Volkswagen Group reveals new EV drive system

The Volkswagen Group announced that the conglomerate is developing new electric vehicle (EV) innovations — specifically, pulse inverters and thermal management systems.

Per the German automotive firm, its redesigned pulse inverter was reworked from the ground up. In the future, the pulse inverter — considered the brain of the electric drive train and largely responsible for efficiency and performance — can be implemented in almost EVs, from entry-level engines to sports cars with an output of over 500 kilowatts and more.

“Our goal is to achieve technological leadership, also in electric mobility. That’s why here, too, we rely on our internal competencies and, after battery cells and electric motors, we are taking over the development of pulse inverters and thermal management systems. In the future, this will make the Volkswagen Group one of the only car manufacturers in the world that’s able to offer a holistically optimized complete system,” said Volkswagen Group Board of Management Member Thomas Schmall.

In the area of thermal management, Volkswagen is looking to replace the current technology (which largely involves a large number of individual modules and long hose connections) with an extremely compact, integrated thermal module.

According to the Wolfsburg-based car brand, the new thermal module it is developing will control the entire air conditioning, including the high-voltage battery, and thus will have a major impact on the vehicle’s range and fast-charging capability. The new all-in-one module is also significantly lighter, more robust, and more efficient than current systems.

In addition to efficiency, the main focus of the development of all central electric drive components is scalability — because high economies of scale reduce costs.

“The Volkswagen Group and its brands stand for first-class products and technologies. Thanks to the size and breadth of the Group, as well as our in-house expertise, we can leverage enormous economies of scale. This benefits our customers and makes our vehicles even better,” commented Volkswagen Group Board of Management Chair Oliver Blume.

Photos from Volkswagen

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