer specific energy. Typical specific energy of Capacitors (EDLC), in which electrical ultra-capacitors has been limited to 5 Wh/ charge is only physically stored in double kg. With such low specific energy, the layer; and pseudo-capacitors, in which a achievable range for any type of vehicle is greater amount of charge transfer is due insignificant. However, super-capacitors to faraidic mechanisms like electrosorp- have higher power density and quicker tion, redox reactions and intercalation, charging time. modified symmetric super-capacitors, That is why even with available spe- with changes in the electrolyte composi- cific energy, ultra-capacitors have been tions, mass loading and geometry of the successfully used for regenerative braking electrodes. A Hybrid ultra-capacitor uses applications in trains and trams, which two electrodes made of different materials use grid supply instead of on-board bat- and, eventually, using different operating tery pack. The design of energy storage processes (faradaic and non-faradaic). system with combination of ultra-capaci- In several aspects, ultra-capacitors are tor and battery has remained a challenge. better than batteries. The main advantage However, there are some recent develop- is their long life. Ultra-capacitors can go ments that indicate that in future ultra- through more than one million charging capacitors may compete with batteries in and discharging cycles. The rate of this regard. This article takes a look at the charge/ discharge is very high. Thus ultra- status and trends of the ultra-capacitor capacitors are suitable for handling high technology towards its application in the power requirements. Other advantages energy storage system of xEVs. include good reversibility, very low internal resistance, high efficiency, high power output, safety, maintenance-free opera- ULTRA-CAPACITOR TECHNOLOGY tion, and simple loading methods. Since ultra-capacitors are electrostatic Ultra-capacitors have several alternative and not electrochemical devices, they can names – super-capacitors, pseudo-capaci- be fully discharged for transport and tors, electrochemical double-layer capaci- maintenance. Their behaviour is more tors (EDLCs). predictable and they are more tolerant of autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 19 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT ULTRA-CAPACITORS

The electric motor and power electronics as shown by Renault in a 2009 media release

faults and damage. Batteries degrade over possible but they would reduce the ser- turbine blade control, automotive elec- time, especially when they are exposed to vice life. To achieve higher voltages, sev- trons, etc. The ultra-capacitor market is extreme temperatures. eral super-capacitors are connected in divided into two areas: small, effective To prevent this, battery systems are series. But serial connection reduces the super-capacitors for portable electronic provided with thermal management sys- total capacitance, and for strings with applications, and larger ones for energy tems; additional cells are also added to more than three ultra-capacitors, voltage storage applications. High energy ultra- offset losses in performance over time. balancing may be required to prevent any capacitors are required for applications Since ultra-capacitors can be recharged cell from going into over-voltage. Self-dis- like hybrid and electric vehicles. without degrading and can work well in a charge of ultra-capacitors is often higher In the automotive domain, the super- wide range of temperatures they are not than a battery, although there has been capacitors are used for onboard electrical associated with such problems. significant improvement in this regard. systems like electromagnetic valve con- A rechargeable battery involves very However, for use in automobile drive- trol, catalyst preheating, brake actuators complex, poorly understood chemistry, train, the major disadvantages of the and steering. However, these are low considerable unpredictability and swelling ultra-capacitors are their low energy-stor- power applications. Ultra-capacitor appli- and shrinking during use, which may age capacity and high price. Energy stor- cations in hybrid and electric vehicle assist in self-destruction. By contrast, age capacity of a typical commercially drivetrain include integrated starter gen- super-capacitors are electrostatic devices available high-energy ultra-capacitor is erator, regenerative braking, and energy that do not change shape during use. only about 5 % as much energy as a lith- storage for the traction assistance. Even They can be fully discharged for safety ium-ion battery of equivalent size. among these applications, there is a vari- and transportation and they are more eas- ation of power and energy requirements ily made to consistent quality standards. from the ultra-capacitors. Whereas ULTRA-CAPACITOR APPLICATION: engine start application involves very PRESENT STATUS low energy content for very high power APPLICATION CHALLENGES services, hybrid vehicle applications are The first commercial ultra-capacitor was comparatively more energy intensive. But there are several challenges for appli- introduced by Nippon Electric Company Demand for specific energy is even cation of super-capacitors in energy stor- of Japan in 1978. Since then, the use of higher for fuel cell vehicles, and obvi- age applications. During discharge, the ultra-capacitors has diversified into many ously for electric vehicles. initial voltage drop is due to the ESR. The areas due to high reliability and long life. Use of ultra-capacitor for cranking of gradient of this initial part is too high. The This is in spite of the cost being very IC engine, especially diesel engine at cold super-capacitor voltage is confined to 2.5- high. The range of applications includes temperatures, has been offered by after- 2.7 V. Voltages of 2.8 V and higher are consumer electronics CMOS circuits, wind market vendors, and OEMS are also con-

20 www.autotechreview.com sidering it. In case of micro-hybrids as Maxwell ultra-capacitors are powering braking, and of delivering 15 kW for well, the main feature is the start-stop more than 4,500 hybrid transit buses cur- bursts of acceleration of up to ten sec- technology, which turns off engines at rently in service worldwide. These include onds [4]. traffic stops, and uses stored energy in MAN, Gillig, New Flyer, and BAE Bus. Since 2001, MAN has been developing battery to start the engine. Some start-stop MAN urban hybrid bus and the Sinautec hybrid super-capacitor buses called the solutions employ a combination of batter- pure electric bus use ultra-capacitor banks Lion’s City Hybrid. The current commer- ies with ultra-capacitors. on the roof and dispense with lithium-ion cial model, available since 2010, cuts die- A start-stop idle elimination system batteries altogether. sel consumption by up to 30 %, and is developed by Continental AG with Max- Sinautec's 41-seat Ultracap buses have now being used on a small scale in Paris well ultra-capacitors for micro hybrid die- been serving the Greater Shanghai area and some other European cities. Man- sel automobiles is used in PSA Peugeot since 2006 [2]. When the bus stops at pas- nheim trams use the Mitrac super-capaci- Citroen. Start-stop system with ultra- senger stops, the overhead charger tor system produced by the Berlin-based capacitors has also been adopted by quickly recharges the ultra-capacitor company Bombardier Transportation. In Mazda and Volkswagen, among others. onboard to allow the bus to go to its next 2011, German transport operator RNV, Ultra-capacitors can also play a signifi- destination. This bus uses 400 ultra- which serves the Rhein-Neckar region cant role in Regenerative Braking Systems. capacitor cells (UCE15V80000A) manu- and includes During the time a vehicle is braking, part factured by Aowei. The ultra-capacitor Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ludwig- of the braking energy can be recovered by bank, which weights 1,450 kg and has a shafen, ordered 11 more Bombardier running the traction motor as generator volume of 1.5 m3, has energy storage trams for its 200-km network. and charging the ultra-capacitor. Since the capacity of 6 kWh. However, for ultra-capacitor-only vehi- braking happens within a very short time, Mazda is the first vehicle manufacturer cles to have practical range there needs to the charging current is too high for regu- to introduce automotive 12 V regenerative be significant improvement in the specific lar batteries. Ultra-capacitors can accept braking system using ultra-capacitor in energy and energy density of charging faster. The electrical energy the new Mazda 6, set for production in ultra-capacitors. stored this way in ultra-capacitors is then May 2013. The system, called i-ELOOP available to assist in acceleration, to has shown to improve fuel economy by 10 reduce fuel consumption. % in stop-and-go operation as per in- EMERGING TRENDS Auxiliary power requirements like for house tests. It adds just 9.3 kg to a 12 V air conditioner, power steering and car, out of which the ultra-capacitor bank EDLCs primarily use high surface area other electrical functions may also be weighs 6 kg [3]. carbon materials. Pseudo-capacitor supplied by the ultra-capacitor. Such a The Riversimple technology demon- research has largely been dominated by system helps the battery to be within a strator fuel cell vehicle uses just 21 kg of oxides such as those of ruthenium and desirable SOC window, preventing bat- super-capacitors, capable of absorbing manganese [5]. Carbon materials have the tery drain. Regenerative braking also over 30 kW of power from regenerative advantage owing to their abundance, sta- takes most of the load off mechanical brakes, reducing brake maintenance and replacement expenses. Ultra-capacitor application for regenerative braking is commercially available both in railway and hybrid vehicle applications. Bombardier Transportation is using large banks of them in the EnerG- stor to recapture the braking energy of Bombardier trains. Bombardier Transpor- tation has selected Maxwell ultra-capacitors as the energy storage element. Each EnerGstor unit incorporates an ultra- capacitor array that is capable of storing up to two kilowatt hours of electrical energy generated by a rail vehicle's braking energy recuperation system. Reduc- tion in grid power consumption by 20 % to 30 % is claimed to have resulted from this system [1]. Stadtbahn trams in Man- nheim, Germany have been using ultra- capacitors since 2003. Super-capacitors are applied in Spanish and French trains and buses too. Prodrive leads breakthrough in DC-DC converter technology autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 21 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT ULTRA-CAPACITORS

bility and relative environmental-friendli- like graphene due to its 3D macroporous ciency and energy density of the device. ness. The performance of the ultra-capaci- structure and demonstrated that it can be High-energy density cells developed by tors depends to a large extent on the spe- used to make super-capacitor electrodes. FastCap offer specific energy of 15.66 cific surface structure of the electrodes. To Super-capacitors with these new elec- Wh/kg [7]. The company claims to have achieve higher capacitance, the aim is to trodes have fair energy density when developed a manufacturing system that maximise the specific active surface area. operating at low power densities, but their will enable it to sell its product for one- The most commonly used material is acti- biggest attraction is when operating at fourth the cost of other ultra-capacitors vated carbon. ultrahigh power densities of around currently on the market. Nanotechnology has been used to find 48,000 W/kg, where they're able to Nanotek Instruments has developed solutions to increase the specific surface deliver an attractive energy density of 7.1 ultra-capacitors with electrodes made of area. This involves carbon structuring at Wh/kg [6]. grapheme, mixed with a conductive addi- nanoscale, use of carbon nanotubes, gra- A start-up company, Nanotune, has tive/ binder acetylene black called Super phene structures or nanowires. Elec- developed a way to make electrodes that P. The resulting slurry is coated onto the trodeposited metal oxide thin film based result in ultra-capacitors with five to surface of a current collector and assem- electrodes also display high energy and seven times as much storage capacity as bled in coin-sized capacitors. Achieved power performances. conventional ones. The company has specific energy is 85.6 Wh/kg at room Graphene, a single layer of two-dimen- developed monolithic nanoporous elec- temperature and 136 Wh/kg at 80° C. sional honeycomb carbon lattice, was dis- trode of 3D interconnected shape-dis- There are also efforts towards combin- covered a few years ago. Due to its unique torted graphene layers, using patented ing the high specific power characteristics properties like high specific surface area nanotuning® and nanocasting® polymeri- of ultra-capacitors with high specific (2630 m2/g), good chemical stability and sation technology. energy of batteries. excellent electrical conductivity, graphene The company demonstrated energy Asymmetric ultra-capacitors based on has emerged as an excellent candidate for storage of 20 Wh/kg using a conventional non-aqueous electrolytes provide ultra-capacitor material [6]. electrolyte. Using a more expensive ionic- improvements in energy density by com- Theoretically, it can produce liquid electrolyte, it has made ultra-capac- bining one activated carbon EDLC ion- capacitance of 550 F/g. Graphene has itors that store 35 Wh/kg. Although adsorption electrode with one ion-inser- shown promises of offering high specific Nanotune’s technology is very expensive tion (battery-like) electrode. But they typi- energy to ultra-capacitors. It is possible now — between $ 2,400 and $ 6,000 per cally do so at the expense of power to get higher energy density in a kilowatt-hour, it expects that costs could density. Alternatively, aqueous (water- grapheme-based super-capacitor than come down to less than $ 150 per kilo- based) asymmetric ultra-capacitors can that planned for lithium-ion batteries. watt-hour if the prices of some key mate- provide improvements not only in cost, However, approaching such values in a rials, such as electrolytes, continue to fall, safety and in some cases, environmental real device is a challenge because the and as manufacturing is scaled up. impact, but can also provide greater graphene sheets tend to re-stack On the other hand, FastCAP has energy and power densities than the non- together. Many of the development developed ultra-capacitors made of tiny, aqueous approach. efforts for high specific energy ultra- vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The ZIP-Cap based on metal/ion pseudo- capacitors centre around graphene. nanotubes provide a regular path for ions capacitor (MIP-Cap) architecture, water The researchers at the University of moving in and out of the ultra-capaci- based electrolyte and 3-D Nanofilm Alberta have synthesised a new sponge- tor's electrode, increasing the overall effi- technology developed by Innova under research programmes with the US Department of Energy, NASA and the Naval Research Lab is expected to provide a 25-fold reduction in build cost and a five-fold increase in energy density. The technology does not require ultra-pure materials or expensive “dry- room” facilities that are necessary to build today’s ultra-capacitors. Targets in Phase 2 of the development are to achieve specific energy of 10 Wh/kg and power density of 2,500 W/L [8]. New York-based company Ioxus has developed a new type of lithium-ion hybrid ultra-capacitor that connects a lithium-ion battery to an ultra-capacitor. Spe- cific energy of these hybrid ultra-capacitors is about 6.47 Wh/kg, which is 115 % Despite challenges, lithium-ion batteries are still considered to be the most viable for EVs and hybrids of commercial ultra-capacitors.

