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IntegratedWheel MotorsRethinking the corner module for EVs
ALSO:Stellantis charges into electrification
3D printing expands
How Nissan netted patents during the pandemic
July/August 2021 autoengineering.sae.org
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FEATURES15 Making the case for in-wheel motors COVER STORY IWMs can improve EV efficiency, dynamics, safety, and manufacturability – when unsprung mass is addressed in their design.
20 3D printing scales-up ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Constant innovation in machine design, compatible materials and design software is leading additive manufacturing from the prototype shop to the production floor.
24 Boosting patents during the pandemic ADVANCED R&D
Nissan’s North American researchers set a company record for their patent output during the first year of the pandemic. Two teams revealed how they kept the IP on track.
ON THE COVERAn insightful cutaway view of Protean Electric’s latest IWM shows the design engineering and packaging involved with creating what is potentially the corner module of the future for various types of EVs. (Protean Electric)
4
REGULARS2 Editorial: The global materials war
3 Supplier EyeBEV – A new business model
4 Technology Report4 Stellantis goes all-in on EVs | ELECTRIFICATION
6 Radiated emissions testing gathers bandwidth | TESTING
8 Aptiv: More EVs mean more profit with SVA | ELECTRIFICATION
10 Road Ready10 Ford engineered 2022 Bronco to give Jeep
the willies
11 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L grows all around
13 Ford’s unibody 2022 Maverick aims to revitalize the compact pickup
27 Product BriefsSpotlight: Noise & Vibration Control
29 Reader Feedback30 Q&A
Nissan Americas senior VP Chris Reed discusses his company’s expanding R&D, testing, and engineering muscle.
CONTENTS
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Automotive Engineering®, July/August 2021, Volume 8, Number 6. Automotive Engineering (ISSN 2331-7639) is published in January/February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November/December by SAE Media Group, 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016 and printed in Mechanicsburg, PA. Copyright © 2021 SAE International. Annual print subscription for SAE members: first subscription, $15 included in dues; additional single copies, $30 each North America, $35 each overseas. Prices for nonmember subscriptions are $115.00 North America, $175.00 overseas, $30.00 digital subscription, $30.00 single copies. Periodicals postage paid at New York, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Automotive Engineering, P. O. Box 3525, Northbrook, IL 60062. SAE International is not responsible for the accuracy of information in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication. Readers should independently evaluate the accuracy of any statement in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication that are important to him/her and rely on his/her independent evaluation. For permission to reproduce or use content in other media, contact [email protected]. To purchase reprints, contact [email protected]. Claims for missing issues of the magazine must be submitted within a six-month time frame of the claimed issue’s publication date. The Automotive Engineering title is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Full issues and feature articles are included in the SAE Digital Library. For additional information, free demos are available at www.saedigitallibrary.org.(ISSN 2331-7639 print)(ISSN 2331-7647 digital)
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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING 2 July/August 2021
EDITORIALWaging a war for EV materials securityConflict over natural resources and hu-man history are inseparable. Wars waged directly or indirectly over control of commodities, trade routes, water, food sources and arable soil have been the root cause of much of the death and misery on planet Earth.
As a student in the 1970s, the politics of petroleum loomed large for me. The OPEC cartel dominated global oil pro-duction, fixed prices, and caused gas lines and brownouts via embargos. It was an era when the term “gas guzzler” defined a hefty chunk of the North American car parc. As time went on, dependence on imported oil was a foregone conclu-sion and an oil war seemed inevitable. That security threat became real in summer 1990, of course, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.
It was thus a revelation 20 years later, when the U.S. energy situation flipped upside down. An emergent shale oil indus-try ultimately helped make the U.S. a net exporter of all oil products, includ-ing crude. Energy independence, an oft-cited goal of American legislators, was actually achieved. Timing for “peak oil” was pushed back again by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
But the global energy wheels con-tinue to spin in unexpected directions. Electrification, the new disruptor, is forcing the auto industry to swap its Mideast oil addiction for a heavy de-pendence on lithium. The world’s ap-petite for lithium batteries will be insa-tiable as EV sales grow, experts main-tain. According to the IEA, meeting the Paris Climate Agreement’s goals will require 42 times as much lithium as was mined in 2020. Existing mines and projects under construction will meet only half the demand for lithium in 2030, the agency forecasts.
Most lithium is sourced from open-pit
mines or brine pools in Australia and Chile. The U.S. currently has only one active lithium mine, but there are efforts to reopen mothballed sites in Nevada and North Carolina. Other locations in North America are being investigated. Investors are energized; the Dept. of Energy is engaged and the predominant vehicle OEMs are looking for the right supply partners. Aiming for greater ma-terials security, General Motors an-nounced July 2 that it plans to source a “significant portion” of its battery-grade lithium in the U.S., from Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), a California-
based startup in which GM has invested. CTR also aims to use what it claims are environmentally sound practices to extract lithium in its southern California lithium operation.
All of this is cause for cautious optimism. Automakers must not al-low the two most critical materials used in EVs — lithium and the rare-earth
metals essential for permanent-magnet electric motors — to fall under OPEC-like domination by a single state. This is, in my view, the key strategic issue of the nascent EV era.
For consideration: More than two-thirds of lithium-ion batteries come from China, as do most of the rare-earth minerals. One of them, neodymi-um, is used in e-motor magnets. It’s also used in weapons systems. In 2010, China halted the export of rare earths to Japan for two months following a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands. Prices skyrocketed.
In the future, the world should expect similar attempts to intimidate, as geo-politics and the battle for the strategic “guts” of vehicle electrification heats up. True energy security demands more in-novation in the machine — and far more supply diversity for its key materials.
Lindsay Brooke, Editor-in-Chief
Meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals will require 42 times as much lithium as was mined in 2020.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING July/August 2021 3
SUPPLIER EYE
Michael RobinetExecutive DirectorIHS Markitmichael.robinet @ihsmarkit.com
BEV – A New Business Model
Stellantis’ commitment of €30 billion ($35.5B) to electrifying its product port-folio across 14 brands by 2025 joins the seemingly endless flow of capital and
human resources towards the electric-mobility future. The list of significant outliers is gone. Virtually every OEM and most suppliers are out-lining how they will benefit from the structural, logistical, and value-add shifts which will result. Of course, there will be winners and losers through this multi-decade process. No organiza-tion has an assured future.
The smartest OEMs and suppliers are using this once-in-a-lifetime transformation to rede-fine all aspects of their business model. Increasing profitability, revenue stability and lower overall risk are their goals – while they strategize how to build long-term, differentiated profitability in a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) world. Suppliers tell me they’re evaluating ev-erything in their “toolboxes” – R&D, manufactur-ing, engineering talent, upstream suppliers and even future customer portfolios. Nothing is be-ing left off the table.
Emerging and existing OEMs are approach-ing this opportunity differently – depending upon scale and risk. Lower-volume OEMs such as JaguarLandRover and Mazda, along with the various e-pickup start-ups, may purchase di-rectly from a supplier of battery cells, inverters and drive systems. In the past, the smaller au-tomakers would have designed and manufac-tured all or most of their powertrains. Others such as Tesla have taken a homegrown ap-proach to building BEV-specific systems, driven mainly by innovation and a lack of capability from the supply base. The pace of BEV technol-ogy shifts demands a more flexible approach, with both “make” and “buy” strategies in play across the industry.
Major OEMs are taking different tacks. For some, investment in all facets of the new propul-sion system is not possible. Honda, for example, is aligned with GM for its North American BEV
needs for key segments. Ford is trusting the bulk of its future European portfolio to VW Group’s MEB architecture, while launching (in the 2022 Maverick) the first of a new family of traction motors – designed, engineered and manufactured in-house, in Michigan. These will be high-volume electric machines, aimed at the expansive global C2 vehicle architecture. This was Ford’s clear decision to own the product technology, the tooling and the know-how, rath-er than hand it to a supplier.
OEMs are aligning with a major battery cell supplier such as LG, Panasonic, SK or Samsung. They’re establishing joint ventures to enable ac-cess to the latest technology and increase speed to market, while sharing capital risk and profit-ability. In the process, they’re redefining busi-ness models to improve their production-facility footprints. A BEV-investment “sweepstakes” has already emerged as OEMs race to secure not only multiple battery-cell and assembly loca-tions, but also strategic sources for lithium and rare-earth metal supply. While there are scores of vehicle-assembly facilities efficiently building ICE-based products, a drive towards higher economies of scale and proximity to battery cell/module sourcing may have select facilities on the outside looking in for the future.
This balancing act will continue to play out with most established North American OEMs restructuring their vehicle and powertrain facili-ties over the next two decades. Facilities with costly logistics, lack of available skilled talent or combative labor relations may be without a seat in this high-stakes game of musical chairs.
