NCC partners with Drive System Design on new EV project

The NCC is partnering with British engineering specialist Drive System Design, on a new project that seeks to improve the efficiency of the integrated electric drive unit of electric vehicles.

The 12-month project, part-funded by Innovate UK, will investigate the use of composites to enable increased power density and reduced unit size, offering vehicle manufacturers further packaging and efficiency benefits.

Markus Hose, DSD Head of Mechanical Engineering, said: “Vehicle range at reasonable cost is still one of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption of EVs, so technology that can increase this through efficiency gain, without adding significantly to unit cost, are crucial.”

“Vehicle manufacturers are facing increasing packaging challenges as they seek to incorporate higher performance EDUs into latest designs, so power density improvements will offer a key competitive advantage.”

“NVH and efficiency have traditionally been at odds during vehicle powertrain development, but through this project DDSD aims to overcome this challenge. Historically, attributes have been managed independently.”

“For example, efficient designs can be created, but iterative work is typically required to overcome the resulting NVH challenges. This project considers NVH from the outset and is central to any decision making, resulting in an EDU optimised for real-world operation.”

Aliya Valiyff, Technology Programme Manager for Automotive at the NCC, said: “The NCC is looking forward to working with DSD to develop the tools and processes that enable efficient integrated drive units through targeted application of composite materials.”

“As the country move towards an all-electric future transport system by 2040, with similar targets in other countries, there is a major market opportunity for both the domestic market and for exports.”

“The NCC, in partnership with DSD and IUK, will be contributing to enhancing UK skills in power electronics, machines, and drives by cementing existing skills and developing new technology.”