22 www.autotechreview.com The "LEV50-4" large lithium-ion battery (module) used by Mitsubishi Potential battery location in the Volvo C30 BEV, as shown in this 2009 image

In Europe, under the Seventh Frame- level specific energy, ultra-capacitors may may find applications in supporting bat- work Programme (FP7) a project titled compete with batteries. However, the teries with the present level of specific “New Generation, High Energy and Power price of ultra-capacitors remains as a energy itself. They are not going to Density Super-capacitor Based Energy major barrier for its application in electric replace batteries of pure electric vehicles Storage System (HESCAP)” has been vehicles, in spite of the fact that in the immediately, but continued improvements taken up. The main objective of this pro- past decade, it has fallen by 99 %. The in ultra-capacitor technologies are bring- ject is to develop a new generation high cost of a 3,000 Farad ultra-capacitor 10 ing it closer to reality. energy super-capacitor based system years ago was $ 5,000, but today, the (HESCAP system), capable of storing ten component sells for $ 50. REFERENCES times more energy than the reported During the same period of time, bat- [1] Maxwell Technologies; http://investors.maxwell. com/phoenix.zhtml?c=94560&p=irol- state-of-the-art super-capacitor technol- tery price reduction measured only 30 to newsArticle&id=1650296 ogy, but keeping the high power density, 40 % [5]. During the last couple of years, [2] Sinautec; http://www.sinautecus.com/products. long life cycle and total capital cost of cur- some manufacturers have become capable html rently available super-capacitors. of large scale production and have [3] Mazda Introduces Super-capacitor Type Re- generative Braking; http://www.sae.org/mags/ EEStor Inc has claimed that it is pursu- brought production costs down. As the aei/11845/ ing development of ultra-capacitors that number of suppliers increase, customers’ [4] Riversimple; www.riversimple.com would replace lithium-ion batteries in dependence on any single supplier will be [5] Prashanth Jampani, A. Manivannan, and Prashant N. Kumta; Advancing the Super-capaci- electric vehicles that rely on two charged reduced, and porous carbon-based materi- tor Materials and Technology Frontier for Improv- terminals separated by a non-conductive als will be commodity. Due to the long ing Power Quality; The Electrochemical Society In- material called a dielectric. However, not life, ultra-capacitors may offer less lifetime terface, Fall 2010. [6] Hyun-Jung Choia et al; Graphene for energy much information is available in open cost as compared to regular batteries in conversion and storage in fuel Q2 cells and super- domain about this technology. many applications. capacitors; Nano Energy Some of the emerging technologies [7] FastCap Systems; http://www.fastcapsystems. promise to bring the cost down. Nanotune com/technology [8] http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/03/ FUTURE PERSPECTIVE claims that the initial cost of its super- ionova-20130325-1.html capacitors could decrease to $ 150 per There has been significant improvement kWh provided that certain material costs, in specific energy of ultra-capacitors with including the electrolyte, continue to specific energy being comparable to lead decline. More research is needed to over- acid batteries, and further research efforts come the price barrier, as well as more targeting to reach or surpass those values manufacturers capable of large-scale pro- for commercial lithium-ion battery. How- duction to bring production costs down. Read this article on ever, there have been improvements in On the technical side, ultra-capacitors www.autotechreview.com lithium-ion battery also, and research efforts provide perspective of specific energy, which is about 400 Wh/kg for Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is an auto- lithium-ion batteries. Although theoretical nomous organisation set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to specific energy for ultra-capacitors is look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology much more, plenty of technological chal- innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance. lenges will have to be overcome. But even with the present research Send in your feedback to [email protected]

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 23 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES TECHNOLOGIES, ARCHITECTURES FOR ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES

The design of future electrified vehicle concepts has to consider changing architectures as well as the technical optimisation of key components such as energy storages and drive systems. In cooperation with the automotive industry, the Institute of Automotive Technology at the Technische Universität München examines and evaluates in a model-based approach the functional and geometrical interdependences between technologies, components, vehicle architectures and overall vehicle characteristics.

24 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS PROBLEM OUTLINE out, and weight) is the starting point for the process that has been developed, ➊. For the development of (partly) electri- The design of the vehicle concept and of fied cars, knowledge of interdepend- the determining components goes along ences between technologies, compo- with this. In this connection, several nents, vehicle architecture and overall concept-affecting levers can be used. vehicle properties is of particular impor- Their peculiarities result in alternative DIPL.-ING. JOHANNES FUCHS is Research Associate at the Institute tance. In early development phases, solutions in the overall vehicle concept, of Automotive Technology at the technology optimisations of the key which can be analysed directly by tech- Technische Universität München components, which are hardly quantifi- nical values or by evaluation methods. (Germany). able, must be compared with architec- ➋ shows a structure of concept- tural restrictions as well as degrees of affecting technical levers on the varia- freedom in order to create innovative tion levels technology, component and vehicle concepts. The definition of the architecture [1]. Analytic parameter- installation space for the concept-affect- based calculating models are suitable ing components represents one of the for initial concept drafts. These enable largest technical challenges. Moreover, the analysis of functional and geometri- PROF. DR.-ING. MARKUS LIENKAMP there are increasing dynamics in the fur- cal interactions on the basis of mathe- is Director of the Institute of Automo- ther development of these components matical and empirical correlations in tive Technology at the Technische regarding automotive application. The early concept phases. Not least, concept Universität München (Germany). influences on future vehicle generations development is based on a coherent need to be examined. component package, which is developed in a three-dimensional digital mock-up (DMU) using geometrical data of the APPROACH modules and of the full vehicle [2]. The link between mathematical A basic vehicle concept or a reference design models and the CAD-based pack- vehicle with fundamental characteristics age draft offers the possibility for the (for example, targets for driving perfor- examination of concept-related interde- mance, consumption, dimensional lay- pendences with respect to the overall

Basic vehicle concept

Vehicle/componentm design

Technology Component Architecture Quantiﬁcation of parameter range Concept affecting levers

Analysis of technical interdependences

Technical parameters Evaluation method

Result

Impact of concept affecting levers on the overall vehicle

❶ Process model autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 25 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Technical : Driving performance/consumption Characteristics concept properties : Cost

OVERALL : Weight/axle load VEHICLE : Daily use

: System complexity/interfaces properties

Technical domains Design approach : Safety, production, service Vehicle concept : Suitability for platform/modular design

Package/ component integration Vehicle body Drivetrain and : Front-/rear-/all-wheel-drive high-voltage topology structure : Axle-/single-wheel-drive

VEHICLE : Flat-/sandwich-ﬂoor architecture ARCHITECTURE : Storage topology Rough dimensional Platform and layout modular design : Vehicle class

Product structure & design domains Morphology of : Basic dimensions constructed space Concept affecting levers Recharging Electric drive Traction : Cost device battery : Safety

COMPONENTS/ : Efficiency TECHNOLOGIES : Specific energy (volumetric/gravimetric) Hydrogen High-voltage storage supply : Specific power (volumetric/gravimetric) Modularity/ Fuel cell : Electrical/mechanical/chemical characteristics integration

❷ Product structure, design domains and concept affecting levers

product structure. The design and analy- of an upper-class car (conversion CONCEPT AFFECTING LEVERS sis framework that has been introduced design). The concept is characterised by in [1] implements this combination in a the following features: The model architecture permits multi- computer-based methods environment :: Hydrogen storage (H2TS) in the floor, directional dimensioning. For this rea- and provides assistance for the proce- installation space second seat row son, the input (xi) and output variables ① dure shown in . The geometrical and back overhang (yj) can derive from the parameter space design is carried out in a conjunction of :: Fuel cell system (BZ, 135 kW) in the of the full vehicle, of the vehicle archi- classic DMU work and a generic vehicle front tecture or of the components and tech- concept model. An integrated evaluation :: High-voltage battery (HVBS, 55 kW, nologies, depending on the examination system for concept drafts includes typi- power cache) in the centre tunnel purpose. A two-stage procedure identical vehicle characteristics and technical :: Electric drive on front and rear axle fies the significant parameters. concept features as well as requests (EM1/EM2, 190 kW) from technical domains of car manufac- :: Stored hydrogen mass (mH2) 4,5 kg turers [3], ➌. :: Operating range (RW) 410 km (New PARAMETER SCREENING The method is applicable to any European Driving Cycle, NEDC). question and vehicle concept and is The concept described does not pro- Like in the example of the volumetric shown in the following using the exam- vide customary long-haul usability cor- energy density of the traction battery, ple of a fuel cell vehicle. The reference responding to conventional ICM-driven the technically relevant limits of the var- concept (V1), ➎ (left), has been inte- (internal combustion motor) cars. ied parameters can be described by grated into the conventional architecture absolute values, (Eq 1). Furthermore,

26 www.autotechreview.com – – – like in the case of the specific accessory y+(y–) from the total mean value y at posi- gen storage becomes apparent. It repre- load of the fuel cell PP, a percentage tive (negative) adjustment of factor xi,+ sents a characteristic parameter of the α ∈ [4] [6] variation (for example, [0; 0,2]) (xi,–) . storage technology and determines around a reference value PP, 0 is possi- the hydrogen mass mH2 that is stored in ble, (Eq 2). the vehicle at a constant gross value of ___SSB the tank volume v , (Eq 5). PV = TSS = H2 EQ. 3 n n __r – – 2 __r – – 2 ______2 ∙ (y– – y) + 2 ∙ (y+ – y) n ___Wh ___Wh Σ r – 2 EQ. 1 200 ≤ ψ ≤ 400 (yj –y) l l i=1 EQ. 5 ρ mH2 = H2TS ∙ V H2 ➍ (top) shows the percentage pro- portions of some component factors in In the field of the high-pressure res- the total variance of the operating ervoir technology, the material parame- EQ. 2 α [7] PP = PP, 0 ∙ (1± ) range RW of the reference vehicle. The ter (permissible tension ) characterises share of the nominal voltage U of a sin- the container construction and biases

gle fuel cell Un appears significant. the storage capacity.

In the screenings, the minimum and max- Linked with the standard potential U0, imum values of each input variable are it results in the electrochemical effi- η [5] tested (xi,–, xi,+). The evaluation is carried ciency BZ, (Eq 4) . SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS out with help of a variance decomposition, which identifies the proportionate Since the results of the screening U EQ. 4 η __n influence PV (xi, xi) of a factor xi on the BZ, n = method shown depend on the choice of U0 total variance TSS (yj) of a concept feature the parameters and their ranges of val- y j tha t has been analysed in nr test runs, ues, this procedure can only serve as a

(Eq 3). The numerator SSB (yj) represents Moreover, the influence of the volu- first estimation of the interdependences ρ the deviation of the group mean values metric storage density H2TS of the hydro- in the model. Detailed parameter studies

❸ Architecture of the design and analysis tool autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 27 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SYMBOL UNIT DESCRIPTION offer a transparent, quantifiable alloca-

2 tion of factors of influence and occur- AM cm Fuel cell membrane surface ring effects by variation of individual C 1/h Discharge rate (battery) concept characteristics and analysis of f Nm/dm3 Specific torque (electric machine) s the residual system features. The effi- 3 k1 kg/dm Weight constant (electric machine) ciency, (Eq 4), affects the energy con- mBasis kg Basic vehicle weight sumption W as well as the resulting ④ mspez, BZ kg/kW Specific weight (FC system) operating range RW, (below on the

3 mspez, H2TS kg/dm Specific weight (hydrogen storage) left). The right-hand chart clarifies the ρ influence of the storage density H2TS nmax rpm Maximum speed (electric machine) and of the material parameter σ on the RWR km Operating range (considering theoretical potential of recuperation) stored hydrogen mass mH2- For the con- U V Maximum/minimum voltage (high-voltage supply) Fzg, max/min sideration shown, the vehicle geome- η – Efficiency (inverter) PWR tries as well as the component package ρ 2 i, max A/cm Maximum current density (fuel cell membrane) remain unchanged.

50 Fzg.ReichweiteRW (NEDC) _ist 40 Fzg.Reichweite RWR (NEDC) _Rekup 30

PV [%] PV 20

0 s n 1 P M f σ C k P min max max U A PWR Basis I,max H2TS n U U η ρ ρ spez,BZ m spez,H2TS m m

Factor x

42 550 6 550 η W = f ( BZ) RW = f (η ) 40 BZ 500 5.5 500

38 450 5 450

36 400 [kg] 4.5 400 H2 m RW [km] RW [km]

W [kWh/100 km] 34 ρ 350 4 mH2 = f ( H2TS) 350 σ mH2 = f ( ) 32 300 3.5 ρ 300 RW = f ( H2TS) RW = f (σ) 30 250 3 250 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7 20 30 40 50 60 70 η [-] BZ ρ 3 σ -7 H2TS [kg/dm ], [10 Pa]

❹ Variance decomposition of the vehicle operating range and parameter studies

28 www.autotechreview.com 1.5 H2TS EM 2 BZ HVBS 1.4 EM 1 Reference (V1) η Variation BZ 1.3 Variation σ ρ Variation H2TS 1.2 Variation H5-2 (V2) Variation all (V3) 1.1 V1 V2/V3 Variation RW [-]

0.9

0.8 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 η σ ρ Variation of BZ, , H2TS, H5-2 [-]

❺ Basic topology, assessment of the measures from components and architecture

160 140 V3 120 V2 Σ Criteria = 75 100 80 V1 Overall rating 60 40

Vehicle characteristics Concept rating [%] 20 0 Driving performance Concept alternatives

Economy Performance of high-voltage architecture 5 Daily use Compatibility for electriﬁcation 4 System Dimensional layout/styling concepts 3 complexity 2 Weight 1 0 Technical concept properties

Performance of high-voltage architecture

System complexity Compatibility for Compatibility for vehicle classes basic architectures Compatibility for basic architectures Efficiency tank-to-wheel Compatibility for vehicle classes Utilisation ratio 5 Gravimetric PES Compatibility for electrification concepts 4 specific 3 power of the drivetrain Requirements of technical domains 2 1 Volumetric Production/assembly Specific 0 power of the cost PES drivetrain Service