Suppliers will take their lead from OEMs. Just-in-time sourcing is still alive and well for key ve-hicle systems, despite new considerations re-lated to the semiconductor crisis. Suppliers will need to adjust further, as OEMs consolidate their footprint in the ICE-to-BEV transition. The play-ers can either use the shift to electrified propul-sion as the chance to build a more robust busi-ness model, or they can exit the field.
The smartest OEMs and suppliers are using this once-in-a-lifetime transformation to redefine all aspects of their business model.
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING 4 July/August 2021
SAE INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff HemphillPresident
Todd Zarfos2020 President
Srinivasa (Sri) Srinath, Ph.D2022 President Elect
Susan Ying, Ph.DVice President – Aerospace
Ken Washington, Ph.DVice President – Automotive
Michael WeinertVice President – Commercial Vehicle
Andrew JeffersTreasurer
David L. Schutt, Ph.DChief Executive Officer
Gregory L. Bradley, Esq.Secretary
Pascal Joly
Jeff Varick
Rhonda Walthall
Joan Wills
SAE International SectionsSAE International Sections are local units comprised of 100 or more SAE International Members in a defined technical or geographic area. The purpose of local Sections is to meet the technical, developmental, and personal needs of the SAE Members in a given area. For more information, please visit sae.org/sections or contact SAE Member Relations Specialist Abby Hartman at [email protected].
SAE International Collegiate ChaptersCollegiate Chapters are a way for SAE International Student Members to get together on their campus and develop skills in a student-run and -elected environment. Student Members are vital to the continued success and future of SAE. While your course work teaches you the engineering knowledge you need, participation in your SAE Collegiate Chapter can develop or enhance other important skills, including leadership, time management, project management, communications, organization, planning, delegation, budgeting, and finance. For more information, please visit students.sae.org/chapters/collegiate/ or contact SAE Member Relations Specialist Abby Hartman at [email protected].
STEL
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ELECTRIFICATION
Stellantis goes all-in on EVs
Five months after the merger of auto giants FCA and PSA into Stellantis, the new Euro-American OEM on July 8 unveiled its strategy to attain global leadership in electrified vehicle development, technology, and sales within this decade. The company is committing more than €30 billion ($35.5B) through 2025 to vehicle, subsystems, software and tooling/plant devel-opment. In the process, it expects to outpace the industry by 30% in its total R&D spend and Capex versus revenues, according to CFO Richard Palmer, one of the Stellantis executives who spoke during the 3-hour online conference for media and analysts.
The ambitious plan includes development of four new dedicated, flexible electric-vehicle (EV) platforms, each capacitized for up to 2 million units per year; three scalable electric-drive mod-ules (EDM); one scalable power inverter, plus proprietary controls and hardware and software solutions for vehicle charging. The plan also in-cludes five new battery ‘gigafactories’ capable of producing over 260 gigawatt-hours of cell energy, a comprehensive battery repair, reuse and recycling enterprise, and the establishment of at least two sources of secure, sustainable (geothermal brine) lithium supply.
Three lithium-based battery chemistries are cleared for production, including solid-state technology that will be ready by 2026, accord-ing to Jean Personnaz, head of electrified pow-ertrain engineering. He said the engineering
teams are targeting a driving range of 300 to 500 miles (500-800 km) depending on ve-hicle, and fast-charging capability of 20 miles/32 km of range per minute. Battery en-ergy density of ~60 kWh/L is realistic, he said.
The plan is not only about battery EVs. An advanced range-extender hybrid, known as the REPB (Range Extender Paradigm Breaker) is in development. Personnaz described it as “secret for now.” His presentation indicated that the REPB is aimed at a new Ram midsized unibody pickup in the MY2024 timeframe. A hydrogen fuel cell-powered medium-commercial van based on the Peugeot Expert will enter pro-duction in late 2021, likely for European de-ployment first.
Cashing out of credits Stellantis’ 14 vehicle brands will have 55 new elec-trified products (40 of them BEVs) in their collec-tive global portfolio by 2025, noted CEO Carlos Tavares. By 2030, “no less than 80 percent” of product will be pure EVs, he asserted. For the U.S. in the same timeframe, more than 40% of the company’s vehicles will be battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell passenger cars and com-mercial vehicles, compared with 70% in Europe. A Ram 1500 battery-electric pickup is in the pipeline for MY2024 and Jeep will have a BEV in each of its models, including Wrangler.
Executives hope that an upcoming hyper-performance Dodge EV capable of 0-60-mph
Jeep envisions solar charging stations at off-
road trailheads to support its transformation to plug-
in products including the 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe.
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acceleration in two seconds will help lure the profitable Hemi V8 musclecar cus-tomer base into the lithium-and-elec-trons realm. The all-in commitment to electrified product will enable Stellantis to “cash out” its need to purchase credits to offset its portfolio’s U.S. emissions by 2022, Palmer noted. “Our compliance will significantly improve in 2023,” he said.
“Yes, they’re late to EVs in the U.S. compared with their Detroit competitors, but in Europe Stellantis is second only to VW in EV sales,” observed mobility tech-nology analyst Sam Abuelsamid, with Guidehouse Insights. “Generally, I’m op-timistic about their plan; it’s solid. But it’s all about executing now. And it’s about partnerships – joint ventures and work-ing with suppliers.”
The company expects the total cost of ownership of EVs to be equivalent to internal combustion engine vehicles by 2026, driven by a 40% reduction in bat-tery cost, at the module level, that
Personnaz said he expects to achieve a year earlier – with another 20% cost reduction coming by 2030.
Stellantis is aiming for best-in-class efficiency per km/mile of travel – 4.3
mi/kWh in the U.S.; under 12 kWh/100 km in Europe. The focus puts a pre-mium on delivering more energy-effi-cient subsystems, as the top engineers stressed during their presentation.
Included in Stellantis’ electrified-vehicle assault is a production hydrogen fuel cell commercial van to launch in late 2021. Suppliers Faurecia and Symbio will provide the system’s three 700-bar pressure tanks and fuel-cell stack, respectively. FCV assembly is at Opel Russelsheim.
I C U(Integrated
Central control Unit)
Built-in Cam
HV Junction Block
B FA(Busbar Frame Assembly)
HV Charging Coupler
Battery Disconnect Unit
HV Connector
HV/LV Wiring Harness
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING 6 July/August 2021
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TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Inside the scalable EDM The four dedicated BEV platforms, optimized around width and length, “will unlock new facets of our brands, taking their efficiency and performances to the next level,” promised chief engineering officer Harald Wester. The three STLA unibody platforms (pronounced “stella”) are sized small (A/B seg-ment), medium (C), and large (C/D and D; 4.7 to 5.4 m long). STLA Frame is the sole body-on-frame architecture to serve Ram pickups and commercial vehicles – but not definitively Jeep Wrangler. Projected operating ranges are up to 500 km/300 mi (small); 700 km/440 mi (medium); 800 km/500 mi (large), and 800 km/500 mi for STLA Frame, Wester said.
Powertrain strategy is “centered around flexibility and modular-ity,” explained Micky Bly, VP and head of Stellantis’ Global Propulsion Systems. The latest EV drive technology, the company’s third generation, is “aimed at producing a scalable design that’s compact and has a high level of reuse.” The integrated 3-in-1 electric drive module (EDM) assembly is scalable from 70 kW to 330 kW.
An important part of the propulsion strategy is developing one power inverter for all three EDMs. The inverter features a common microprocessor and in-house-developed proprietary controls and software. It’s designed to reduce cost and complexity for fast-to-market, Bly noted. “The inverter will run at 400V and 800V and has phase-current capability from 350A to 750A to deliver up to 350 kW of power.” Its “heart” is a selectable power device that is either silicon-based or silicon-carbide based, depending on application.
Bly claimed the new inverter will have “the most advanced wide-band semiconductors that are optimized to handle the electric loads, switching rates and other performance capa-bilities to best control energy consumption on the vehicle. This flexibility allows us to go from very cost-effective to ex-treme high-performance vehicles.”
Battery chemistry logic Stellantis’ two-lithium-chemistries battery strategy – one iron-manganese-based, the other a cobalt-free nickel manganese – is “based on two operating points with a high level of syner-gies in between,” explained Personnaz. The latter offers 20% lower cost at the pack level, with energy densities between 400-500 Wh/L. The other delivers high energy density, be-tween 600 and 700 Wh/L. “We have one unique module-based design for all our battery platforms,” Personnaz noted. Pack installations are similar, and both are upgradable.
Stellantis’ battery partners include Automotive Cells Co. (ACC), a joint venture with Total Energies-Saft; BYD Co.; Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL); LG Energy Solution; Samsung SDI and SVolt.
Battery packs are designed as “a very simple one-layer concept to be deployed on all platforms by 2024,” Personnaz noted. He added that advanced battery management design “enables us to push the depth-of-discharge limits and en-hancing the voltage measurement accuracy. For a given em-bedded energy we increase the usable energy by 4 percent. We expect to be ahead of the [battery] race by 2024.”
