Q. EVs based on ICEV platforms are quite practical and efficient themselves. What makes the PE System on the E-GMP even better than them?
As you say, EVs built on ICEV platforms are quite efficient as is. But they do have some concrete limits, stemming from the fact they are developed on an ICEV platform that was not designed for them. Crucial BEV parts like motors and batteries are made to suit that platform, which produces the irony of not being able to use EV-dedicated parts to build EVs. So they have to use generic parts they share with other electrification categories like hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
On the contrary, from the first stage of design, the E-GMP has only used the EV-dedicated PE System and other dedicated parts. As a result, the motor, inverter, and transmission were able to be integrated to make the PE system more compact and lightweight. In addition, the power module, which is a core part responsible for converting the electrical energy in the motor, got a next-gen power semiconductor with Silicon Carbide (SiC), leading to about a 5% increase in the driving range. In terms of the energy stored on the battery, that increase in range is equivalent to one provided by 1.5 battery modules—the omission of which can obviously make the vehicle lighter.
Changing the material for the power semiconductor is a great example of the advantage provided by the E-GMP’s EV-dedicated nature. When designing inverters, whose function is to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), we can choose to use SiC or Silicon (Si) as the material for the power semiconductor. Normally, Silicon is used because it’s cheaper. But SiC comes with one advantage that Si cannot parallel: its ability to work in high-voltage, high-current, and high-temperature settings. So for the 800V high-voltage system that the E-GMP is supposed to work with, it made more sense to select SiC to increase the inverter efficiency. So the rear motor, which is the main motor of the E-GMP, got a SiC power module, whereas the front motor got our internally-developed Si power module. That’s how the E-GMP provides an optimal solution on both ends of cost and efficiency.
Q. I’ve heard that one characteristic of the battery on the E-GMP is “standardization.” How does battery standardization help in developing the vehicles, and what kind of advantages does it offer to consumers?
When you’re developing BEVs based on ICEV platforms, you have to build a battery module for every model, and design a separate battery pack with the modules, also for every model. That takes a lot of time. But the E-GMP comes with one standardized battery module, which our engineers can flexibly put together to form a battery system that meets the particular range demands of any given model. All you need to do to make a longer-range BEV is to just put more modules in the system. This is a serious time and resource saver for vehicle development.And the benefits for those savings are ultimately transferred to consumers. The battery system can be flexibly designed with the efficient standardized module as the base unit, which leads to dramatic increases in driving range. The benefits extend to A/S as well, because when a battery is damaged or broken, there is no need to replace the entire battery anymore. The ability to just replace the problem module will save our customers a lot of money.