Speciﬁc drivetrain Vehicle safety Volumetric energy PES cost Gravimetric energy PES

❻ Technical concept evaluation autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 29 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The actually convertible potentials of ASSESSMENT OF CONCEPT Based on this, a directed influence spe- the discussed factors, ④, are to be ALTERNATIVES cifically on the component and architec- reflected and differentiated in their ture development of future vehicle gen- absolute specification: Thus medium- In order to create a comprehensive com- erations is supported. term optimisation of the fuel cell effi- parison of technical concept alterna- Even taking technical optimisations ciency by more than ten percentage tives, an assessment system is required of the key components into considera- points cannot readily be assumed. The that includes all relevant concept tion, further developments of today’s same applies to the optimisation of the parameters and evaluates their effects conventional vehicle platforms are nec- tank, which is here simplified via the on the overall vehicle draft. The evalua- essary – the pure integration of new ρ σ [3] parameters H2TS and . Alternative tech- tion method according to is applied parts scopes into existing vehicle archi- nologies as, for instance, cryogenic pres- on the concept versions V1, V2 and V3. tectures will not sufficiently exploit sure storages have to be taken into Thereby the hierarchical, three-stage alternative energy storage and drive account [6]. assessment approach, ➏, takes the prin- technologies in automotive engineering. ciple of the weighted sums as a basis [9]. All qualitative and quantitative inputs REFERENCES EVOLUTION OF COMPONENTS are projected on a normalised scale. [1] Fuchs, J.; et al.: Impact of Electrification on the Vehicle Concept. Conference on Future Automotive AND VEHICLE ARCHITECTURES According to (Eq 6), the weighted total Technology, Garching, 2012 value Gwgj of a concept j is determined [2] Seiffert, U. et al.: Virtuelle Produktentstehung The specific adaption of vehicle archi- on the basis of the values of the single für Fahrzeug und Antrieb im Kfz. 1. Aufl. Wies- tecture (purpose design) to the alterna- criteria w and their weighting factors g . baden: Vieweg+Teubner, 2008 ij i [3] Fuchs, J.; et al.: Technical design and methodi- tive drive contrasts with the component- cal evaluation of electrified vehicle architectures. oriented concept optimisation. The max- n 13th Stuttgart International Symposium, Stuttgart, EQ. 6 Σ 2013 imisation of the utilisable storage Gwgj = gi ∙ W ij i = 1 [4] Siebertz, K.; et al.: Statistische Versuchs- volume can be pursued by enlargement planung. 1. Aufl. Heidelberg: Springer, 2010 of the installation space. Version V2, ❺, [5] Berger, O.: Thermodynamische Analyse eines exemplarily shows the lifting of the sec- The modified concepts differ from Brennstoffzellensystems zum Antrieb von Kraft- fahrzeugen. Duisburg/Essen, Technische Univer- ond seat row, parametrically operated the reference concept both in their vehi- sität, Dissertation, 2009 via the height dimension H5-2 [8]. cle characteristics and on the part of [6] Paster, M. D.; et al.: Hydrogen storage tech- In addition to changed consumption technical concept features. ⑥ illustrates nology options for fuel cell vehicles. In: International and driving performance data (enlarge- exemplary results of the procedure. The Journal of Hydrogen Energy 36 (2011) [7] Stark, R.: Festigkeitslehre. 1. Aufl. Wien: ment of the frontal area), the outcome comparative representation of the over- Springer, 2006 of this is a simplification of the storage all concept quality quotes the reference [8] Astier, M.: GCIE Package Drawing Exchanges. topology: during concurrent reduction version V1 with 100 %. In the category Boulogne-Billancourt: Renault (F), 2008 [9] Lindemann, U.: Methodische Entwicklung tech- of the number of parts (elimination of a “technical concept properties”, a nischer Produkte. 1. Aufl. Berlin: Springer, 2005 single tank) the available net volume is decreasing compatibility for different significantly increased. ⑤ shows the basic architectures emerges, for example effects on the key characteristic “operat- high- and flat-floor architectures. How- ing range” in contrast to the sensitivities ever, improved cross-class scalability of the discussed technology parameters arises. As an example, the criterion η ρ σ BZ, H2TS and . Thereby, the optimisa- “performance of high-voltage architec- tion potential of this architectural modi- ture” is broken down: The functional fication compared with the technology and geometrical optimisation of the pri- optimisations that can hardly be quanti- mary energy storage results in enhanced fied in an early concept phase become volumetric and gravimetric energy den- apparent – obviously notwithstanding sities. The overall efficiency of the driv- brand-typical styling claims. etrain (tank-to-wheel) is decisively Version V3 represents the combina- determined by the more efficient fuel tion of lifting the second seat row (V2) cell system. and the assumption of an improvement in the other technology parameters by 10 % each (coloured area) compared CONCLUSION with the reference values (V1). Thus, the analysis of reasonable combinations The generic approach presented enables of geometrical and functional optimisa- the quantifying analysis of the interrela- tion potentials on technology, compo- tions between new technologies and nent and architecture level reveals an changing vehicle architectures. In the additional focus of the concept studies. early concept phase, a deeper under- Read this article on standing can be created in this way. www.autotechreview.com

30 www.autotechreview.com A simple idea inspired this product. Thousands of decisions made it real.

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Answers for industry. COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES TRANSMISSIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

A new family of multi-speed transmissions from Oerlikon Graziano, based on the principles of dual clutch transmissions, provides an alternative approach to increasing the efficiency, performance and range of electric vehicles.

32 www.autotechreview.com AUTHOR MOTOR EFFICIENCY from an existing battery pack. Alterna- tively, the vehicle can be provided with Conventional thinking on electric vehicle increased performance, or existing per- (EV) drivelines is to use a single-speed formance can be maintained using transmission, relying on the torque smaller, lighter battery packs and motors. spread of the electric motor to provide adequate performance under all operat- DR.-ING. CLAUDIO TORRELLI is Head of Product Development at ing conditions. Though simple to exe- REPLACING CLUTCHES Oerlikon Graziano in Rivoli (Italy). cute, this arrangement cannot achieve WITH MOTORS the best vehicle efficiency because, for much of the time, the traction motor is The transmission concept of the eDCT operating at loads and speeds that do not from Oerlikon Graziano is based on the yield optimum efficiency. principles of a dual clutch transmission At the lowest and highest vehicle (DCT), providing seamless shifting speeds, and under conditions of light between ratios without torque interrup- loading, motor efficiency typically falls tion, yet using no clutches or synchronis- to between 60 and 70 %. Under opti- ers. The configuration is similar to a DCT mum speed and load conditions, it but using two motors in place of the twin increases to around 90 %, ➊. Detailed clutches. One motor drives a shaft carry- simulation has indicated that an overall ing first and third gears (the “odd” improvement in vehicle efficiency and shaft); the other drives a shaft carrying energy consumption of around 15 % second and fourth (the “even” shaft). can be achieved over the NEDC (New This allows pre-selection of the next gear European Driving Cycle) by using a before the previous one has been disen- four-speed transmission with a pair of gaged, using the two motors to synchro- small electric motors. nise shaft speeds so that no synchronis- The eDCT (electric Dual Clutch ers are needed. Transmission) allows for a total of seven The first generation design was pro- gear combinations from the four distinct duced for a high-performance GT car, gear ratios through a combination of using two 240 Nm electric motors. single-motor driving (first, second, third Designed with splash lubrication and and fourth gear) and dual-motor driving minimal numbers of meshes and bearings combinations (first and second, second for maximum efficiency, the gearbox is and third, third and fourth gear). arranged in two-stages with helical gears. Reducing the energy consumption of A limited slip differential is incorporated an electric vehicle helps to overcome a into the final drive and electro-hydraulic key issue for many users – range anxiety actuators for the shift mechanism are inte- – by providing greater operational range grated into the assembly.

❶ Trajectory of motor efficiency autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 33 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

❷ Transmission with opposed motor arrangement ❸ Transmission with parallel motor arrangement

DEVELOPMENT AND ARRANGEMENT tric motor and barrel cam, and an open wheel drive (4WD) hybrid, while city bus OF THE TWO GENERATIONS OF differential. or truck applications have also been TRANSMISSION catered for. Even a series or parallel hybrid arrangement with only two driven The first generation transmission was VARIABILITY THANKS wheels can be accommodated by the developed quickly, with detailed design TO MODULARITY inclusion of a single clutch within the completed within four weeks of start-up combined powertrain. and prototype assembly achieved during Use of a modular concept also makes the The shift control system was devel- the 11th week. Simultaneous develop- design highly scalable to suit a wide range oped by UK controls specialists, Vocis ment of software enabled functional test- of other vehicle types. Compact low-cost Driveline Controls, which is part-owned ing and vehicle commissioning began by electric city cars can use an electric front by Oerlikon Graziano. Using expertise the 13th week. Four months after the or rear axle configuration, potentially from previous DCT applications, Vocis project started, the shift performance had based on a 48 V architecture. The addi- used a range of existing algorithms from been developed sufficiently for demon- tion of an electrically driven axle assem- their software library to cover driver strat- stration purposes. bly to performance cars, luxury cars and egy, shift sequencing, gear actuation and A second generation design, for A supercars can create a desirable four- safety functions complying with OBD-II and B class cars, uses a pair of motors, each with between 64 and 75 Nm torque and peak power output between 50 and 70 kW. By using a modular architecture for the transmission, the motors can be installed parallel to each other or on opposite sides of the transmission, to suit vehicle installation pri- orities. Both parallel and opposing arrangements share high levels of component commonality, including input shafts, gear selection actuation and differential assemblies. ➋ shows the opposed motor arrangement, ➌ the parallel arrangement. The A/B class car application uses electro- mechanical shift actuation, via an elec- ❹ Software components of the shift control system compared to previous DCT applications

34 www.autotechreview.com ❺ Full sequence of a shift event

requirements. The software is simpler the torque from motor 1 rolls-off, the CONCLUSION than for a DCT application because the torque from motor 2 increases until it pro- engine interface is replaced by a motor vides all the driving torque, compensating A subset of the sequence described is also interface while the clutch and synchron- for the loss in torque from motor 1, as the applicable for single-motor driving or iser control algorithms are unnecessary motor 1 torque reduces to zero. At this transitions between single-motor and and are deleted entirely, ➍. The first gen- point, first gear is disengaged, neutral is dual-motor driving, giving a full comple- eration prototype used a Vocis TMS-20 selected on the odd shaft and the speed of ment of control strategies that can priori- controller that, in addition to direct inputs motor 1 is commanded to the synchro- tise economy or performance, and the and outputs, allows robust CAN commu- nous speed associated with third gear. transitions between the two, as appropri- nication with other controllers on the The vehicle accelerates in second gear ate to the particular application. vehicle to ensure seamless shifting and under the increased torque from motor 2, Direct control of the input shafts using intuitive control. the speed of motor 2 increasing in line two electric motors provides enhanced with vehicle speed. When the speed of response, compared to an internal com- motor 1 matches the required speed to bustion engine driving through a DCT. ANALYSIS OF A SHIFT EVENT select third gear, the odd shaft is shifted Shift strategies have even been imple- from neutral to third. mented that make some gearshifts imper- Although gear shifting appears seamless With the third gear pre-selected, the ceptible to the test drivers, requiring close to the vehicle occupants, there is a torque output from motor 1 increases and examination of logged data to analyse the defined sequence of individual events, that from motor 2 falls until driving shift event. each one scheduled and controlled by the torque is shared by motor 1 and motor 2. software. ➎ shows the full sequence for a The vehicle is now driving in second and typical power-on upshift during dual- third gear, achieving a synchronous shift motor driving. without the need for clutch or synchronis- Initially, the vehicle is accelerating ers. A corresponding sequence is then with first gear and second gear driving. used for the transition to third and fourth

The required torque is provided by motor gear. The gear selector cam tracks corre- Read this article on 1 (blue line) and motor 2 (red line). As spond to the shift sequences described. www.autotechreview.com autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 35 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES SYSTEMS COMPETENCE FOR ELECTROMOBILITY

Vehicles have been able to drive electric for more than 100 years. However, in order for electric cars to be competitive, both on an economic and technical level, they will require specifically developed components integrated intelligently into a vehicle. It is the systems competence that will be the key for success of electric vehicles, as Continental describes exemplary with a Renault Mégane.