Lindsay Brooke
TESTING
Radiated emissions testing gathers bandwidth
In a non-descript business park in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Bureau Veritas (BV) is conducting tests to help prevent elec-tronic havoc. With today’s vehicles chock full of wired and wireless devices – and tomorrow’s more automated machines destined to expand the complement – ensuring this burgeon-ing technology isn’t radiating disruptive frequencies will be crucial to expanding functions and features. For the coming electric/autonomous age, radiated frequencies will become the new emissions challenge.
Often summarized as electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, the BV facility (which sits in sight of the re-christened Stellantis North American HQ) provides a host of testing, in-spection and certification services designed to simplify and speed vehicle development. The Motown BV crew does this by helping to ensure electronic components don’t radiate spurious electromagnetic interference known as radiated and conducted emissions, and that they remain functioning even when subjected to such fields.
Netting GM approval In May 2021, BV announced its Detroit-area automotive lab had gained official approval from General Motors in respect to automotive EMC specification GM W3097:2019. What does this equate to in practical terms? “What that means is we’re doing EMC testing – radiated immunity, radiated emissions, bulk current injection, transient immunity, and electrostatic
Test chambers include semi-anechoic enclosures with RF-absorbing iron-ferrite cores and ferrite-impregnated foam. When the door is closed, there is a 100:1 dB separation factor.
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discharge testing on behalf of General Motors to their specifications for Tier-1 suppliers,” explained Jason Kanakry, general manager for the Bureau Veritas Technology Division, and our host at the sparkling new facility.
“The easiest way to break it down is we’re doing automotive RF EMC testing in this instance on automotive parts specifically for GM,” Kanakry said. “The lab is fully ISO 17025-accredited so we can do a whole other array of other tests. But in the U.S., OEMs require EMC approval before you can submit a re-port to them. We can still do the test-ing, but they will reject the report.”
According to Kanakry, the bulk of their testing hems along the old FCC saw about not interfering, and not getting interfered with. “For an emissions test, we look at how much RF energy a de-vice is giving off and make sure that amount of energy isn’t going to interfere with something else in the vehicle. One
The Bureau Veritas automotive lab in Auburn Hills, Michigan features a host of EMC testing facilities, including a reverberation/mode-tune chamber outfitted here with a transmit antenna and RF stirrer.
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
of the things you have to remember is almost all these products that we’re test-ing are inside of a vehicle, whether in the engine bay or in the cabin,” he noted.
“We want to make sure this instru-ment cluster that we’re testing doesn’t produce so much RF noise that the key fob stops working, or anything in that
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Aptiv: More EVs mean more profit with SVA
It’s well known that the auto industry is shifting to electric pro-pulsion. But even keen-eyed electric-vehicle (EV) watchers might be a bit surprised to learn just how rapidly EV adoption is about to take off, according to mobility-tech supplier Aptiv. The company is betting big on this rapid growth and dramatic changes that could provide it with a winning hand.
Bill Presley, president of Signal & Power Solutions (S&PS) at Aptiv, said during a recent media briefing that Aptiv is planning for an EV segment that will grow faster than recent analyst pre-dictions suggest. He pointed to IHS Markit’s predictions for 2025 that have been revised upwards of ten times over the past six years. He also said EV sales estimates for 2030 have tripled in the last three years. The continuing decline in the cost of batteries, ever-stricter emissions regulations and rapid growth in charging infrastructure all are playing into the revisions. IHS is among many forecasting organizations that have had to adjust their figures.
“If you look at the BEV forecast across the board, they’ve been revised upwards dramatically compared to just a few years ago,” Pressley said. “There’s consensus building around expectations of battery electric vehicles achieving 10 to 15 percent penetration in 2025 and 25 to 30 percent penetration in 2030.”
EV vs. ICE costs More EVs might be good for the environment, but these zero-emission vehicles will be even better for Aptiv’s bottom line, he noted. Boston Consulting Group recently predicted that the ad-ditional cost for an EV compared to a traditional gas-powered in-ternal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicle will drop to around $4,500 by 2025, which presents a “significant” growth opportunity for Aptiv, Presley said. The reason: the many Aptiv components that might find a home in future EVs compared to today’s ICE vehicles.
“[In] ICE vehicles, Aptiv SPS has content of about $500 on an average vehicle,” he said. “A battery-electric vehicle will present an opportunity to grow that content by two to three times – to around $1,200 per vehicle content.”
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Complexity and bill-of-material comparison of Aptiv electrical architectures and harnesses for ICE and electric vehicles.
range,” Kanakry said. “On the flip side, we also test to make sure that it always functions in an environment. Say you put your cell phone on the dash, the instrument cluster still con-tinues to function.”
New asylum for electronics Modern automotive features (now encompassing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, V2X, radars, lidars, etc.) operate across an expan-sive frequency range. Though each component is designed to stay in its own lane of the spectrum, unintended EMC emissions can interfere with a host of functions. “In the au-tomotive world for radiated emissions we have a couple in-dividual bands that are very, very important, such as the 315 MHz range for TPMS sensors or 433 MHz for key fobs and other components – the FM-band range,” Kanakry said. “But on top of that we have ranges for full spectrum from 30 MHz to 6 GHz, and that’s for broadband noise. So if you raised the whole noise floor inside of the vehicle, nothing’s going to function.”
The BV lab tests and certifies individual Tier-1 components (radios, key fobs, instrument clusters, ECUs), with full-vehicle EMC testing left to the OEMs. For each component, individual tests are managed in strictly controlled environments. Radiated emissions/immunity and conducted emissions are all done in an ALSE (absorber-lined shielded enclosure), a semi-anechoic chamber – essentially a two-layer metal box with an iron ferrite-inside core, with iron-impregnated poly-styrene foam on the walls.
“If you’ve ever seen an insane asylum with padded walls, instead of keeping people safely inside we’re keeping RF inside, or out in this case as well,” Kanakry said. “Inside of that room when we’re doing emissions testing, it’s 100:1 dB of separation from the outside world.”
The BV lab uses Rohde & Schwarz analyzing equipment, with racks of the latest devices forming a dream setup for bench testers. The state-of-the-art equipment also positions the BV lab to manage evolving hardware, much of it coming in the form of advancing ADAS equipment. “Because we started this from scratch and had a lot of Cap-Ex investment into this facility, the oldest piece of equipment in here is just over a year and a half old,” Kanakry noted of the lab that be-gan construction in March 2019 with only a dirt floor.
“For full emissions, you need to be able to go out now to 6 GHz. We’re focusing on the automotive EMC side, but we built this lab to be able to do regulatory testing for the FCC. We have receivers that go up to 44 GHz, so the six-gig expan-sions weren’t a problem for us because we’re new.
“We can do 600 volts per meter in radar, which is an in-sane amount of power for that range,” he added. “We’ve tested everything from automotive radar to lidar and V2X, and have the ability to prove that it can work in the environ-ment that it’s designed to be in. I wouldn’t be surprised that in the next couple years, we start seeing stuff in the 10- to 12-GHz range.”
Paul Seredynski
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING July/August 2021 9
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waste,” including that caused by differ-ent packaging constraints.
Developing and deploying the full SVA will take time. In 2023, vehicles that use Aptiv’s Smart Electrical Centers (SECs), a precursor to SVA, will realize at least a 10% wiring weight savings throughout the vehicle. In 2025, the SECs will evolve into full zonal architecture that brings with it at least a 20% weight savings, the company claims. The full SVA, due in 2028 or perhaps later, will offer at least a 30% weight savings.
SVA enables automated assembly Aptiv conducted a study with a “major European OEM” to see what the real-world savings would be for the mid-term full zonal architecture and deter-mined it would be worth 8.5 kg (19 lb) in weight savings and $55 in reduced cost per vehicle. The savings were found by eliminating nine ECU housings, brackets,
relays, fuses, terminals and more than 300 wires, Rowland said.
The SVA will reduce automaker costs not only by simplifying and lightening up future EVs, but also by making these vehicles easier to build. An EV built us-ing SVA has up to twice the automation potential during the production process, since the SVA is being designed to use simpler connections and shorter wires. Compared to the 20-40% automation for wires that Aptiv said is possible in a domain-oriented architecture, the auto-mation potential for the wires in an SVA vehicle is between 40 and 80%.
“We have the product portfolio that spans the entire electrical architecture and we have that end-to-end systems knowledge that ensure that, through SVA, our customers get the smallest, lightest, most cost-effective solution possible,” Presley said. “That translates directly into performance for their vehicles.”
