Vitesco Technologies begins electric axle drive manufacturing in South Korea

Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, has opened a new 2,800 square metre manufacturing space at its Icheon electronics site. The first parts from the new line will serve to confirm the original sample products’ robustness by testing series parts.

This phase will last for around six months during which Hyundai will also integrate the new parts from the Icheon line in pre-series vehicles to validate them. Full series production at the Icheon site is scheduled to commence by 2024. The new line has a capacity of over 200,000 EMR4 units per year.

The version for Hyundai will be a 400 V system with a nominal power of 160 kW. State-of-the-art silicon carbide (SiC) technology in the inverter together with many detail optimisations.

The efficient and compact axle drive EMR4 integrates power electronics, electric motor, and reducer in a lightweight unit. The unit’s active parts and the power electronics (inverter) will be manufactured locally at Icheon. Roughly a third of the new floor space will be dedicated to stator winding, another third to rotor and inverter production and the remaining third for assembly. In total Vitesco Technologies has invested more than 80 million euros in the site extension.

Vitesco Technologies’ electric axle drives EMR3 and EMR4 offer compact size, low weight, high power density, and efficiency. In addition, the new generation EMR4 is scalable and therefore suited to provide a single solution for complete vehicle platforms and segments, the company stated.