36 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS CURRENT SITUATION AND INFLUENCING FACTORS

Due to limited resources and concerns about climate protection, as well as technical advances – not the least of which have come in the area of batteries – elec- THOMAS RÖHRL is Manager of E/E Architecture at tric cars have been in focus for several Continental in Regensburg years now. The big breakthrough, how- (Germany). ever, has yet to be made. Although more and more electric cars can be seen on the roads, most drivers still have not switched to this technology. Exchanging an internal combustion engine for an electric motor, or a gas tank for a battery, will not be enough. GREGOR SCHMITT For electric cars to be able to compete is Head of Systems Integration and Testing at Continental Engineering with conventional automobiles from a Services in Nuremberg (Germany). technical and financial point of view, they will require more than just highly engi- neered, individual components. Specific adjustments of the components of the electrical drivetrain as well as an optimal integration into the vehicle are basic pre- requisites to produce cars for everyday LUTZ-WOLFGANG TIEDE use at affordable prices. is Project Manager in charge of electric vehicle testing at Continental in Regensburg (Germany). CONSTRUCTION OF A TEST CAR

Automotive supplier Continental has demonstrated to what extent this adjustment is already possible by constructing a test car based on the Renault Mégane and utilising components from each of the company’s five divisions. Nearly 40 corporate-owned components, ranging from the motor through the lithium-ion batteries to the human machine interface, the tyres and even the ideally integrated lightweight seat covers, ensure that the four-door hatchback is suitable for everyday use. The car’s range is more than 140 km, the top speed is almost 160 km/h and no space for passengers and luggage had to be sacrificed. Quite to the con- trary, the engine compartment of this electric vehicle yields additional space. The conversion took merely six months and demanded not a single custom- made component: every part in the test car is on the verge of mass production or is already utilised in different cars on the market. The components in use are both modular and scalable. Since packaging represents one of the greatest challenges autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 37 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

better overall efficiency throughout the entire range of operation. Since this principle makes it possible to control the motor from both the exciter and the driving side, it works faster and dwells more often in its optimum range. This works out to 3 % more range in the New Euro- pean Driving Cycle (NEDC). Furthermore, an externally excited motor provides additional safety. Whereas permanently excited motors are never completely torque-free even when the car is turned off, the drivetrain of an externally excited engine is indeed switched off. This is especially significant for the safety concepts of OEMs. An additional advantage lies in the choice of materials. Permanently excited ❶ Every component is of ideal size and capacity in order to occupy as little space as possible motors require rare earths, but these raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce and more expensive due to market in designing and constructing an electric reached such a compact stage with its economic reasons. These restrictions do vehicle, each component has been third-generation of power electronics that not apply to the company’s drive systems, selected to provide maximum perfor- the integration into the vehicle can be which already exist in the thousands. mance at an optimum size. Every com- optimally supported. The performance of an externally ponent is as small as possible yet as excited motor is in no way inferior to large as necessary, thus ensuring careful that of one employing permanent mag- use of scarce space and avoiding unnec- THE ELECTRIC MOTOR nets. The water-cooled motor weighs a essary weight, ➊. mere of 77 kg but puts out a constant 35 Other components, such as the high- The electric drive is based on a synchro- kW, peaking at 70 kW. Like all electric voltage transformer that provides the nous motor with single-step and differen- motors, it exhibits a typically steep bridge from the 400 V battery to the 12 V tial gear as well as a mechanical parking torque band, reaching its maximum trac- electrical system, were integrated in the brake. It contrasts with many other appli- tive force at 226 Nm, ➍, enough to accel- converter, ➋ and ➌. The business unit cations in that it is not excited by perma- erate the 1.4 tonne (t) test vehicle from 0 Hybrid Electric Vehicle has already nent magnets. Such a technique provides to 100 km/h in 13.5 s.

❷ Construction of a battery-powered electric vehicle (centre motor)

38 www.autotechreview.com ❸ Diagram of the battery-powered drivetrain in the test car

ENERGY STORAGE an automobile manufacturer. Up to four functions as a generator capturing energy times more compact than any other prod- that conventional vehicles would other- System expertise is also demonstrated in uct, it can be integrated easily into a vehi- wise lose in form of heat during braking. the battery. It features 96 lithium-ion cells cle, and it exhibits a power density of Power electronics converts this generator with a total capacity of more than 18 kWh more than 30 kW/l. Hence, vehicle devel- energy into direct current and redirects it at a nominal voltage of 355 V. The com- opers save valuable space, while weight is to the battery. If the driver wishes to pany also developed and integrated a Bat- reduced at the same time. reverse directions, power electronics also tery Management System (BMS), com- As a consequence, power electronics spring into action: The motor control plete with an innovative crash sensor. In and the control strategy of the Electronic reverses polarity, hence the direction of case of emergency, the electronics can Vehicle Controller (EVC) also have a con- the motor’s rotation. As a consequence, a react to problems and shut down the bat- siderable influence on the range of an reverse gear becomes unnecessary. tery quicker than other systems. Sophisti- electric car. The controller, as the inter- cated mechanical and cooling systems face between the high-voltage battery permit an energy density that, until and the electric motor, ensures that the THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE recently, appeared unattainable. direct current stored in the battery CONTROLLER (EVC) A new on-board charger by Continen- reaches the motor in form of a three- tal, ready to go into mass production, phase alternating current. Furthermore, recharges the battery. Designed for the power electronics make possible the Calculation of drive torque, which is electric car of the future and for plug-in reversing of the procedure, the so-called based on the position of the Accelerator hybrids, the charger features modular recuperation. Here, the electric motor Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP) that encour- design and is freely scalable. Its high energy throughput makes it possible to completely recharge a car at a charging station in somewhat more than 2.5 h. 3 kW recharging from a normal household outlet is also possible, thanks to scaling.

POWER ELECTRONICS

Power electronics are another key component of the test car. The inverter and the 3 kW DC/DC converter were integrated into ❹ the liquid-cooled system, making it the Comparison of an electric most compact system on the market. The motor with reduction to a 1.4- l petrol engine with six- module is a unit that is mass produced for speed transmission autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 39 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

❺ CAN topology of the test car

ages an economical driving style, occurs brake pedal is activated for the friction When converting the car, holistic in a control device, which communicates brake, the motor braking is increased up understanding of automotive engineering with the power electronics by means of a to a preset maximum. Thus, safe and effi- was demonstrated and the packaging was CAN bus. cient braking is guaranteed. improved. The example of the battery The central control unit in the electric block that is protected in case of a colli- car derives from a mass-produced engine sion best depicts on that. It is installed in control unit. Not only does it direct the SYSTEMS COMPETENCE a sandwich floor underneath the seats, drive functions, but it also handles tem- providing ideal protection in case of an perature and energy management; plus it When it comes to integration, years of accident. All trunk space that exists in a monitors charging. It interprets input sig- experience and profound market penetra- conventional mass production car remains nals such as from the speed selector tion come in handy. Since the company available in the electric version. Even the (PRND) and controls the by-wire trans- already supplies large portions of a vehi- engine compartment offers extra space, mission lock. When needed, it activates cle’s electrical system, researchers and providing room for a toolkit or charging fans and backup lights. developers do not have to break new cables in future cars, for example. Due to the increased demand for com- ground. This facilitates smooth interaction The engineers succeeded in efficient munication – not only with Power Elec- among various control units and guaran- routing, while installing each component tronics – CAN communication in the car tees problem-free operation under any in the vehicle. Several metres of high-volt- was completely remodelled, ➎. conditions. The test car has already age wiring and numerous special connec- logged more than 10,000 km and has tors could thereby be dispensed, resulting undergone nearly 100 charging cycles in both lower costs and lower weight and BRAKING AND RECUPERATION without a hitch. thus, an increased range. These two areas High-performance components and a highly contribute to the development of The MK60EC brake system, which is high degree of system integration demand electric cars. already installed in large numbers world- not only product development on an wide, was once again used with a retrofit- expert level, but mechanical integration of ted vacuum pump as a brake booster. the entire drivetrain and its periphery Besides central functions like Electronic must also be optimised. Experts from Stability Control (ESC), ABS or traction Continental Engineering Services (CES) in control, the MK60EC and the Electric Nuremberg cored a mass-produced car Vehicle Controller control the cooperation and transformed it into an electric vehicle of recuperation and friction brake. When in slightly more than six months. It releasing the accelerator pedal to save should be noted that the vehicle meets energy, the electromotive brake (recupera- nearly every standard imposed by auto- Read this article on tion) is preferred at first, and when the mobile manufacturers. www.autotechreview.com

40 www.autotechreview.com ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE IN BATTERIES?

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For the development of vehicles with alternative drive systems, it is more important than ever to know the potential customers, so that the respective vehicle drive system can be positioned on the market with the right production volumes and the corresponding added value. A method of analysis developed by Daimler and Imug Gm- bH gives automotive manufacturers and component engineers a possibility to align the vehicle design to the wishes of the future automotive customers.

42 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS ASSIGNMENT THE CUSTOMER

The introduction of electrically driven In science, the customer of alternative vehicles is currently being intensively dis- drive systems is currently often still con- cussed, both from the perspective of envi- sidered as a homo oeconomicus (or eco- ronmental and climate protection and nomic human), choosing the vehicle con- from the perspective of technical and eco- cept that entails the lowest costs [5, 6]. In DIPL.-WIRTSCH.-ING. DANNY KREYENBERG nomic feasibility. At the centre of these the past few years, homo oeconomicus is writing his doctoral dissertation in discussions is the question of whether has been facing more and more criticism, the Area of Strategic Energy Projects these new drive systems will be accepted as he does not take into account the vary- and Market Development for New by potential customers. Apart from rather ing performance options and the cus- Drive Systems at Daimler AG in Kirch- heim/Teck (Germany).. technical factors, such as a relatively short tomer value offered by the different vehi- range and long charging times for battery- cle drive systems [7, 8]. powered vehicles or the lack of infrastruc- In particular, the effects that future ture for battery-powered and fuel-cell mobility restrictions have on the purchas- vehicles, it is the still high purchasing ing decision of customers of battery-elec- price in particular – compared to vehicles tric drive systems (the low range, the var- with conventional drive systems – that ying fuelling or charging times and the DR. RER. NAT. JÖRG WIND represents a major obstacle to achieving still insufficient infrastructure), as well as is in Charge of Energy System Analy- wide customer acceptance. the added value created (with regard to ses in the Area of Strategic Energy In addition to the electric vehicles cur- sustainable mobility or the low noise Projects and Market Development for New Drive Systems at Daimler AG in rently on the market, the potential new- emissions of battery-electric drive sys- Kirchheim/Teck (Germany). vehicle customers in Germany can cur- tems), have not been sufficiently exam- rently choose from more than 8,200 differ- ined in the various customer segments. ent base-vehicle drive-system The requirements of a potential cus- combinations from 50 manufacturers [1]. tomer in the compact-car segment cer- Customers can not only choose the manu- tainly differ from those of a customer in facturer and the powertrain of the vehicle, the sports-car segment. To understand they can also select from numerous equip- their requirements, customers are first DIPL.-OEC. JAN DEVRIES ment and colour variants. The customer’s broken down by vehicle segment. In a is Managing Partner of Imug GmbH in choice is influenced by numerous require- second and third stage, they are sorted by Hanover (Germany). ments, motives and also personal condi- vehicle utilisation (private, commercial, tions. To have an impact on the choice of first or second car) and by demographic alternative drive systems, it is important features (gender, age, type of household, to know these different factors and under- income), ➊ (upper left-hand chart). stand how they are connected [2]. For this purpose, comprehensive sur-

DIPL.-OEC. ALEXANDRE FULJAHN veys on the customers’ willingness to pur- THE CHOICE-BASED is responsible for the Area of Market chase electric vehicles were carried out in CONJOINT ANALYSIS Research at Imug GmbH in Hanover the last few years. These surveys indicate (Germany). that potential customers are generally Conjoint analyses are based on the open to this new technology. Most of the assumption that the overall utility of a studies, however, were carried out based product corresponds to the sum of pur- on a standard survey sample, where chasing relevant product features. The socially desired answers prevented term conjoint is derived from the expres- respondents from recognising the real sion “considered jointly”. The aim of con- potential of these new vehicle drive sys- joint analyses is to find out which partial tems [3, 4]. utility a specific feature has in relation to Due to these uncertainties, design the overall utility of a product (for exam- engineers for alternative drive systems ple, which partial utility do the alternative operate in a field of tension between what vehicle ranges of 100, 200 or 400 km is technically feasible in terms of range, offer) and how significant the different fuel consumption, charging time, acceler- product features are for the user assess- ation and maximum speed and the costs ment, such as how important the range is that this entails. The question that compared to the price [9]. remains open is what the customers want Conjoint analyses can identify the cus- and how much they are willing to pay for tomers’ preferences by means of two which characteristic. methods: autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 43 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Customer selection Vehicle selection

Segment Utilisation Characteristics Segment Drive Vehicle characteristics Context system A Microcars Private Gender A Microcars ICE Reliability Safety Incentivisation B Compact cars Commercial Age B Compact cars ICE hybrid Purchase price Range Import licence C Medium-size First car Type of household C Medium-size PHEV Appearance CO emission Use of the bus lane D Upper medium-size Second car Income D Upper medium-size 2 BEV Maintenance costs Charging time, Availability of E Top-range segment City Education E Top-range category refuelling time infrastructure F Luxury segment Countryside Social background F Luxury segment FCEV Maximum speed Acceleration J SUV J SUV CNG Operating costs Warranty S Sports car S Sports car Equipment Prestige value Repairs Financing n = 400

Conjoint analysis Survey Result

Vehicle 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle 3 Vehicle 4 Vehicle 5 Utility functions for: Vehicle 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle 3 Vehicle 4 Vehicle 5 Purchase price €40,000 €36,000 €20,000 €24,000 €28,000 : Purchase price Vehicle 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle 3 Vehicle 4 Vehicle 5 PurchaseRange price €40,000400 km €36,000200 km €20,000250 km €24,000100 km €28,000600 km : Range Vehicle 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicle 3 Vehicle 4 Vehicle 5 PurchaseRange price €40,000400 km €36,000200 km €20,000250 km €24,000100 km €28,000600 km : Charging/refuelling time Charging time, 1 h 4 h 8 h 30 min 10 min I would PurchaseRangerefuelling price time 40,000400 Euro km 36,000200 Euro km 20,000250 Euro km 24,000100 Euro km 28,000600 Euro km not : Operating costs Charging time, 1 h 4 h 8 h 30 min 10 min I would refuelling time choose : Maximum speed RangeChargingOperating time, costs / month400 1km h€40 200 4km h€150 250 8km h€70 10030 km min€130 60010 km min€100 not I wouldchoose refuelling time offers : CO2 emission Charging/refuellingOperatingMax. speed costs /time month 1 h180€40 km/h4 h160€150 km/h8 h100€70 km/h30 min120€130 km/h10 min140€100 km/hI wouldnot notchoose : Acceleration OperatingMax. speed costs / month 180€40 km/h 160€150 km/h 100€70 km/h 120€130 km/h 140€100 km/h offers OperatingC02 emissioncosts/month 40 Euro130 g/km150 Euro0 g/km70 Euro95 g/km130 Euro60 g/km100 Euro180 g/kmchoose Max. speed 180 km/h 160 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/hany ofoffers the Range [km] C02Acceleration emission 130 8g/km s 0 g/km20 s 95 g/km5 s 60 14g/km s 18011 g/km s Maximum speed 180 km/h 160 km/h 100 km/h 120 km/h 140 km/h offers 80 C020-100 emission km/h 130 g/km 0 g/km 95 g/km 60 g/km 180 g/km C0 Acceleration emission 130 g/km8 s 0 g/km20 s 95 g/km5 s 60 g/km14 s 180 g/km11 s displayed. 60 20-100 km/h AccelerationDecision 8 s 20 s 5 s 14 s 11 s 40 Acceleration 8 s 20 s 5 s 14 s 11 s 0-100Decision km/h 20 0-100 km/h 0 Decision -20 100 200 300 400 500 600 Decision Utility points -40 -60 -80