Sebastian Blanco
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
That increase could mean substantial changes for Aptiv, Presley said, be-cause the company has deals to in-clude at least some content in half of the electrified platforms automakers are launching through 2022. The con-tent takes the form of wiring, busbars, connectors, chargers and more. But there are any number of suppliers who can offer automakers those compo-nents; Aptiv believes it has an advan-tage with its high-voltage smart ve-hicle architecture (SVA), especially when compared to EVs that were not designed to be EVs.
On a typical electric-only SUV that is built on an ICE platform, the wiring har-ness weighs around 8 kg (18 lb) more than the one used in the same vehicle powered by a fossil-fuel engine, accord-ing to Aptiv’s global core engineering VP, Eric Rowland. Moving to a dedicated EV platform lets automakers eliminate more than 5 kg (11 lb) of “pure wiring
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Ford engineered 2022 Bronco to give Jeep the willies
Ford engineers refused to utter a single bad word about Jeep Wrangler during the course of the week-long 2022 Bronco media drive event in Austin, Texas. In fact, some among that gra-cious bunch admitted, ahem, that they may have owned and modified a Wrangler or two in their lifetimes. Jeep’s profit-spinning 4x4 icon has that effect on competitors and fans alike.
And it “has had this space to itself for decades,” noted Eric Loeffler, chief pro-gram engineer for U725, Ford’s code for the new Bronco. About five years ago, Ford decided to unseat the Jeep’s mo-nopoly. The result is a modern take on another historic nameplate that finally brings Wrangler a truly serious com-petitor – and beats it in at least three key areas.
SAE’s Automotive Engineering com-prehensively covered the new Bronco’s unveiling and technical specifications (www.sae.org/news/2020/07/2021-ford-bronco-reveal) last summer. Our recent drive experience was in various 2- and 4-door Broncos among the
seven available trims, with hard and soft tops, on all manner of Texas public roads as well as on the challenging trails of the 360-acre Grey Wolf Ranch converted by Ford into an “off-roadeo” compound. And it affirmed our suspi-cions about Bronco’s potential. The ru-ral facility near Marble Falls is one of four such dedicated 4x4 driving camps in the U.S. offered free to everyone who buys a new Bronco.
In Texas we sampled vehicles pow-ered by both the turbocharged 2.3-L inline-4 and 2.7-L V6, backed by two transfer cases and two transmissions: Ford’s 10R80 10-speed automatic or the Magna-sourced MT-88 manual gearbox. The latter is a 7-speeder featuring a slightly notchy gearchange and unique “crawler” gear (6.588:1 ratio) staged below 1st gear. It allows the Bronco to move forward as slowly as 1 mph with no clutch slip required. While this will please the relatively few hard-core gear-shifters in Bronco’s audience (thus justifying the cost-add of integrating and certifying the MT-88, according to
Loeffler), the truck’s crawling perfor-mance in low range with the 10-speed auto is also outstanding.
Some key wins for Ford: First, Bronco is superior to Wrangler in pavement driving. (Ford had two new Wranglers at the Texas ranch for back-to-back comparison drives versus Bronco.) This is largely due to Ford’s choice of an in-dependent front suspension (IFS), rath-er than a solid “live” axle as has graced every Wrangler and CJ since 1945. Thanks to the IFS, Bronco’s steering and tracking are not disrupted by rippling and potholed pavement. “There is less head-toss over rough terrain when the wheels are free to move independently,” noted Gavin McGee, Bronco vehicle dy-namics engineer.
Wrangler’s live axle, by comparison, requires the driver to make constant steering corrections, and bump steer has become part of Wrangler owner-ship lore. Wrangler is the last Jeep model to still use a live front axle be-cause it is demanded by the hardcore off-roading Jeep owners. They claim a live axle is more durable. But try to find a contemporary military tactical truck that doesn’t have IFS.
A close look at Bronco’s set-up re-veals short, stout half-shafts and CV joints and boots that are well protected within the front-suspension corner and knuckles. Durability will be either prov-en or disproven by Bronco off-roaders in short order, but the bet is on the for-mer. Will Jeep Engineering adopt IFS to the next generation Wrangler? It took years for the Jeep owner base to accept coil springs; a Bronco test drive may change some minds.
There’s also the matter of suspension articulation, another regularly argued metric among off-roaders. Live axles typically offer greater overall articula-tion than independent set-ups, when measured using an RTI (ramp-travel index). But according to Loeffler, Bronco offers 17% more front-axle ar-ticulation than Wrangler, and 10% more in rear. Let that battle begin.
Bronco also beats Wrangler, based
The 2022 Ford Bronco’s off-road capabilities match its class-leading on-road dynamic performance.
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on our experience, in its 4x4 drive-mode control. Ford engineers specified a rotary dial module that also includes pushbutton Hi/Lo Range selection. The rotary control falls easily to hand, lo-cated on the center console next to the driver’s right thigh. Rotary dial trans-mission controls have a natural operat-ing feel, making them the new standard in passenger vehicles and even sports cars. By comparison, Jeep Nation still demands a stick-type range control that looks and feels increasingly obso-lete and clunky
Bronco’s overall human-machine in-terface and driver/passenger ergonom-ics are more contemporary and well considered than found in Wrangler. Basic driver-to-pedals and driver-to-steering wheel geometries deliver more roominess and comfort, compared with the remnants of the old sit-up-and-beg attitude that Jeeps have endured since the Willys-Overland era.
The third key area in which Bronco’s engineering is superior to Wrangler is in the overall refinement of subsystems.
Underpinning the new Bronco is a fully boxed steel ladder frame with seven crossmembers made by Magna that is also slated (with some modifications) for the next-generation Ranger pickup. This is the top-line Sasquatch-spec chassis. Tires are Goodyear.
As Jeep engineers will discover when they wring out their first Bronco for competitive evaluation, the Ford sys-tems are electronically sophisticated and unobtrusive. The automatic sway-bar disconnect makes and breaks a hy-draulic circuit to connect/disconnect the “bar without the ‘bang’” found in some competitive technologies. It uses pressure sensors to detect leaks.
Bronco’s clever Trail-Turn Assist is a handy feature for use on tight trails. It relies on steering-angle sensing and dis-crete use of brake pressure to help spin the vehicle, effectively shortening its turning circle by 40%. The Dana locking differentials are mostly invisible in their operation. The same attention to detail is engineered into Bronco’s slick-operat-ing 1-pedal drive and the deft mapping of the ZF electric power steering. “We have all these discrete components that we treat as an orchestra,” noted Jamie Groves, the vehicle engineering man-ager. Think of this new 4x4 as a sym-phony, expertly conducted by Ford.
Lindsay Brooke
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L grows all around When engineering an upscale, 3-row Jeep SUV, the development spider charts must get pretty crowded. You’ll need lots of in-cabin technology and thoughtful features for the third-row family custom-er. No-joke off-road capability is simply part of the brand. And a cosseting ride with real on-road dynamics is a must for competing with luxury brands.
“This architecture is 100% brand new,” explained Fil Grado, chief engineer for the Grand Cherokee L. “Every part on this all-new vehicle is mission-specific for the Grand Cherokee L, which is an excellent place to be if you’re an engineer.”
Thanks to the new platform and a ded-icated engineering team that “fought like family” to accomplish an ambitious breadth of program targets, the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee L (GC-L) appears ready to meet its wide mission. Adding a third row to the fifth generation of Jeep’s segment-leading SUV seems long over-due (as is a 4xe hybrid due before year’s end) and will almost certainly expand its appeal. Off-road ability in its segment will likely remain unmatched, but a keenly sorted chassis brings surprisingly adept on-road dynamics to the expanded Grand Cherokee lineup.
All-new platform, sophisticated suspension Known internally as the WL75, the 5-door, 6- or 7-passenger, 3-row GC-L’s unibody platform is composed of more than 60% of the latest grades of ad-vanced high-strength steels. The “Generation 3” steels permit the cold stamping of more complex shapes, re-ducing part counts and mass. Aluminum is used for the hood, tailgate, front cradle, engine mounts, steering gear, suspension arms and shock towers, with those front towers netting their own brace that im-proves local lateral stiffness by 125%. The cross-car IP beam is magnesium.
The vehicle architecture is supported by novel coil- or air-sprung, multi-link independent front and rear suspensions.
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The forward setup features a virtual ball-joint design that places the control-arm’s theoretical junction, “more out-board, allowing the vehicle to be less sensitive to varying road inputs and reducing vibrations to the driver. This also provides additional stability and on-center steering performance,” Grado noted, adding that suspension travel has increased 25 mm (0.98 in) com-pared to the current Grand Cherokee to improve top-out rebound performance.
The WL75 program team took the third-row challenge to heart, with the two closely joined rear seats providing adequate head (37.3 in/947 mm) and leg room, the latter thanks to a second row with 7 inches (180 mm) of fore/aft travel. Larger second-row doors open 64° and “tip and slide” second-row perches mean child safety seats do not have to be removed for third-row ac-cess. The second row can also recline up to 18°.
