SPECTRUM 75

In this issue: “Innovative drive for the traffic of the future”

Intelligent, safe, and sustainable technologies are now an indispensable part of contemporary mobility. We are only at the beginning of the possibilities that will one day be accessible to everyone and change life for all. There are still a number of hurdles to be cleared for widespread implementation: Level 3 systems must be secured for all relevant scenarios; and the networking of infrastructure, people, and vehicles requires common standards. In addition, platforms are needed to enable continuous software updates. With the new global brand, FEV.io, we at FEV are addressing these and many other challenges associated with developing and connecting complex transport ecosystems. In this issue, we are very pleased to introduce you to FEV.io and to provide insights into the competencies of our colleagues who are working in this exciting field.

In this issue, we also present FEV development solutions for individual battery systems. Depending on the drive type and design goals, as well as other aspects such as BMS and integration, different development challenges arise for low and high voltages; for which we pursue different, reliable approaches. In another article, we address battery safety, which is critically important due to the increased energy and packing densities of battery systems being developed for next-generation vehicles with electrified powertrains. In this context, we illustrate how the close integration of development and testing leads to effective solutions.

To achieve climate targets, openness of technology, as well as to a diverse range of solutions, is essential in the mobility sector. Promising approaches in this area are provided by H2 applications such as the fuel cell as well as the hydrogen combustion engine, with the most common application being based on the spark-ignition Otto combustion principle. In the following pages, we highlight potential for optimizing the powertrain to maximize the benefits of such an engine. Commercial vehicle fleets are also subject to strict targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared with the 2019 fleet average. This requires further improvements to the powertrain of medium and heavy commercial vehicles. SInce the combustion engine will continue to play an important role in commercial vehicles for the foreseeable future, the aim must be to continuously optimize and increase efficiency. And in this issue, we present a possible path to increase engine efficiency to a level of 55 percent.