❶ Survey design of the choice-based conjoint analysis

:: directly, by putting the objects under CHARACTERISTIC CATEGORIES consideration into a specific order that 20,000 32,000 corresponds to the personal prefer- PURCHASE PRICE [Euro] 24,000 36,000 ences of the respondents; this method 28,000 40,000 is referred to as a preference-based 100 250 [10] conjoint analysis RANGE [km] 150 400 :: indirectly, by observing how the 200 600 respondent chooses from alternatives; 2 – 3 60 this method is referred to as choice- CHARGING/REFUELLING TIME [min] 10 240 [9] based conjoint analyses (CBC) . 30 480 For this study, the choice-based con- 40 OPERATING COSTS/MONTH [Euro] 130 joint analysis (CBC) was used because 70 (AT 1000 km PER MONTH) 160 respondents find it easier to apply and 100 because it is much closer to a real-life pur- 100 chasing decision [9]. With CBC, the cus- 160 MAXIMUM SPEED [km/h] 120 tomer does not evaluate a feature (for 180 140 example, the range or the charging time), 0 but the product as a whole, just as in real 130 CO2 EMISSION [g CO2/km] 50 – 60 life, as a trade-off between the product > 180 95 features and the price. Due to this resem- blance to real life, the respondents feel 5 14 ACCELERATION 0-100 km/h [s] 8 17 that they are in a genuine decision situa- 11 > 20 tion and therefore provide more realistic answers [11]. Further considerations and ❷ Characteristic features of the conjoint analysis

44 www.autotechreview.com Purchase price [Euro] Operation costs [Euro/month] Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h [s] 80 80 80 60 60 60 40 40 40 20 20 20 0 0 0 -20 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 -20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 -20 5101520

Utility points -40 Utility points -40 Utility points -40 -60 -60 -60 -80 -80 -80

Range [km] Maximum speed [km/h] 80 80 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 -20 100 200 300 400 500 600 -20 100 120 140 160 180

Utility points -40 Utility points -40 -60 -60 -80 -80

Charging/refuelling time [min] CO2 emission [g CO2/km] 80 80 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 0 100 200 300 400 0 50 100 150 -20 -20 Utility points Utility points -40 -40 -60 -60 ❸ -80 -80 Utility functions

the theoretical principles for the different one vehicle variant in each case. three cities (Hamburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt), conjoint analyses methods can be found The market-analysis software Sawtooth which were evaluated based on customer in [9, 10]. SMRT then used these individual user characteristics (gender, age, type of Before starting the conjoint analysis, it decisions to calculate the utility of the household and income) do not deviate is important to consider which customers characteristic per customer. Using the cal- significantly from their average. The rea- are to be addressed with which vehicle culated utility values, a utility function son for this may be that individual cus- concepts. This study surveyed 400 poten- was then determined for each characteris- tomers may indeed have very similar pref- tial customers, who can fundamentally tic. The individual customer utility of the erences in terms of characteristics. imagine purchasing a vehicle with an different characteristics was determined Another reason may be the low case num- alternative drive system in the C-segment via the Hierarchical-Bayes method. ber of the customer groups. In follow-up (medium-size category) and who have studies with an increased case number, already purchased new vehicles in this sub-groups can be analysed in more segment, ① (upper left-hand chart). The RESULTS OF THE SURVEY detail. survey was conducted in November 2011 in the major German cities of Hamburg, The gradient of the utility functions, ➌, Frankfurt and Leipzig. indicates the significance of the individual CUSTOMER-ORIENTED Prior to the survey, in the defining characteristics for the customer surveyed. POWERTRAIN DESIGN phase of survey design, the persons con- The more important a certain feature is to ducting the survey needed to identify the the respondent, the steeper the utility Based on the utility functions shown in customer-relevant features and select function is. At the same time, the added ③, different types of studies can be them according to clearly defined factors, value that an additional unit of the char- derived. ➍ shows a comparison of the [9] ➋. This survey was defined during a acteristic has for the customer can be customer utility of a generic reference focus-group interview with experts from identified. As the functions for all charac- vehicle in the C-segment for the year 2020 Daimler AG and Imug GmbH. During the teristics are standardised to so-called util- [12] with different alternative drive systems subsequent study, the customers had to ity units, the curves can be put into rela- (BEV, FCEV, PHEV, ICE diesel). Here, it is choose from various vehicles and a set of tion to each other. It is thus possible, for assumed that private customers in the different characteristics, such as purchase instance, to calculate the price reduction C-segment in 2020 will behave exactly like price, range, charging/refuelling time, that is necessary to compensate for a the customers from the survey in Novem-

operating costs, maximum speed, CO2 restriction in driving range. ber 2011. emission and acceleration, ① (lower left- Interestingly enough, the utility func- The comparison shows that the FCEV hand chart). The customers had to choose tions of the 400 surveyed persons in all has very high customer utility, despite the

autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 45 COVER STORY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

BEV FCEV PHEV ICE-DIESEL BATTERY ELECTRIC FUEL CELL ELECTRIC PLUG-IN HYBRID DIESEL VEHICLE VEHICLE VEHICLE ELECTRIC VEHICLE

PURCHASE PRICE [Euro] 34,391 36,771 31,892 26,061

UTILITY POINTS -19 -31 -7 28

RANGE [km] 158 434 > 600 > 600

UTILITY POINTS -33 51 61 61

CHARGING/REFUELING TIME [min] 480 3 240 3

UTILITY POINTS -43 29 -19 29

OPERATING COSTS/MONTH [Euro] 40 70 70 100

UTILITY POINTS 27 19 19 -1

MAXIMUM SPEED [km/h] 150 160 170 > 180

UTILITY POINTS 9121314

CO2 EMISSION [g CO2/km] 0040120

UTILITY POINTS 34 34 27 -15

ACCELERATION 0-100 km/h [s] 13 12 11 10

UTILITY POINTS 5433

TOTAL UTILITY POINTS -20 118 97 119

❹ Customer-utility evaluation (private customers, C-segment) of various drive systems for 2020 [12]

-Nutzenbetrachtung. Industrie Management, 25 high purchase price. Compared to the Nevertheless, the results presented (2009), No. 5, pp. 35 – 38 other drive systems, the BEV, on the other clearly show that, in vehicles with alter- [8] Wietschel, M.; et al.: Kaufpotenzial für Elektro- fahrzeuge bei sogenannten „Early Adoptern“. End- hand, does not fulfil the requirements of native drive systems, it is more important bericht, Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innova- private customers in the C-segment, espe- than ever to know the potential custom- tionsforschung (ISI) und IREES GmbH Institut für cially due to the long charging times and ers, so that the respective vehicle drive Ressourceneffizienz und Energiestrategien, 2012 the low range. system can be positioned on the market [9] Backhaus, K.; Erichson, B.; Weiber, R.: Fort- geschrittene multivariate Analysemethoden. Berlin, It is also possible that the optimum with the right production volumes and the Heidelberg: Springer, 2011 vehicle design can be evaluated based on corresponding added value. [10] Backhaus, K.; Erichson, B.; Plinke, W.; Weiber, the utility functions, in the field of tension R.: Multivariate Analysemethoden. 13. Aufl., Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2011 between the technically feasible, the costs REFERENCES [11] Consultants, E.E.M.: Ausführungen zur CCon- and the customer requests. This method [1] ADAC: Autokosten Rechner. http://www.adac. joint-Analyse. 2005 de/infotestrat/autodatenbank/autokosten/autokos- could, for instance, serve to evaluate dif- [12] EU Coalition: The Role of Battery Electric Vehi- ten-rechner/default.aspx, access: 5 June 2012 cles, Plug-in Hybrids and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. ferent range options of a fuel-cell vehicle [2] Herfurth, K.; Peters, A.; de Haan, P.: Wer wählt 2010 according to utility points, taking into welche Autoklasse? In: Bericht zum Schweizer consideration the resulting vehicle costs. Autokaufverhalten Nr. 15, ETH Zürich, 2007 [3] Dudenhöffer, F.; Bussmann, L.; Dudenhöffer, K.: Elektromobilität braucht intelligente Förderung. Wirtschaftsdienst 92 (2012), No. 4, pp. 274 – 279 SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK [4] Struwe, R.: Kundenpräferenzen im Spannungs- feld technologischer, wirtschaftlicher und gesells- chaftlicher Herausforderungen am Anbeginn einer The presented method gives automotive Zeitwende in der Automobilindustrie. Universität manufacturers and component designers Oldenburg, Logos-Verlag Berlin GmbH, 2010 [5] Biere, D.; Dallinger, D.; Wietschel, M.: Ökono- a possibility to gear vehicle design more mische Analyse der Erstnutzer von Elektrofahrzeu- towards the requests of the potential cus- gen. ZfE Zeitschrift für Energiewirtschaft 33 (2009), tomers. Follow-up customer-utility studies No. 2, pp. 173 – 181 with increased case numbers and several [6] Mock, P.: Entwicklung eines Szenariomodells zur Simulation der zukünftigen Marktanteile und sub-groups (for example, fleet customers CO2-Emissionen von Kraftfahrzeugen (Vector21). In: or second-car customers) are desirable in DLRLR Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raum- the future in order to achieve a wider and fahrt, Institut für Fahrzeugkonzepte, Stuttgart, 2010 [7] Denkena, B.; Rudzio, M.; Eikötter, M.; Blümel, more differentiated view of the customers P.: Total Cost and Benefit of Ownership – Technolo- Read this article on of alternative drive systems. giebewertung mittels Lebenszykluskosten- und www.autotechreview.com

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As part of a development project, Steyr Motors has begun investigating the use of bio-diesel in a range extender engine. In this article, the company presents the results of simulations and tests of the combustion and injection systems.

48 www.autotechreview.com AUTHORS ENGINES TO MEET SPECIFIC RE- from the fuel density. Steyr Motors faces QUIREMENTS OF THE CUSTOMERS the challenge within different applications to fulfil exactly that demand for Steyr Motors develops and produces high- different fuels of fossil origin (all of performance diesel engines for niche them usually have a heating value of 42 applications all over the world, ➊. The to 43 MJ/kg, even if this is not always engine control unit and the fuel injection guaranteed through the specification) of DIPL.-ING. MICHAEL ASCHABER is Head of Research and Develop- system are included in the development a very wide range of different densities. ment at the Steyr Motors GmbH in scope. The current diesel engine product The density compensation function, Steyr (Austria). range, with the same single-cylinder developed to meet this requirement, swept volume of 0.53 l, ranges from two- uses an actual measurement value from cylinder in-line engines with 25 kW a sensor (using the principle of oscillat- power output, over four- and six-cylinder ing u-tube [1]) to calculate the injection in-line engines to V8 engines with 240 volume demand (in mm3) from the kW. The specific performances reach up demanded injection mass (in mg) to 70 kW/l and a specific torque up to 215 instead of using an applicable constant. DIPL.-ING. WOLFGANG BEUER Nm/l for two-stage charged engines. By doing so, the engines deliver the was Manager Fuel and Injection Sys- tems at the Steyr Motors GmbH in Based on the existing product range, same maximum power with very differ- Steyr (Austria). the very special customer requirements ent fuels such as turbine jet fuels are mostly implemented. Beside according to Jet A-1 or the military mechanical robustness of the engines, equivalents MIL-JP-8 or NATO F-34 or especially the suitability for various fuel marine distillates of class DMX or DMA types like marine distillates or kerosene, according to ISO 8217 [2]. This compen- their varying fuel quality is one of the sation is as well useful if only one type main requirements. of fuel is to be used but within a wide So far, most of the investigated fuels range of temperatures, ➋. are of fossil origin. The engine compati- The influence of the fuel density on bility with bio-diesel fuels was covered the injection system is well compen- so far on the material definition of sated by using reference mappings for engine components. During the develop- different densities and interpolating for ment of the two-cylinder multi-fuel the measured density. Influences on range extender engine, the need to cover injection pressure or injection duration different fuel types automatically on are not compensated by this function. engine power targets and emission lim- There is also no correction for any its was given. This article will give a changes in the combustion result short report especially on the bio-diesel despite same fuel mass injected, such as activities within Steyr Motors. different heating values. ➌ gives a short overview over the most relevant fuels for Steyr Motors. INFLUENCES ON THE COMBUSTION WHEN USING BIO-DIESEL INFLUENCES ON THE COMBUSTION In the following, the influences on the WHEN USING BIO-DIESEL combustion of a diesel engine and the function of the injection system, when In the beginning, the term bio-diesel shall using bio-diesel, shall be discussed to be concretised. It is well known, that fuels evaluate the possibilities to design an for diesel engines may not only be made electronic compensation of these from fossil oils but also from vegetable influences. oils and even from vegetable waste. It can be roughly distinguished between pure vegetable oils, esterified vegetable oils INFLUENCES ON THE INJECTION (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, FAME) and bio- QUANTITY fuels of 2nd generation (for example, BTL and GTL). A prerequisite for a comparable com- The scope of Steyr Motors currently is bustion under otherwise comparable on FAME according EN14214. While