New drivetrain components About the only thing not changed on the GC-L are its powertrains. Standard is the 3.6-L Pentastar V6 that is SAE-rated at 293 hp/260 lb-ft (219 kW/353 Nm). The V6 does net an upgraded and even less-intrusive engine start-stop (ESS) feature and is rated to tow 6,200 lb (2,812 kg). The optional 5.7-L
V8 (357 hp/390 lb-ft; 266 kW/529 Nm) features cylinder deactivation that turns off fuel/spark and closes the valves to four cylinders during light-load operation; it has a 7,200-lb (3,266 kg) tow rating. Both engines are paired to a ZF-licensed TorqueFlite 8HP70 8-speed automatic transmission.
The GC-L’s drivetrain is completely revised with a fuel-saving front-axle disconnect and all-new, swifter-acting electronic transfer cases. “Being elec-tronic, they’re faster – front-to-rear, the way it adapts to the road – smarter and more variable in terms of torque
Development of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L’s chassis featured extensive time at the company’s Chelsea, Michigan proving grounds, Moab and in Arizona’s Sleeping Princess ORV area.
transfers,” Grado said. The GC-L comes standard with RWD, and three discrete 4x4 systems are available.
Interior tech, benchmark audio Like the upcoming Wagoneer (www.sae.org/news/2021/03/2022-jeep-wag-oneer-and-grand-wagoneer-revealed), the GC-L will offer some truly sumptu-ous-looking interiors, featuring quilted Palermo leather and open-pore waxed American Walnut trims. The welcoming cabins provide a wealth of tech, includ-ing a digital rearview mirror (a device built for 3-row vehicles) along with a Jeep-first full-color windshield HUD.
Jeep plans to offer an SAE Level-2 active driving assist feature as a late-add option before the end of 2021. The system is expected to offer hands-free driving and lane centering on approved roadways, and predictively slow the vehicle down in tighter corners.
As with the new Wagoneer, the GC-L will offer a McIntosh sound system. There’s no shortage of branded audio systems in the market these days, but (to our ears) few have the ability to play so astonishingly clean at higher vol-umes. The GC-L’s 17-channel, 950-watt, 19-speaker setup includes a 10-inch subwoofer with a 21-L enclosure, pro-viding effortless low-end extension. In OEM audio, the Jeep/McIntosh system is likely the new benchmark.
Paul Seredynski
The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L will feature some sumptuous interior designs featuring quilted Palermo leather and open-pore waxed American Walnut trims. An available McIntosh sound system may be the new benchmark in branded OEM audio.
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Ford’s unibody 2022 Maverick aims to revitalize the compact pickup
Confirming one of the industry’s worst-kept product secrets, Ford in early June unveiled the 2022 Maverick, its return to the compact-pickup segment that the original Ford Ranger anchored for nearly 30 years. The new 4-door, 5-passenger, unibody Maverick brings three significant numbers – 40 mpg capability with the standard hybrid powertrain, a $20,000 base price and a cargo-friendly 30.1-in (764-mm) load-floor height – to a product seg-ment that is ripe for revitalization in North America. And strategically, Maverick leverages the production scale and cost benefits of Ford’s C2 global architecture that also underpins the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.
Maverick is the industry’s first pickup with standard hybrid-electric propul-sion. The system combines Ford’s 2.5-L Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder, SAE-rated at 162 hp, with the two-motor, power-split continuously variable transaxle used in the Escape hybrid. Total system output in this front-wheel-drive-only configu-ration is 191 hp. An optional non-hybrid system, available with both FWD and all-wheel drive, pairs a 2.0-L Ecoboost 4-cylinder SAE-rated at 250-hp and 277 lb-ft (375 Nm) with the 8F35 8-speed automatic.
Maverick is assembled at Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, complex in three trims (XL, XLT and Lariat) and goes on sale in the U.S. this summer.
“A rallying cry” Slotting in below the midsize Ranger, Maverick is designed to be easier to park and maneuver in town. It’s also significantly more fuel-efficient, less expensive and simply more approach-able to passenger-car owners who want a useful hauler, versus a “junior” take on the traditional full-frame pickup. Product-planning research showed that a 5-passenger crew cab with a 4-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-long (1,372-mm) bed was the ideal for a compact pickup and “a key to versatility,” explained program chief engineer Chris Mazur. That, and leveraging the C2 platform, negated a mix of cab and bed configurations.
Delivering the new pickup at such an aggressive base price “was a rallying cry for us; a wildly audacious goal for
our team,” Mazur asserted. He cited a long list of Maverick features including the hybrid driveline, standard driver-assist electronics, five drive modes, 8-inch (203-mm) UX touchscreen and the truck’s cleverly designed Flexbed cargo bed. “At Ford, we’ve been doing hybrids for almost 20 years. Coupled with economies of scale with our sup-ply base, that’s how we went about achieving that [$20,000 price] goal.”
An interesting off-the-shelf technol-ogy solution is found on the 2WD truck’s twist-beam rear axle: so-called “force vectoring” springs. First used on the European Focus ST (and still in pro-duction), the unusual coil springs gen-erate lateral forces under certain dy-namic conditions.” Rear suspension on AWD models is an independent multi-link/trailing arm setup. All-wheel drive XLT and Lariat Mavericks offer an avail-able FX4 package that includes all-ter-rain tires, underbody skid plates, sus-pension tuning, specific off-road drive modes, and Ford’s Hill Descent Control.
In-house traction motor Maverick’s 60-lb (27-kg), 1.1-kWh liq-uid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, also a carryover from Escape Hybrid, is located under the passenger-side cab-in. In addition to being Ford’s first standard hybrid pickup, it also breaks ground for using the company’s first in-house designed, engineered, tested and manufactured traction motor,
The 2022 Ford Maverick is available with a choice of hybrid and non-hybrid Ecoboost powertrains.
The 2022 Maverick’s car-like cockpit design is clean, contemporary, and features an 8-in touch screen. Armrests in door panels are shaped to accommodate large bottles in door binnacles.
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according to Abdul Hajiabdi, the E-drive system and applications supervisor.
“We were able to push the limits on this hardware, taking cost and material out while retaining capability,” ex-plained Hajiabdi, a 21-year Ford engi-neering veteran. “We don’t have to rely on our suppliers’ know-how” for the 94-kW, 173-lb-ft (235-Nm) permanent-magnet induction machine. “This [the Maverick motor development] is paving the way for all applicable platforms go-ing forward,” he said.
The motor team achieved a 20% weight reduction by using a (flat-wire) hairpin winding topology, which Hajiabdi called best-in-class. Torque output of up to 2,300 Nm (at the wheels) helps deliver Maverick’s target performance and 1,500-lb (680-kg) payload as well as meeting Ford’s max trailer-towing bogies – up to 2,000 lb (907 kg). With the non-hybrid Ecoboost powertrain and equipped with the op-tional 4K Tow Package, Maverick is ca-pable of pulling up to 4,000 lb (1,814 kg), according to Manny Barberena, hybrid powertrain supervisor.
Flexbed fun, carlike cabin Maverick’s bed provides 33 cu. ft. of car-go volume with a high degree of flexibil-ity. While it’s clearly not sized to haul 4x8-ft plywood sheets with the tailgate up, the box is unique. It’s a clever Ford design called “Flexbed” in which the bed inners are shaped to accept sections of 2x4- and 2x6-in lumber vertically and horizontally—the type of modifications that pickup owners typically make them-selves to create custom shelves, parti-tions and racks to secure their stuff.
Maverick’s overall interior design ap-pears to be more influenced by the pas-senger-car rather than truck side of Ford’s interior studio. But the vehicle’s functional-flexibility theme is evident throughout. The door armrests are a split design to enable 1-liter water bot-tles to stand vertically in a molded door bin. The rear seats hinge to reveal a de-cently roomy and deep storage bin that can fit various gear (including fully in-flated volleyballs, claims Ford).
Lindsay Brooke
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Much of an IC engine-powered vehicle’s ride, handling, sound and overall character derives from the engine. Some believe that electric vehicles (EVs), propelled by electric motors
with no intake or exhaust sound and less gearing and NVH, limit the opportunity for vehicle differentiation. They argue that the powertrain will become a commodity and that competitive advantage will need to be achieved through other areas, such as styling and infotainment.
I contend that the exception to this view is the in-wheel motor (IWM), a technology that enables quantum im-provements in propulsion efficiency, ride dynamics, active safety, and vehicle design. IWMs enable “turn-on-a-dime” operation, a relevant feature for dense urban environments and safe vehicle entry/egress from the sidewalk. Moreover, the IWM has the potential to extend the revolution – start-ed by the now-ubiquitous EV “skateboard” architecture – in how vehicles are developed, manufactured and serviced.
