Electric Drives Incrase in Voltage

Electric powertrains will play a decisive role in the transition to sustainable, carbon-neutral mobility. However, to achieve this goal, the electric motors, the other components of the driveline and the batteries need to become more efficient and cheaper and must be manufactured from environmentally friendly materials. As far as efficiency is concerned, an increase in the voltage will bring further improvements. Currently, only a few manufacturers, for example Porsche and the Hyundai brands, have made the move from the conventional 400-V system to 800-V solutions. But, in the medium term, most carmakers will follow them and voltages will increase. Voltages of 1000 V or more are under discussion for cars and, in particular, for commercial vehicles. This will, of course, place additional demands on all the other components of the powertrain and increase the costs. In the case of the permanent magnets for the stators, the power and energy density of the batteries and the energy consumption of the electric drives, there is still plenty of room for improvement. …