❶ Application overview of installed Steyr Motors conditions usually is that the injection these fuels also bear a risk of unwanted engines and the two-cylinder engine fuel mass stays constant, independent side effects, due to the worse chemical autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 49 TECHNOLOGY FUELS

1000.00 mass. The increased formation of nitro-

950.00 gen oxides can be compensated using a wide selection of parameters, including 900.00 decreasing the charge air pressure, ]

3 decreasing the injection pressure, adopt- 850.00 ing the amount and position of the single FAME injection events of a common rail multi- 800.00 ple injection. However, it appeared to be DIN EN 590 750.00 most feasible to use the adoption of the

Fuel density [kg/m F-34 beginning of injection as a single varia- 700.00 tion parameter for first tests. Any of the mentioned options would anyway lead to 650.00 an increased formation of particles. This increase shall not exceed the initial 600.00 decrease to ensure at least equal emis- -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 sion behaviour compared to the use of Temperature [°C] fossil diesel. ❷ Fuel density over temperature for different fuel types

AUTOMATIC BIO-DIESEL

EN590 ISO 8217 DMX NATO F-34 EN14214 COMPENSATION

CETANE NUMBER –>50>45Typ. 35-40*>51 Based on the influences discussed, an DENSITY AT 15 °C kg/m³ 820-845 <890 775-840 860-900 automatic compensation for the use of HEATING VALUE MJ/kg Typ. 42-43* Typ. 42-43* >42.8 Typ. 37* bio-diesel, consisting of a few single adop- LUBRICITY μm <460 ** Typ. >700* <460*** tion functions, shall be developed at Steyr * … Not specified, values are typical values of fuels as used by Steyr Motors testing department Motors. As already explained, some of ** … Not specified, not evaluated by Steyr Motors these influences to be compensated *** … Not specified, not evaluated by Steyr Motors, general consensus is, that lubricity of biodiesel is depend on the type of injection system better than of diesel used. First tests at Steyr Motors were done ❸ Data overview of different fuel types with a mechanical unit injector system. At the same time, the necessary adoptions of stability compared to fuels of fossil ori- taining ester groups. These ester groups the functions for use with a common rail gin, this risk increases with the use of are a reason for the reduced heating system have been considered. The already pure vegetable oils, causing Steyr Motors value of bio-diesel compared to fossil explained function to compensate the to rate these pure vegetable oils as not diesel. As an average, the heating value influence of the fuel density [2] was also interesting for use in range extender is reduced from 11.78 kWh/kg (42.4 MJ/ used for these tests and is considered as a engines. Second-generation bio-fuels on kg, fossil diesel) to 10.25 kWh/kg (36.9 pre-requisite without further notice. the other hand are not yet commercially MJ/kg, bio-diesel) [4]. available, and hence any discussion of The oxygen from the ester groups in these fuels is not yet worthwhile. the bio-diesel not only causes a reduced INFLUENCES OF THE FUEL DENSITY Obviously, it is necessary to detect the heating value but also increases the use of bio-diesel to be able to compen- amount of available oxygen atoms to As already explained, the increased den- sate the influences on the combustion. enable a cleaner and more efficient sity has an influence on the injected Steyr Motors is planning to measure the combustion, because the free oxygen quantity. The influence on the injection dielectric constant to be able to deter- atoms are available as additional ligands pressure has also been mentioned, but mine the percentage of fossil diesel and during the combustion (independent without further quantification. This influ- bio-diesel. On one hand, there are posi- from spray pattern and mixture with the ence has been investigated by measuring tive results from research already availa- intake air always directly in the fuel). the injection force. By doing so, it was ble [3]. On the other hand, Steyr Motors These insights lead to expectations that realised that the maximum injection pres- currently is favouring the use of a com- by using bio-diesel, with the same fuel sure increases by 10 to 15 % when using bined sensor measuring exactly all neces- mass and same intake air mass, not bio-diesel instead of fossil diesel, ➍. This sary values (beside dielectric constant, only the power will be reduced, but the significant increase can, however, not be density and temperature as well). formation of nitrogen oxides should compensated but has to be considered While fossil fuels mainly are of pure increase and the formation of particles during the layout of the unit injector that hydrocarbon content (paraffinic and aro- should decrease. shall be used. Obviously, this leads to matic), bio-fuels according to EN14214 The reduced power shall be compen- increased exhaust emissions, when using are characterised by their oxygen con- sated by increasing the injected fuel fossil diesel.

50 www.autotechreview.com BASELINE MEASUREMENT OF THE the density ratio and then increased to tion. The start of injection was retarded TEST ENGINE 98.2 mm3/cycle based on the ratio of the by 1.13° CA (to keep the nitrogen oxide heating value. emissions constant), while the start of The measurements described in the fol- The result of the bio-diesel measure- combustion was only retarded by 0.76° lowing chapter were done to have a basis ment fits quite well to this calculation. CA. This can be explained by the slightly to check, whether a compensation func- Then the necessary adoption of start of faster increase of pump pressure and tion could be derived for the use of bio- injection was analysed relative to the therefore relatively earlier opening of the diesel, which eliminates any disadvan- measured adoption of start of combus- nozzle needle (since opening pressure is tages regarding power output and emissions, when using any mixture of bio-diesel and fossil diesel (including 100 240 ____ % bio-diesel) compared to using conven- Biodiesel 210 ____ Diesel tional diesel with the according combustion application. For doing so, a typical 180 Steyr Motors M1 engine from the modular 150 engine family was measured at a few operation points with fossil diesel accord- 120 ing to EN590. 90 In a next step, the measurements were 60 repeated using 100 % bio-diesel according to EN14214. The injection quantity and 30 Injection pressure [MPa] start of injection were adopted to keep the 0 power output and the nitrogen oxide emissions on the same level as in the orig- -30 inal measurement with EN590. The meas- -60 ured values then were compared with the- -40 -32 -24 -16 -8 0 8 16 24 32 40 oretical values: for example, the injection quantity should have been decreased from CA [°] 90 mm3/cycle to 85.5 mm3/cycle based on ❹ Influence of different fuel densities on injection pump pressure

FUEL INJECTION BSFC FUEL FUEL DIELEC- UNIT RELATIVE NOX HC CO PM LAMBDA AIR TEMPERATURE VOLUME CONSUMP- DENSITY TRIC INJECTOR BEGIN OF MASS TION CONSTANT ACTUATION INJECTION °C mm³/cycle g/kWh kg/h g/cm³ – mm °CA g/h g/h g/h g/h – kg/h

TEST POINT 1: 207 kW / 3800 rpm

DIESEL 30 90.7 245.4 50.9 0.823 2.3 12.049 7.5 1358 8.4 252.9 35.5 1.36 1015 EN590 BIODIESEL 30 98.4 280.6 58.5 0.870 3.4 12.370 6.4 1359 6.2 220.3 10.0 1.38 1017 EN14214

RANDOM 30 93.2 264.9 54.8 0.857 3.0 12.198 6.6 1347 5.7 211.9 15.0 1.38 1021 MIXTURE 54 99.9 267.8 55.3 0.837 2.9 12.369 6.6 1336 6.4 237.2 17.5 1.39 1024

TEST POINT 2: 152 kW / 2800 rpm

DIESEL 30 79.0 215.0 32.7 0.824 2.3 10.590 6.7 1236 5.0 54.7 8.4 1.44 692 EN590 BIODIESEL 30 85.5 246.6 37.5 0.870 3.4 10.735 4.8 1211 2.1 37.2 1.1 1.45 688 EN14214

RANDOM 30 83.3 235.7 35.9 0.854 3.0 10.798 5.2 1190 2.9 41.8 2.3 1.44 695 MIXTURE 54 87.7 235.0 35.8 0.837 2.9 10.931 5.2 1167 3.3 44.3 2.3 1.46 700

TEST POINT 3: 73 kW / 2800 rpm

DIESEL 30 41.6 233.4 17.2 0.823 2.3 7.977 -2.7 365 2.8 37.5 3.4 1.80 468 EN590 BIODIESEL 30 44.3 268.3 19.4 0.870 3.4 8.094 -3.6 364 1.8 44.6 0.7 1.81 462 EN14214

RANDOM 30 43.4 255.6 18.7 0.853 3.0 8.136 -3.4 362 1.8 38.4 1.1 1.80 466 MIXTURE 54 45.7 254.5 18.7 0.837 2.9 8.203 -3.4 362 2.2 43.0 1.1 1.83 471

❺ Test result overview of a basic 3.2 l six-cylinder diesel engine without EGR autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 51 TECHNOLOGY FUELS

NO HC CO PM 0 % x While the fuel consumption naturally -1 % -2 % has to increase (due to the reduced heat- -6 % ing value), the exhaust emissions should -13 % stay constant or may even decrease with -16 % increasing bio-diesel content, ➏. As next steps, Steyr Motors shall investigate the -26 % -24 % transferability of the results on different -32 % engine types of the modular M1 engine family as well as on the use of a common rail system for the fuel injection. If these Biodiesel, 30 °C -51 % steps are successfully finished, the devel- Random mixture, 30 °C -58 % opment of an engine that can be used with any mixture of diesel and bio-diesel with same power output, and without Random mixture, 54 °C -72 % violating the certified exhaust emissions, should be feasible. ❻ Relative deviation of exhaust emissions from different bio-diesel mixtures relative to diesel EN590 at 30° C REFERENCES [1] Stabinger, H.: Density Measurement using modern oscillating transducers. South Yorkshire Trading reached earlier). shows that it is possible to realise a com- Standards Unit, Sheffield, 1994 Another significant difference has been pensation function based on measure- [2] Aschaber, M.; Hofer-Schrems, E.: The next gen- observed when investigating the duration ment of the dielectric constant and linear eration of combat high performance diesel engines. nd of the combustion. Despite that the effec- interpolation between mapping for diesel 2 International Conference Next Generation Off- Highway Engines, Wiesbaden, 2012 tive duration of the injection had to and mapping for bio-diesel. The emis- [3] Munack, A.; Krahl, J.: Erkennung des RME- become longer to keep the power output sions as measured, when using fossil die- Betriebes mittels eines Bio-diesel-Kraftstoffsensors. constant, the duration of the combustion sel, are always kept the same (nitrogen In: Landbauforschung Völkenrode, Special Edition 257 (2003), Braunschweig was nevertheless reduced by 2.9° CA. The oxide) or even reduced (all other) when [4] Verordnung des Bundesministers für Umwelt, only effect discussed so far causing this using bio-diesel or any mixture of fossil Jugend und Familie über die Festlegung der Qualität phenomenon can be an improved atomi- and bio-diesel. von Kraftstoffen (Kraftstoffverordnung 1999). CELE- ELEELEX-Nr.: 398L0070, StF: BGBl. II Nr. sation of the fuel due to the higher injec- A further test confirmed that the die- 418/1999, Federal Chancellery of the Republic of tion pressure. Based on these findings, the lectric constant depends on the fuel tem- Austria reduction of formation of particles by 72 perature. This means that the temperature % cannot be rated, when thinking of has to be considered to evaluate the cor- other injection system such as a common rect ratio of bio-diesel in the mixture [3]. rail system that keeps the pressure con- Independent of the change in fuel density stant. In any way, a remarkable reduction (compensated by the density compensa- of particle mass in the exhaust gas may tion on its own) and the changing relation be expected when using unit injector sys- of dielectric constant to ratio of bio-diesel tems or comparable systems. in the mixture, the correction based on ratio of bio-diesel in the mixture can still be done. A summary of the measurement SIMULATING A BIO-DIESEL results is shown in ➎. COMPENSATION

Finally, a random mixture of fossil diesel CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES and bio-diesel was created to try to inter- polate between the combustion applica- The first tests to develop an automatic tion for fossil diesel and bio-diesel and compensation to be able to use bio-diesel again reach same power output and same without any influence on power output DEDICATION nitrogen oxide emissions. In order to do and exhaust emissions therefore were fin- so, first a ratio of 65 % bio-diesel and 35 ished positively. A solution that combines % diesel was measured based on the die- the existing fuel density compensation This article is dedicated to Mr. Dipl.-Ing. lectric constant and linear interpolation with a linear interpolation between com- Wolfgang Beuer. He unexpectedly died in the between the values for diesel and bustion application mappings for diesel working period of this publication. bio-diesel. and for bio-diesel, based on the ratio of Based on this, the injection quantity bio-diesel in the mixture evaluated from and start of injection were defined by lin- the dielectric constant and the tempera- Read this article on ear interpolation. The positive result ture of the fuel, seems promising. www.autotechreview.com

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READ AUTO TECH REVIEW ON THE GO. BUY A SINGLE ISSUE, OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS TODAY. TECHNOLOGY EFFICIENCY VOLKSWAGEN XL1 — FUTURE MOBILITY BENCHMARK

The old adage – ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ – holds immense significance in the present day automotive industry. The global push for efficiency is a necessity that is giving birth to many innovative technologies. Continuous improvement is an imperative today, but Volkswagen probably found the process to be slow. Instead, they leapfrogged multiple barriers to come out with the XL1. If a fuel-efficiency of 100 km for less than a litre of fuel sounds interesting, continue to read as we decode the XL1’s technology.