IWMs are increasingly being developed and tested by OEMs and suppliers as part of the corner module. A growing number of advocates in the mobility-engineering community believe they are an inevitable solution for fu-ture EVs. Therefore, it is useful to understand what has prevented IWM commercialization so far, beginning with the commonly cited concern: unsprung mass.
Challenges and barriers IWM can be integrated into the vehicle in various ways as shown in the accompanying images. They illustrate
IWMs can improve EV efficiency, dynamics, safety, and manufacturability – when unsprung mass is addressed in their design.
by Chris Borroni-Bird
Making the case for IN-WHEEL
MOTORS
how IWMs can increase the unsprung mass – the components between the suspension system and the road surface, which includes wheels, tires, brakes and parts of the suspension system itself.
From a vehicle-dynamics perspective, it is useful to consider a ve-hicle’s mass as a combination of sprung and unsprung mass. A ve-hicle’s primary resonance mode (~1 Hz) is mainly caused by the ve-hicle’s sprung mass bouncing on the suspension system. Unsprung mass, however, adversely affects ride comfort because it creates a more pronounced secondary resonance mode (~7-10 Hz, due to its inertial lag bouncing on the tire). It also makes handling more diffi-cult because the suspension must work harder to keep the tires in contact with the ground.
IWMs at each corner might perhaps double the vehicle’s unsprung mass. But the consequences can be mitigated by tuning the suspen-sion shock absorbers and reinforcing the shock-mount structure (to manage increased loads into the body structure). Moreover, ride dete-rioration is less perceptible for certain types of vehicles, like trucks and SUVs, that have a higher sprung:unsprung mass ratio (which drives the magnitude of this secondary resonance). Passenger expectations for ride comfort also may be less demanding for these vehicles.
In 2010, Lotus Engineering modified a 2007 Ford Focus by add-ing 30 kg to each wheel to simulate the effect of adding Protean’s IWM unsprung mass. Data comparing ride and handling characteris-tics before and after the modification showed that increased un-sprung mass can be addressed with typical ride-and-handling opti-mization techniques.
Other concerns with IWM include durability, thermal management and electrical safety. Although there is no mass-produced automotive IWM yet, development activity is expanding. Substantial mileage is being accumulated in the lab and on test vehicles. Lessons learned
IWMs offer many benefits in packaging, vehicle dynamics, safety and potentially lower cost for urban shuttle and delivery vehicles, among others.
COVER STORY
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Some possible E-AWD architectures.
from this testing have been used to improve durability by ensuring ad-equate water sealing (and electrical isolation) and corrosion resistance.
Protection from road debris is also critical for the otherwise ex-posed high-power cabling and cooling lines. Liquid cooling is re-quired to protect the IWM from excessive heating that is exacer-bated by proximity to radiant brake-rotor heat in worst-case condi-tions (e.g., no regenerative braking, extreme hot weather, motors caked with mud). In terms of electrical safety, failure of one IWM must trigger a shutdown within milliseconds of the other side’s mo-tor to prevent adverse torque steer; loss of overall power could
result in reduced speed, but this may only be notice-able under high-load conditions. Although IWMs pro-vide new challenges for vehicle integration, there has been sufficient design, development and testing over the last 20 years to provide a solid basis for their con-sideration for vehicle production.
Beyond technical concerns, IWM adoption has been hindered by several other factors. For example, EVs are only now approaching cost-competitiveness with ICE-powered vehicles, so there has been little incentive to
Elaphe IWM at left. Lordstown Endurance electric pickup (below) uses one per corner.
Making the case for IN-WHEEL
MOTORS
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING July/August 2021 17
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explore IWM. Even as EVs become fiscally attractive, however, the separate powertrain, chassis, safety and design silos of most product-development organiza-tions make it harder to champion a technology such as IWM that offers benefits across the vehicle. For ex-ample, IWM costs likely are higher than for a more con-ventional electric propulsion system, but at the vehicle level, the cost of IWM may be attractive. However, since the choice of propulsion system typically is made by powertrain-development organizations, a comprehen-sive vehicle-level analysis may not be considered.
Near- and long-term advantages Perhaps the best near-term automotive application for IWM is the full-size SUV or pickup truck segment, where low end torque is desirable and expectations for ride comfort, handling and speed are less demand-ing than for cars. Lordstown Motors is electrifying each corner of its Endurance electric pickup truck with Elaphe-designed IWMs, making it potentially the first commercialization of IWM in an automotive applica-tion – if the vehicle launches as planned in late 2021.
There are different ways to enable AWD for this
platform. IWMs add motor mass to the vehicle and need additional HV cabling and multiple inverters (compared to a single- or dual-motor configuration offering AWD) as well as vehicle structure stiff-ening to compensate for greater shock loads. However, because the mass of parts not required by IWM (transmission, driveshaft, transfer
IWMs (at right) offersignificant packaging advantages vs.conventional EV drivelines (top) particularlyin 4x4/AWD platform configurations.
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case, differential, rear axle, half shafts) can exceed 250 kg (551 lb.) the resulting mass balance can be favorable for IWM versus alterna-tive e-AWD configurations.
The mass comparison becomes even more favorable for IWMs if their higher efficiency is considered. By eliminating the transmission, a direct-drive IWM can be a few percent more efficient under typical driving conditions. This can translate either into longer range or using a ~20 kg (~44 lb.) lighter battery for the same range. For low-speed urban vehicles, high IWM efficiency and distributed power at each corner could lead to a lighter, air-cooling solution.
Similar analysis needs to happen for cost at the vehicle level. Although four IWMs and associated power electronics will cost more than one- or two-motor solutions, at the vehicle level, the overall cost equation can be favorable for IWMs if elimination of drivetrain components and re-duced battery energy requirements are considered.
For the customer, more obvious benefits of IWM may be in ve-hicle dynamics performance and vehicle design features. Compared with the 200-300ms needed for spooling up air intake, engine and driveline components, IWM can apply torque near-instantaneously and more precisely so that there is less pitch during braking and less roll when cornering. Eliminating the front center-mounted trac-tion motor can provide a larger “frunk” (front trunk). Eliminating the rear axle offers the potential to lower the pickup bed or SUV trunk floor for easier loading/unloading; a loading area comprising the entire length of the vehicle also is possible. The absence of in-compressible motor hardware in the load path can be exploited to manage impact forces into the structure and potentially improve passive safety.
Several future mobility trends are favorable to IWMs. Increased fleet ownership for shared vehicles and goods delivery will drive decisions based on life-cycle costs; elimination of gearboxes and driveshafts could improve reliability for IWM-driven vehicles. Urban mobility, where a greater portion of the world’s vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) are generated, will place more importance on vehicle compactness: IWMs can enable shorter vehicles that still offer the same occu-pant and battery storage space. They can also enable relevant urban performance, even offering 90-degree articulation, to greatly enhance parkability.
For robotaxi operators that need to maintain and store vehicles overnight, enhanced parkability converts into lower real estate costs (often in expensive cities), as well as faster passenger pickup and drop-off times, leading to more paid rides per day and increased profit-ability. The smoother ride quality enabled by IWMs can reduce the risk of motion sickness in autonomous ve-hicles and risk of freight damage for delivery vehicles. A lower load floor not only improves loading/unloading but can improve entry/egress for an increasingly aging population and for wheelchair users. Car-free centers, being proposed by several European cities, could stimu-late new door systems, such as front entry with the re-quirement for a low step-in height and floor.
IWMs are being developed by a variety of compa-nies (table above). The growing roster includes “pure
The number of IWM developers and their technology solutions in the global mobility industry is expanding.
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Three views of a Schaeffler Group IWM corner module incorporating the supplier’s e-motor and control technologies, and FAG bearings.
COVER STORY
play” IWM developers, like Protean and Elaphe, who have been refining their designs for more than a de-cade, as well as several automotive suppliers. Some have made production announcements and demon-strated IWM vehicle concepts, as they are seeing IWM as a natural extension to their current business. In ad-dition, startup EV “skateboard” developers are inte-grating wheel motor corner modules into what they believe is the best “ground-up” EV platform solution. More technology developments and business an-nouncements can be expected in the near future.
Reinventing vehicle development IWMs will not only shape the form and function of future vehicles. As with the skateboard architecture, they will influence how automakers develop a prod-uct portfolio and how vehicles will be manufactured and serviced. Tier 1 supplier Schaeffler has envisioned an entire IWM-driven vehicle portfolio.
Independent corner modules that integrate braking, steering, suspension and propulsion with the wheel and tire assembly can make it easier to develop a wid-er variety of vehicles off the same architecture, be-cause it becomes easier to change both track and wheelbase. It can also lead to a “plug-and-play” phi-losophy where the entire module is “bolted on” to the skateboard on the assembly line and quickly swapped out when repairs are needed. It is conceivable that a scalable module (with customization of power and torque) could support the entire vehicle portfolio, es-pecially as software will increasingly be a primary method for vehicle differentiation.
