£16m HEV powertrain research programme launched in the UK

London, September 4, 2013: Specialist engineering consultancy Drive System Design (DSD) has been named as a key member of a new £16 million (Rs 154.8 crore) UK government-backed development consortium announced at LCV2013, the Low Carbon Vehicle event held at Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedford (UK, September 4-5). The 27-month Evoque_E programme, supported by the UK’s innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board, will investigate a number of evolving EV powertrain architecture options, including two- and three-speed transmissions and a potential doubling of EV motor speeds.

DSD managing director Mark Findlay said the consortium brings together industry leaders to take a pragmatic look at how new transmission and motor technologies could be implemented to increase range, performance and refinement. “We know that multi-ratio transmissions will allow an EV – or an HEV on electric power – to run further and faster without compromising pullaway or gradient climbing ability,” he explained. “And we know that electric machines operate more efficiently at higher speeds. This programme is the first comprehensive review of these concepts and how they could be implemented for production in a premium vehicle.”

Other members of the Evoque E consortium are Jaguar Land Rover, AVL, GKN Driveline, Tata Steel, Williams Advanced Engineering, Delta Motorsport, Motor Design Ltd and Zytek, supported by Bristol, Cranfield and Newcastle universities. Three development vehicles will be built, each one based on Land Rover’s new Range Rover Evoque, providing mild hybrid, full hybrid and pure EV configurations.

DSD will be responsible for integrating high-speed E-machines, clutches and clutch strategies associated with torque management and delivery to the wheels. In the full hybrid vehicle, DSD will work closely with GKN Driveline to adapt the transmission to run with a new, ultra high speed motor, designed by Newcastle and Bristol universities with Motor Design Ltd and manufactured by Zytek using Tata Steel product supplied through their wholly-owned electrical steel subsidiary, Cogent Power. The consultancy will also apply its expertise in transmission Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) to ensure that each of the powertrain options provides premium refinement without compromising weight or durability.

The pure electric research vehicle will combine DSD’s high-speed power transmission with the company’s novel MSYS three-speed powershifting gearbox. DSD says this technology can reduce the energy consumption of an electric vehicle by 10-15 percent compared with a single-speed EV or HEV transmission because as well as allowing downsizing of the motor, it extends the time the motor is operating within its most efficient region.

The consortium believes that the Evoque_E project will be the most comprehensive study of EV transmission options yet to be undertaken. “It is fantastic to be part of this project, which will provide a rigorous understanding of the practical benefits of several important developments in HEV transmissions and improve our understanding of the requirements of platform electrification,” concluded Mark Findlay.

Photographs: Compared to a single-speed EV or HEV transmission, DSD’s MSYS 3-speed system provides a 40 percent weight saving and 10-15 percent lower energy consumption

Mark Findlay, managing director, DSD, believes the Evoque_E programme is the most comprehensive investigation of HEV transmission options yet undertaken.

File photo of Evoque manufacturing operation at the Halewood plant.