INTRODUCTION gauged from the fact that the car monocoque and add-on carbon fibre com- doesn’t have outside rear view mirrors ponents for its body construction. It is the The future of mobility promises to offer as they create drag. Instead, there are world’s most aerodynamically efficient car multiple options for consumers to choose cameras which provide a view as would with a coefficient drag (Cd) of just 0.189. from. For many years now, manufacturers be visible in the mirrors. There are That’s almost half of what fuel-efficient have introduced solutions or a cluster of many such innovations and tweaks in mass-market sedans presently have! solutions through technological break- the XL1, which open up a world of pos- The powertrain consists of a TDI 800 throughs in electric vehicles, hybrids, or sibilities for hybrid technology. Our cc twin-cylinder, common rail turbo- even fuel-cell vehicles. While future devel- report aims at covering the most signifi- charged diesel engine and is capable of opments in alternative propulsion tech- cant technologies of all. developing about 47 hp. The unit is nologies remain top priority for any automated to a seven-speed DSG transmission motive engineer, at the same time, engi- to maximise efficiency. The hybrid unit neers are finding new limits to efficiency CONFIGURATION comprises of a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion bat- from an internal combustion engine. tery, clutch and an electric motor posi- One such example is the Volkswagen In an all out quest for efficiency, Volkswa- tioned above the rear axle. Working in XL1, which uses a diesel plug-in hybrid gen had to come up with a unique vehicle unison, the package can deliver about 68 set-up. The focus on efficiency can be configuration. The XL1 makes use of hp and a torque of 140 Nm.

54 www.autotechreview.com steering gear CFRP anti-roll bar high-voltage battery high-voltage cable upper transverse link ENGINE 10-litre fuel tank

power electronics The two-cylinder TDI engine is based on a 2-cylindder TDI internal four-cylinder 1.6 l TDI unit and features combustion engine numerous inclusions to push the envelope of efficiency. Specially formed piston particulate ﬁ lter recesses for multiple injections and individual orientation of each injection jet sig- turbocharger nificantly reduces emissions. In order to 115/80R15 offer a smoother engine running, engi- lower transverse link ceramic brakes neers added a crankshaft-driven balancer front axle crossmember mufﬂ er shaft. Owing to the same rotation speed semi-trailing link as the crankshaft, the balancer shaft e-motor sits in torque converter housing forged magnesium wheel increases smoothness. 145/55T16 lightweight DSG 7-speed gearbox In order to increase efficiency, the spring damper engine’s aluminium crankcase was constructed to obtain higher dimensional accuracy. This directly helps lower the the hybrid system, the XL1 emits an usage of expensive material and manufac- frictional losses by a significant margin, astoundingly low 21 gCO2/km. A key rea- turing techniques. That however, doesn’t thereby aiding fuel-efficiency. Emissions son why it’s able to achieve such low take away anything from the XL1 serving are kept in check by usage of an oxidation emissions and high fuel efficiency is its as a peek into the future of mobility over catalytic converter and a diesel particulate overall low energy requirement. In order the next couple of decades. filter. Using both these systems together to travel at a constant speed of 100 km/h, Irrespective of the advancement in EV plays an important part in the engine’s the XL1 makes use of just about 8 hp, and fuel-cell technology, one can’t ignore compliance with Euro VI emissions stand- almost the same power found in a 100 cc the fact that mass-mobility still needs a ards already. two-wheeler. fair bit of time to make a shift to alterna- Adding further to the efficiency is the When operating in pure electric mode, tives. Until then, our best bet is liquid XL1’s cooling system, wherein the engine the vehicle requires less than 0.1 kWh to hydrocarbons, which still have the poten- management system uses the regulated cover a distance of one kilometre. Add all tial to be pushed far beyond the present mechanical water pump to cool the of the above discussed innovations to an levels. The XL1 clearly shows us that the engine, only when required. The system exterior, which had every millimetre per- ceiling for efficiency of liquid hydrocar- also includes an automated air intake sys- fected to slice through the air and the XL1 bons based vehicles is far from being tem, which reduces the cooling system is suddenly on a different level of scratched. drag. A secondary electric water pump efficiency. Volkswagen has also showcased circulates a lower temperature coolant While many hybrid cars sacrifice driva- through the XL1 its preparedness for flow only when needed by the starter gen- bility and power in pursuit of efficiency, introducing technologies, which could erator and power electronics. Together, the XL1 throws up a pleasant surprise. help it realise its goal of becoming the these systems optimise the overall thermal With the engine and the hybrid system world’s largest. Volkswagen is expected to efficiency, leading to lower working together, the XL1 can accelerate launch the XL1 in the market sometime fuel-consumption. from a standstill to 100 km/h in 12.7 s. towards the end of this year. The vehicle’s The plug-in hybrid system, primarily This is about the same or little quicker success, however, shouldn’t be measured including a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery than what we get from most mass-market in terms of sales. Instead, one should look pack and an electric motor is capable of diesel hatches in the emerging markets. at it as the platform, which will give rise powering the vehicle on its own up to a On the highway, the vehicle is claimed to to a plethora of technologies that will con- claimed 50 km. The electric motor also be capable of an electronically limited 160 tribute towards efficiency. Many of these acts as an electric generator while deceler- km/h. A key reason for the performance could be seen on cars based on the com- ating, and stores the generated energy in available is the low vehicle weight of just pany’s new MQB platform, paving the the battery for re-use. 200 V electricity 795 kg, primarily owing to usage of way for a new level of efficient and afford- flow is managed by the power electronics lighter materials and unique manufactur- able mobility. from and to the battery or the electric ing techniques. motor. The body electrical system is supplied with 12 V through a DC/DC conver- TEXT : Arpit Mahendra tor and an auxiliary battery. ROUND-UP PHOTO: Volkswagen

Even though the XL1’s figures may sound EFFICIENCY outstanding, its retail price when

launched in the market could be pretty Read this article on Owing to the changes in the engine and steep. This is primarily down to the heavy www.autotechreview.com autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 55 SHOPFLOOR MAHINDRA NAVISTAR MAHINDRA NAVISTAR — GROWING IN STATURE, ACCEPTANCE

The past few months haven’t been kind to the Indian automotive industry, with retail sales slowing across all vehicle segments. Even as many struggle to keep stocks rolling, one company in particular isn’t complaining. Mahindra Navistar Automotive Limited (MNAL), now a wholly-owned M&M group company, is banking big on its current crop of products, and those in its pipeline. Auto Tech Review recently visited the company’s Chakan plant in Maharash- tra for a first-hand experience of what is one of the country’s most modern CV manufacturing plants.

56 www.autotechreview.com The MNAL facility at Chakan, Pune is almost 98 % automated

INTRODUCTION tion announced that the Indian auto major would purchase Navistar Group's The Indian commercial vehicle industry is 49 % stake in MNAL and Mahindra heavily skewed towards two large players Navistar Engines Pvt Ltd (MNEPL) for ` – Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland – with 175 crore. both cornering close to 85 % of the over- The deal has since been completed, all CV market. For any new player in this giving Mahindra complete ownership of segment, eating into their share is no easy operations and the right to sell MNAL and task, yet every new entrant has a large MNEPL products. Navistar, meanwhile, market to tap and get a foothold in. would continue to provide technical sup- At MNAL, officials were early to spot port for developing engines. The agree- on the opportunity. And they’ve gone ment also provides the American com- about the task with marked precision. pany to continue sourcing components They’ve built a strong product, a robust from India, while Mahindra would con- product development team, and a modern tinue to provide engineering services to plant with the best of equipments – tools Navistar. A change in the branding strat- they believe would help them leapfrog egy is inevitable, but Mehta remained into being a credible and acceptable third non-committal on the likely time frame big player. for the change. Recent reports talk about M&M’s Addressing the media in January this accent to the second spot in the Indian year, Dr Pawan Goenka, President – Auto- CV market, but that may not project the motive and Farm Equipment Sectors, entire picture correctly. However, there’s M&M had commented that the company’s little doubt that the company is ticking truck and engine businesses will continue the right boxes as far as its growth drivers to play a critical role in helping grow its are concerned. The past year or so has presence in the CV market. The focus seen a sharp drop in sales in the medium henceforth would be to further leverage and heavy duty truck range, and increase synergies between the group and the vehi- in pick-ups, both in the goods and pas- cle and engine manufacturing units of senger carriers. Mahindra Navistar. The current economic scenario in the country isn’t exactly promising for the company. Yet, like Nalin Mehta, Manag- FOCUS ON ENGINEERING ing Director, MNAL and everyone else in the company believe, MNAL is now set to The concept of frugal engineering has take the next steps towards building a been in practice at M&M for quite some growth path on its own. It must be time now. And it’s no different at MNAL. recalled that on December 18 last year, The company clearly distinguishes M&M and its American joint venture between value engineering and cost-cut- partner Navistar International Corpora- ting. Said Vijay Dhongde, Chief Execu- autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 57 SHOPFLOOR MAHINDRA NAVISTAR

Under current demand, the press shop manages 12 jobs every hour The assembly line has very little manual intervention

tive Officer, Mahindra Vehicle Manufac- ducing it without any related study. The the proprietary and Tier I suppliers are by turers Ltd, “Frugality starts from the current generation engines offer the flexi- and large common across Mahindra’s AFS mind. If the output is same with lesser bility to map and optimise the usage pat- and MNAL. Even under geographical input then there’s no issue. But frugality tern so as to get the best performance out parameters, more than 75 % of the sup- should be all encompassing, through of them. Efforts have also been made pliers are common with AFS. “There is a marketing, manufacturing and even the towards optimising the turnaround time, good amount of synergy in our sourcing. supply chain.” rolling capacity and robustness of the Even in after treatment we source as a The company would look at creating products and processes. common pool,” Mehta said. differentiators, which play a critical role A lot of work is being done in the area in the CV industry. For example, MNAL of powertrain. While the aggregates for products come with storage space under powertrains are being procured from SHOPFLOOR FLEXIBILITY the driver seat and berths, which earlier external vendors, on its part, the company went unutilised. Kiran Vairagkar, Senior is trying to reduce parasitic losses in the The MNAL manufacturing facility in General Manager – Product Develop- engines, for instance. Wherever required, Chakan, Pune is automated to the extent ment, MNAL offered another example a different calibration strategy is being of 98 %, with manual activities limited about innovations being undertaken at adopted, said Vairagkar. “It’s important to processes such as sample inspections MNAL on telematics. “Unlike what our that we communicate well with our cus- and checks. competitors are doing, we want to use tomers. I need to tell them that our The MNAL press shop is flexible to telematics as a connect between the user engines will suffice their needs. We are the extent that it can accommodate and the owner to bridge the huge gap working on these areas. Some of our panel work for all kinds of vehicles, that exist today.” future models would have innovations including the XUV 500, Maxximo and A key aspect at MNAL is its constant like increase in drain interval, reduction trucks. At the press shop, steel blanks focus on bringing down the cost of opera- in oil capacity, and use of smaller filters are first shaped as per the panel require- tions. While most of it involves attempts that will bring down the cost of opera- ments, and then trimmed to remove all of improving fuel efficiency, the company tions,” he explained. excess materials in the second press. also maps and understands the applica- A big advantage that the group enjoys Following this operation, the panels tion as per the demand, rather than intro- is its combined pool of suppliers. Most of move to the piercing station, where all the parts are pierced. Two cranes of 50 tonne each are used for this process. There are 49 studs to be drilled, which is done using an automated stud welding machine. The Pokayoke mechanism ensures that even if a single stud is missing, the process won’t go ahead. The fourth step is manual, where checks on scratches, cracks or other defects are undertaken. The manual checking process isn’t done randomly, but each and every panel is checked to ensure zero faults. The performance of The chassis assembly requires precision A shopfloor worker at the exhaust sub-assembly line the press shop is measured on parame-

58 www.autotechreview.com is constantly on the lookout for alternative materials. “There are a few areas, where we are experimenting with different materials, like in the case of refrigerated vans,” he said. Conventionally, reefer van manufacturers use thick walls that add up to the weight of the vehicle. MNAL is looking for aluminium foam sort of a material to be used in the floor as well as side walls of the reefer vans, and are working with companies with expertise on such areas. “Eventually, these would help in better thermal conductivity, insulation and weight reduction,” said Mehta. MNAL applies a unique method to turn around the chassis for final assembly Increasingly, MNAL is also looking at lightweighting as a tool to better efficiency. Lightweighting is achieved by using plastic and aluminium casting instead of iron casting, but at the same time the company is mindful of the bio- degradability aspect, because sustainability is important to MNAL.

CONCLUSION

From the products perspectives, the com- At the wheel assembly station MNAL cabins have been uniquely developed for India pany believes it has an advantage in terms of aesthetics, robustness, and cabin design, among others. In a few years, ters like First Run Capability, which is The present capacity is measured at 15 MNAL is confident of building a strong measured at 99.5 %, essentially mean- strokes per minute (SPM). differentiator in the area of telematics. ing almost negligible defects. The chassis too has been designed differ- For heavy duty trucks, the shop has ently, where cross members have been a capacity of undertaking 12 jobs (sets) IMPROVING EFFICIENCY redone to ensure better rigidity and every hour (JPH). The shopfloor techni- robustness. But does MNAL have the cian we spoke to explained how differ- A detailed, extensive product audit helps wherewithal to take on the larger players ent it is to calculate the capacity of a the company keep a check on quality through its products, and market penetra- press shop, which is unlike any other effectiveness. The Central Quality Assur- tion? Mehta believes differentiators (such shop. Capacity varies depending on the ance department undertakes audits from as those mentioned above) would play a number of panels required by a vehicle. a consumer’s perspective and all defects deciding role in the company’s growth in The MNAL press shop currently runs on are categorised as V1, V2 and V3, etc, the future. “One more year, and the true a single shift, and capacities can be where V1 is the most severe defect. The worth of our trucks would be realised,” enhanced depending on the demand. Mahindra Quality System (MQS) is used he concluded. in all plants of the automotive sector and frequent audits are undertaken. Exten- sive studies have been done to arrive at the directives and the 20 elements the TEXT : Deepangshu Dev Sarmah MQS is divided into. It also looks at the PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay sustainability aspect, because it is not just about product quality but quality in every aspect. While improvements in manufacturing help bring in efficiency, a lot also depends on the materials used. Is MNAL

focussing on alternative materials, we More on this article Final checks are carried out manually asked Vairagkar, who said the company www.autotechreview.com autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 59 NEW VEHICLE HONDA CR-V HONDA CR-V — FLEXIBLE, PRACTICAL & BETTER

In 1995, Honda Motor Company created an almost new segment of vehicle with the CR-V, which now sells in more than 160 countries across the world. In India, the CR-V has been relatively successful given the lack of a diesel engine and local assembly. While the diesel engine is still not available, the fourth-generation CR-V is now being locally manufactured. Can the CR-V with a lower price tag and more technologies make a mark in a diesel-dominated SUV segment?