Continuous improvement in power electronics,
sealing, bearings and torque density have brought the IWM close to production-ready status. When combined with the future trends in mobility, the future looks promising for IWMs to revolutionize ve-hicle design, development, manufacturing and servicing.
Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird is co-author of Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century, with Dr. Larry Burns and the late Prof. Bill Mitchell (MIT Press, 2010). He has led advanced automotive-related activities at Chrysler, GM, Qualcomm and Waymo including the development of several
IWM concepts at GM, including the 2002 Autonomy (the first “skateboard” concept) and the 2010 EN-V. He holds 50 patents and is the founder of
Afreecar LLC (afreecar.org), where he consults on future mobility and has created a novel e-kit solution for the developing world.
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While the 3D-printed vehicle remains a dream, the technology also known as additive manufacturing (AM) already has proven its ability to create impressively
complex part geometries in concepts such as EDAG’s ‘Light Cocoon’ (https://www.edag.com/en/innovation/concept-cars). AM enabled the exquisite 8-piston brake calipers used by Bugatti, among other boutique components, and AM machines are becoming as ubiq-uitous as Bridgeport mills once were for advanced-prototype builds. Low-volume series production use has arrived – see VW news below.
Greater scale is on the horizon, driven by constant innovation in machine design, compatible materials and design software. 3D printing technology and ap-plications are exploding in the mobility space, high-lighted by the following recent examples.
VW’s binder jetting processVolkswagen Group is pioneering a new AM technol-ogy, known as binder jetting, as part of its production process. The 3D-printed components are manufac-tured in Wolfsburg, Germany and used in the A-pillars of VW’s T-Roc convertible assembled in Osnabrück.
Constant innovation in machine design, compatible materials and design software is leading additive manufacturing from the prototype shop to the production floor.
by Lindsay Brooke
3D printing SCALES-UP
VW has a strategic partnership with Siemens AG, which provides the proprietary software used in the AM process. Hewlett Packard makes the special printers.
Whereas conventional 3D printing uses a laser to build a compo-nent layer-by-layer from metallic powder, the binder jetting process uses an adhesive. The resulting metallic component then is heated and shaped. Using the binder jetting component reduces costs and increases productivity and can reduce mass: VW claims the A-Roc components weigh 50% less than those made from sheet steel.
A key to the process is optimizing the positioning of components in the build chamber. The technique, known as nesting, enables production of twice as many parts per print session. “Using this technology, Volkswagen will be able to develop and produce com-ponents faster, more flexibly and using fewer resources,” noted Cedrik Neike, a member of Siemens AG’s managing board and CEO Digital Industries.
The VW Group has invested an amount “in the mid-double-digit-million euro range” related to AM since 2016, according to the com-pany; it operates a 3D printing technical center at its Wolfsburg com-plex, which also trains employees in the use of these technologies. By 2025, VW aims to annually produce up to 100,000 components by 3D printing in Wolfsburg. Currently, 13 departments at the plant use various 3D printing processes to manufacture both plastic and metal components. Since 1996, VW has produced more than one million 3D printed components, the company said.
Two Volkswagen employeescheck the quality of structuralparts produced using the binderjetting process for car productionin front of the special printer at the 3D printing center in Wolfsburg.
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Wayland’s next-gen metal AMU.K.-based 3D-printing technology specialist Wayland Additive is aim-ing to expand the range of metal-AM industrial applications, including automotive, with its recently launched Calibur3 system. The technique uses a patented process called NeuBeam – an electron-beam based technology hot enough to melt metal powder, housed in a modular en-closure. The Caliber3 machine was designed to operate with low noise and improved operator safety and productivity, the company claims.
NeuBeam was developed in-house by team of physicists special-izing in electron-beam technology and industrial systems in the semi-conductor industry. It effectively neutralizes the electron beam (eB-eam) powder bed fusion (PBF) process to offer greater flexibility than laser-based AM processes, while overcoming the stability issues many users of traditional eBeam AM systems experience, the com-pany claims. In addition, NeuBeam enables metallurgical require-ments to be tailored to application requirements, addressing previ-ous limitations of the process. It is capable of producing fully dense parts in a wide range of materials, including refractory metals and highly reflective alloys, many of which are incompatible with tradi-tional AM processes, noted Wayland Additive CEO Will Richardson.
Seat supplier finds 3D solution Germany-based 3D printer systems manufacturer Genera Printer GmbH is collaborating with adhesives Tier-1 Henkel’s Open Materials Platform to bring AM into scale production in automotive. The partnership cen-ters around Genera’s G2/F2-System for digital light processing (DLP), which the company claims enables a 3D-printed part to move seam-lessly from the green state to finished part. Parts printed in the G2 are stored in what is called the “shuttle,” which allows the safe transfer of parts to the F2 finishing unit. The shuttle features a memory chip that stores all the data of the workflow, including the post-processing data
of the part. This ensures full documentation of the pro-duction process, harmonizing printing, washing and post-curing, according to Genera.
Sam Bail, Henkel’s sales chief for 3D printing, said the goal with AM “is to drive production at scale and we believe that by collaborating with the ideal ecosys-tem partner the Loctite [owned by Henkel] 3D print-ing materials will become a significant enabler.”
He referred to a recent example in which the pairing of a Genera printer with Loctite’s 3D elastomeric photopoly-mer range solved a design-related automotive seat fabri-cation challenge. Supplier KTM-E Technologies ap-proached Genera with the need to design and manufac-ture prototype parts with elastic materials to create seats containing a functional lattice structure. KTM-E had con-cluded that many industrial 3D printers could not produce the prototype parts with the quality and standards re-quired for series production. The solution combines Genera’s printer with Loctite’s 3D 8195 product – one of 10 Loctite 3D printing resins in Genera’s materials portfolio.
“Additive manufacturing is and will be a key tech-nology in manufacturing, not only for prototype parts but also for serial production,” said Florian Fischer, the AM project lead at KTM E-Technologies.
Toyota R&D’s focusLike most OEMs, Toyota is steadily pushing AM to-ward volume production and, in the process, finding significant value in it for creating prototype parts and tooling. The automaker’s North America R&D group (TMNA R&D) in Michigan is using AM to shorten long tooling lead time early in the development cycle. In the process AM is helping to reduce tooling costs.
The facility in York Township west of Detroit is
3D printing SCALES-UP
Supplier KTM-E Technologies needed to design and manufacture prototype parts with elastic materials to create seats containing a functional lattice structure. Genera and Henkel providedthe solution.
Toyota engineer Matt Mahaffy cleaning and inspecting a prototype part at TMNA R&D in Michigan.
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outfitted with equipment from 3D Systems, EOS, Stratasys and Carbon 3D. Additive processes performed at the center include fused deposition modeling (FDM); selective laser sintering (SLS); stereolithography (SLA); multi-jet modeling (MJM) and digital light processing (DLP).
Prototype builds are a primary focus at TMNA. Some proto-types are used for appearance confirmation, some for func-tional checks and still others for workability studies. The mod-els are used to support both traditional vehicle development projects as well as new mobility and advanced development initiatives that Toyota is undertaking.
Tooling-build use of AM includes process jigs that are used to ensure that the vehicles’ exterior emblems are correctly assembled during pre-production trials at the facility. The jigs then are used in Toyota’s North America production opera-tions. Challenges in adopting AM for volume production being addressed at TMNA include matching the properties of the materials currently being used in production operations; be-ing able to scale-up additive output to support high-volume production needs and increasing processing speeds.
Mahle tests materials for AMSlashing prototype lead times from several months to a few days explains in part why Mahle’s technology group decided to build a new facility for additive manufacturing (AM) pro-cesses at its Stuttgart headquarters. The 3D printing center houses the printers, powder-preparation module, testing lab-oratory and a blasting system for finish machining the compo-nents to satisfy internal prototype production as well as auto-motive and commercial-vehicle customer orders.
“The development of new systems and components has to be much faster today than it was a few years ago, especially when it comes to e-mobility,” Andreas Geyer, head of Process Technologies in Central Research at Mahle, said during a re-cent press event introducing Mahle’s new AM capabilities. “We are boosting the performance of our existing portfolio through possibilities in production design.”
Another reason for opening such a facility is to enable 3D printing for series production that meets the strict standards of the mobility industry. The focus is on developing and qualifying manufacturing processes for components in thermal manage-ment, mechatronics and electronics – for example, to produce transmission and electric motor housings, charge air coolers, oil filter housings and heat exchangers, as well as structural ele-ments, mounting devices and connections.
“We want to be prepared today to find out how we can use an integrated 3D printing [development process] according to automotive standards for later large-scale production,” Geyer said. “This opens up completely new possibilities in product development and manufacturing, because these processes can be used to produce high-performance components that cannot be manufactured using conventional methods.”