60 www.autotechreview.com on the inside. The wheelbase and width are identical for both generations, but the new CR-V rides an inch lower than its predecessor. Honda claims this height reduction, along with the new design, increases aerodynamic efficiency by 18 %. The lower height goes a long way in lending the CR-V with a more dynamic look than its predecessor. Use of lightweight materials has made the new CR-V lighter, yet stronger, as the bending rigidity and torsional rigidity are up by seven and nine percent respec- tively. In a nutshell, the new CR-V design comes across as a significant visual and A lower ride height gives the CR-V a long and sharp look from the side engineering improvement. What has been a globally successful design has INTRODUCTION only got better.

The CR-V’s recipe was pretty simple and straightforward at the time of its incep- POWERTRAIN tion. Honda took the platform of its Civic sedan and built a vehicle offering the ride In India, the CR-V has been launched of a sedan and the space and utility of a with two engine and transmission sports utility vehicle. Expectedly, the CR-V options. The first engine is a 2 l SOHC was an instant hit and the two subse- i-VTEC four cylinder engine with the quent generations were based on that of option of a six-speed manual or a five- the Civic at the respective time. speed automatic transmission. This The fourth-generation CR-V though is engine develops about 154 hp and a a departure from the decade and a half torque of 190 Nm and is available only as formula as it’s based on an all-new plat- a front-wheel drive. Our test vehicle was form. This all-new platform though is a equipped with the 2.4 l DOHC i-VTEC major extension of the one that underpins engine, available only with the five-speed the Civic. The CR-V has traditionally been automatic unit. This version also comes a well-rounded vehicle and the new with Real Time 4WD as standard. The model builds further on that reputation. output of this unit is rated at 187 hp and We drove the new CR-V extensively to 226 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. In num- find out how it stacks up in a price seg- bers, the new engines are significantly ment containing some petrol crossovers, more powerful than the older ones. but crowded by diesel SUVs. The engine uses a host of friction- reduction measures in order to deliver higher efficiency. The outer skirts of the DESIGN aluminium pistons are coated by a low- friction coating, applied in a unique dot The reaction we came across during our pattern, claims Honda. Low-tension pis- test from most people familiar with the ton rings further reduce the friction inside CR-V was that the new version is sharper the cylinder. These measures along with and sportier. The observation is recipro- plateau honing, which creates a smoother cated by us as well as the CR-V with its surface between the piston and cylinders new design cues looks futuristic. The bring a significant reduction in friction, front is reminiscent of the FCX Clarity thereby aiding efficiency. albeit in a larger size. The rear section The 2.4 l engine is a smooth and will draw mixed reactions, but we feel silent unit in line with the nature of that it looks a lot better in flesh than in other i-VTEC engines. In order to the best of the images. improve smoothness, the engine is Notably, Honda has been able to main- equipped with an internal balancer unit. tain the same dimensions on the CR-V as This unit is made up of two chain-driven its previous-generation despite growing counter rotating shafts in the oil pan, autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 61 NEW VEHICLE HONDA CR-V

ity in dense traffic. Numerous engineering touch-ups have added more efficiency and power. As it is with almost all Honda i-VTEC engines, the unit is almost silent during low and mid-range operations. Even though driving pleasure might not be its forte, the powertrain aims at doing a lot of things in a good way and at that it’s very good.

INTERIORS

The cabin of the new CR-V is a significant The 2.4 l i-VTEC engine offers higher efficiency and power owing to extensive re-working of the unit improvement over its predecessor and the improved design theme is evident from which help suppress the second order tioned issues and perform well like all the moment one settles in. The dashboard harmonic vibrations, normally experi- other Honda manual transmissions do. has a simple and elegant touch to it, and enced in four cylinder engines. To start An upside to this configuration is one ergonomics are top notch. Plastic quality off from a standstill, there’s absolutely of the most linear acceleration you could is good but lack of adequate visual break- no lag and the throttle response is crisp. expect in the CR-V’s price segment. The aways lends the cabin with a bit of plastic The engine continues to build its power compact three-shaft transmission features atmosphere. The central attraction though in a smooth and progressive manner, Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which is vertical arrangement of two screens – when accelerating moderately. accurately manages the interaction one showing the entertainment, phone The five-speed automatic transmission between the transmission and engine. As and navigation functions, while the other somewhat limits the potential of the 2.4 l a result, even during kick-downs, there’s displays time, fuel-efficiency, range, etc. i-VTEC engine. The unit is slow to react hardly any shock transmitted to the occu- Front seats are comfortable and offer and a fair bit of lag is present. Engaging pants, when the unit upshifts. good space all round. Owing to good posi- the sports mode improves things but still An interesting technology worth men- tioning, finding the right seating position leaves noticeable lag. The unit has a limi- tioning is the ECON mode, accessible is an easy task. Room at the rear is decent tation in the form of just five gears, which through a button on the right of the steer- and despite a lower height, there isn’t any also explains the evident tall ratios it ing wheel. When activated, the system effect on the headroom since the rear employs. The tall ratios also hamper in- alters the throttle system, cruise control, bench too has been lowered to compen- gear acceleration, making quick overtak- and the AC to lower fuel consumption at sate the reduction. A large boot and flexi- ing somewhat slow. This is probably one any possible moment. Claimed efficiency ble seating arrangement (60:40 rear seat reason why the unit is hesitant to down- for the 2.4 l variants is 12 km/l. split) make the CR-V a great vehicle for shift under quick accelerations. The overall powertrain package of the trips that require carrying a lot of luggage. At a time when the market is progress- new CR-V is essentially a reworked ver- ing rapidly towards six-speed automatics sion of the unit from the previous model. and beyond in this price segment, Hon- Despite a claimed new platform and a DYNAMICS & SAFETY da’s five-speed transmission for a new new generation, the CR-V doesn’t set any generation comes across as an opportu- technical benchmarks in its segment. The CR-V has traditionally been a vehicle nity missed. Although we haven’t tested From a usability perspective, the 2.4 l unit with car-like ride quality and with the the six-speed manual, we expect the unit comes across as a fuel-efficient and new generation, things have become bet- to be devoid of any of the above men- smooth unit with extremely good drivabil- ter. The suspension set-up is optimal for

Sharper headlamps give the CR-V a dynamic front Rear tail lamp design would draw mixed reactions Smart aerodynamics have led to better fuel efficiency

62 www.autotechreview.com The cabin of the new CR-V is a significant improvement over its predecessor in terms of design and material quality

Information cluster is simple and attractive ECON alters several parameters to increase efficiency Flexible seating offers expansive luggage space

regular use and the vehicle maintains City range. Electronic stability control, available in the same or nearer price seg- good composure over various surfaces ABS, side curtain airbags along with dual ment. The positive for Honda here is that and curves. Lower height also plays a sig- front ones and a safer body structure CR-V owners would usually look more at nificant part in the new CR-V’s improved cover every possible area in the segment. practicality in daily cycle and would find dynamics. The electric steering is light it easier to overlook the powertrain’s limi- and easy to operate in traffic but doesn’t tations. Given the fact that the CR-V offer much feedback. With the improve- ROUND-UP trumps in convenience, comfort and ease- ments, the CR-V now offers one of the of-use, most owners would find value for best ride quality in its segment. The new Honda CR-V is a vastly the money spent. That the money to be The real time all wheel drive (AWD) improved vehicle in many areas such as spent is down by more than ` 200,000, system aims at improving safety on low- ride & handling and interior space & yet offers more features than earlier, grip surfaces such as snow and rain. In comfort. The vehicle offers greater flexi- makes the CR-V a good proposition. How- contrast with the last generation’s hydrau- bility to consumers as it fits in multiple ever, the lack of diesel engine will act as a lically-activated dual pump system, the roles with great ease. The local assembly limiting factor until the company offers new unit is electronically-controlled. This too has increased the competitiveness of one. The fourth generation CR-V is priced reduces the size and weight significantly the vehicle as the sticker price has gone between ` 19.95 and ` 23.85 lakh, ex- and lowers internal friction as well, down considerably. showroom, Delhi. improving the operating speed. Electrify- What leaves a fair bit of room for ing the system also helps minimise fuel- improvement is the 2.4 l powertrain pack- efficiency losses, AWD vehicles generally age. Even though the efficiency and TEXT : Arpit Mahendra suffer from. power has gone up, the limitations of PHOTO: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay Honda is well-known for focusing reworking old units rather than develop- extensively on safety and at a time when ing new ones are visible. The five-speed

ABS was still an option for many compa- automatic with its tall ratios lags behind Read this article on nies, Honda offered it as standard on the the six, seven and even eight-speed units www.autotechreview.com autotechreview April 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 4 63 DECODING TECHNOLOGY

HYBRID/ ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING

As more and more vehicle makers con- five to eight hours and are best suited for However, as you read this article tinue to invest in electric and hybrid overnight charging. quick charging is getting safer and relia- vehicles, the need for quick, reliable and ble by the day. Multiple OEMs across the convenient charging continues to world are talking about a recharging increase. One of the largest hurdles in QUICK-CHARGE STATIONS infrastructure primarily made up of the mass-adoption of EVs has been range quick-chargers. Going by the pace of anxiety, as such vehicles need long dura- Quick-chargers were once touted as development in battery related electron- tions to recharge their batteries. Engi- being capable of making EVs practical ics and battery management systems, we neers across the world are trying to and adoption-friendly. Such chargers can can expect quick-charging to become address this problem by making the bat- recharge lithium-ion batteries to about popular in the next three to five years. teries better and also improving the 80 % in just about 30 minutes. This is charging technology. possible due to the outlet capacity of In the past decade, charging tech- about 480 V and 400 A. The power ON-BOARD CHARGING nology has grown manifold, laying the transfer translates to a kWh rating in foundation for development of a charg- excess of 190. Such chargers at times When a conventional vehicle decelerates ing infrastructure. Presently, there are constantly monitor the battery tempera- or brakes, a large amount of kinetic three ways of charging an EV’s batter- ture and adjust the power flow in order energy is converted into heat and ies – public/personal outlets, quick- to avoid overheating of batteries, a com- wasted. In an EV or a hybrid though this charge stations and on-board energy is recuperated and used to charging. For all three systems, add to the overall driving range. especially the first two, it’s During braking, the electric motor imperative to maintain battery switches to generator mode. The temperature as well. wheels transfer the kinetic energy through the drivetrain to the generator, which in turn converts this PUBLIC/PERSONAL OUTLET energy into electricity. This electricity is stored in the vehicle’s Such charging outlets can be main battery and is mostly used installed in homes, offices and for acceleration purposes. streets and offer 120 V or 240 V Since the generator here pro- charging. A 120 V outlet is the vides friction braking to the most common across homes and wheels, the wear and tear of brake has a 15 A circuit breaker. In simpler mon trait of lithium-ion. It must be pads is considerably reduced. This also words, the maximum energy that can be noted though that the technology still leads to lower carbon emissions and transmitted from this outlet is 1,800 (120 has many challenges due to which it brake dust pollutants. x 15) watt per hour or 1.8 kWh. Hence, hasn’t been adopted widely. if a car needs 18 kWh of energy for full One key issue is convenience as such charge, it would take about ten hours to high-capacity charging points aren’t OUTLOOK charge the batteries from such an outlet. available in residential or office areas These figures are indicative and could commonly. Installing them can be quite Charging and its efficiency and practical- vary due to various factors. expensive, thereby offsetting the cost ity will play an important part in the suc- Such chargers normally do not have a advantage offered by an EV over a simi- cess of electromobility. Any break- temperature monitoring system and lar petrol or diesel vehicle. through advances here along with that in mostly work on assumptions. Although Another challenge is that the rapid battery efficiency can lead to an earlier using these outlets is very convenient, in flow of current despite all management adoption of these vehicles. As time pro- most cases of advanced EVs, they might systems causes the batteries to heat at gresses, it’ll become important that we not be able to deliver a full-charge even times. Over a period of time, such regu- look at more than just the charging tech- through the whole night. lar exposure can reduce the battery life. nology. What will ultimately make The next option is the 240 V outlet The high replacement cost of batteries in charging a strong link in the electromo- with 30 A, which delivers up to 7,200 a short duration would again send the bility chain is its transformation into watt per hour or 7.2 kWh. These types economics of any EV for a toss in the widespread infrastructure. of outlets can charge most EVs in about long run.

64 www.autotechreview.com www.autotechreview.com April 2013 | Volume 2 | Issue 4 NOW, ALSO AVAILABLE ON

It’s on

14 INTERVIEW Nalin Mehta, Managing Director Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd

18 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT Ultra-Capacitors for Electric Vehicles: Future Perspetives

60 NEW VEHICLE Honda CR-V — Flexible, Practical & Better

ELECTRIC VEHICLES—

CONCEPTS, SOLUTIONS & COMPETENCE POWERED BY EACH

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