The center processes two standard metal materials: alumi-num-silicon-magnesium (AlSi10Mg) and stainless-steel 1.4404
AM is and will be a key technology in manufacturing, not only for prototype parts but also for serial production.
Highly complex parts produced quickly using Mahle’s laser powder bed 3D printing process.
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alloys. Mahle 174+ aluminum alloy, suitable for pistons in heavy-duty diesel engines with high loads, also was adapted to AM. In addition, a couple of plastics materials can be used on Mahle’s network of 3D printers, Geyer said. “Copper is a material that might be used in the future, but currently alumi-num is the important material for heat exchangers,” he added.
Laser powder bed fusion is used to form the component layer-by-layer. Mahle currently can manufacture components up to around 30 x 30 x 40 cm (11.8 x 11.8 x 15.7 in). After the printing process is complete, the finished parts are separated from the base plate and finish-machined by hand.
In a joint project with Porsche and Trumpf last year, Mahle engineers successfully produced and tested high-performance parts such as pistons and charge-air coolers for the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. “This was one of the milestones that also led to our decision to establish our own 3D printing center with our own printers,” Geyer said. The project proved expected advantages of the 3D printing process – namely the elimination of expen-sive production tools and the ability to create structures other-wise too complex to produce. Commercial-vehicle systems are another focus of the Mahle facility.
SABIC, Local Motors study recyclingA study on the feasibility of recycling scrap thermoplastic parts and shavings from the large-format additive manufac-turing (LFAM) process was recently concluded by global chemical giant SABIC and Local Motors, a Phoenix, Arizona-based vehicle startup that champions the use of AM. The joint study explored more sustainable alternatives to landfilling large, printed parts in anticipation of wider adoption of AM in series production. It included analyzing the printability and mechanical properties of SABIC’s LNP THERMOCOMP AM reinforced compound, used by Local Motors, after being
printed, reclaimed, ground and reprocessed into pellet form. The study determined that material from post-production
parts and scrap potentially can be reused in LFAM or other processes, such as injection molding or extrusion, at amounts up to 100%. Insights and data from the study can help identify a feasible path to circularity and an extended lifecycle for ma-terials used in AM, according to Walter Thompson, senior ap-plications development engineer at SABIC.
One of the challenges of reusing LFAM materials is poten-tial degradation from multiple heat cycles (grinding, re-pellet-izing, re-compounding, etc.). Each step adds to the cumula-tive heat history, which tends to break down the polymer chains and reduce fiber length and can affect performance.
“As adoption of large-format additive manufacturing accel-erates, it is essential to find sustainable alternatives to landfill-ing large, printed parts,” Thompson stated. He said the study with Local Motors “showed great potential for reusing these materials and marks a first step in supporting reuse within the value chain.” Added Johnny Scotello, Local Motors’ director of technical product, “Bringing value to scrap or end-of-life parts is a difficult challenge, but the results of this study point to a bright future for sustainable, circular products.”
Ryan Gehm and Steven Macauley contributed to this article.
One of the engineering cells used by the SABIC and Local Motors team during their joint feasibility study of recycling thermoplastics scrap from the LFAM process.
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Faced with more than a year of lockdown restric-tions during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobility-industry engineers and scien-tists recognized that project deadlines, in most
cases, were not going to change. So, they had to get clever and bold to complete their work on schedule.
Those charged with developing and testing large physical objects sometimes had to resort to rather extreme measures — such as ferreting large compo-nents out of the companies’ tech centers and into en-gineers’ private garages. The workarounds, clandes-tine or not, were of course aided by new communica-tion, meeting and networking tools such as Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Teams. Remarkably, as vaccina-tions rolled out and North American industry began to reopen, the rate of work accomplished was impres-sively high. A September 2020 study by consulting firm Mercer found that 94% of employers across all business sectors said productivity was as high or even higher following the rapid shift to remote work.
At Nissan North America (NNA), the company’s fu-ture technologies appear to have benefited from the new-age work environment. “It looks like we may set a record in the number of patents filed over this period,” Chris Reed, the senior VP of Research & Development told Automotive Engineering in March 2021. He praised the dedication of Nissan engineers despite myriad impediments, including restricted access to the company’s expansive NTCNA technical center in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
How was Nissan’s increased throughput of intellec-tual property achieved? By being flexible, explained NNA IP manager Matthew Clark. “When the pandemic started, we didn’t know how that was going to impact our patent activity,” he shared. “And in the early days and weeks, we did see a decrease in patent activity as people were suddenly working from home.”
Nissan’s North American researchers set a company record for their patent output during the first year of the pandemic. Two teams revealed how they kept the IP on track.
by Lindsay Brooke
BOOSTING PATENTS during the pandemic
Clark noted that the research teams, working on advanced propul-sion and energy storage, material technologies and automated and autonomous driving systems, quickly adapted to the new work sce-nario. “We ended up getting a record number of invention submis-sions from our research groups (including the battery and fuel cell lab at NTCNA and our Alliance Innovation — Silicon Valley lab). This ended up allowing us to achieve our strong results by year end.” He said the company’s patent group also adapted quickly and “found new ways to have conversations about new research and where to focus our patent activity. We managed to make it work.”
What, no whiteboard?To gather their insights into how they solved the remote-work chal-lenge, SAE Media spoke with NNA research teams whose patents in two areas — solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and autonomous vehicles — were granted during the pandemic. US Patent #10,637,070 B2 is for new, highly porous anode catalyst layer structures for fuel-flexible Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. SOFCs operate at temperatures ranging from 5,000 to 10,000°C (9,032 to 18,032 °F), requiring a new approach to thermal stability of their anode when faced with contaminated fuel. Cenk Gumeci, a researcher in fuel cell/zero emissions at NTCNA, was the patent’s author.
US Patent 10,698,407 B2 is for a trajectory planning technology for autonomous vehicles. It is part of a larger body of research that the pat-ent’s author, principal researcher Chris Ostafew, and his team have been doing with autonomous vehicles at the Alliance’s Silicon Valley lab.
Gumeci’s SOFC patent was achieved “through high levels of support and motivation,” asserted Dianne Atienza, manager of NTCNA’s Battery Materials Research, speaking for Gumeci who was traveling during the SAE interview. “Our group works with a ‘one team’ philosophy across our technology pillars and we have great respect for who first creates an idea. And our patent engineer James Morgan is very supportive but also very critical in analyzing our patent, to make it stronger.”
According to Atienza, the lockdown did not present major impedi-ments to moving the SOFC patent forward. “The networking technol-ogy, for example Zoom, makes it easy to communicate,” she noted.
Flexibility was the key to researchers at Nissan’s Michigan tech center keeping their patent schedules on track during the 2020 lockdown.
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“Our team and Nissan’s patent department really worked hard to make this attainable.”
Nissan’s patent department has an activity called Inventshop. During normal times it takes place in one room where engineers and researchers brainstorm ideas and map their collaboration. Such phys-ical contacts didn’t happen during the COVID lockdown, Atienza said, “so we designed a Zoom meeting for this purpose. Added Morgan: “We had very good results moving Inventshop into Zoom, but it took some creativity to try to replicate a physical meeting.”
For a team of research Ph.Ds, lack of access to a whiteboard in any space can be an issue. Zoom does not currently have a tool to substi-tute for a whiteboard. “That was a limitation for sure,” Atienza noted. So were limitations on use of Nissan’s laboratories.
“Cenk spent some time in the lab during the pandemic and was able to perform some experiments, which helped his creativity for his patents,” Morgan recalled. NTCNA restricted its lab use to two people working at a time, with numerous safety and medical guidelines in place. “To do our experimentation, we had to be in the lab; it’s not work we can do at home,” he said.
Shifting to simThe SOFC researchers realized many learnings from their experience in developing the patent remotely. Some of the takeaways were posi-tive. “From the patent side the lockdown experience allowed us to streamline some of our patent processes,” said Clark. “We were able to condense some of our typical outside meetings into Zoom calls. Working remotely streamlined our process in ways that may not change as things begin to reopen.”
When the pandemic hit and Nissan engineers began scrambling out of the Michigan and Silicon Valley offices, Chris Ostafew realized
one day just how many options were available for re-mote communication. “At first on my desktop I had the following open: iMessage, Text, Slack, Skype, Zoom, Teams, LinkedIn and at least two more,” he said. “We all ended up on Zoom for videoconferencing and Slack for messaging. Outside of North America, the Alliance organization uses Microsoft Teams.”
AV technology researcher Ostafew earned his Ph.D in learning-based control for autonomous robots. He collaborates principally with YM0, Nissan Japan’s Mobility and AI Laboratory. Based on his Ph.D work, he was asked to develop a trajectory planner, an AV tech-nology that takes information from the vehicle’s route planner — decisions involving when to stop, go, turn, merge, etc. — and turns it into a detailed plan trajec-tory, which is the body of his patent. The trajectory
Patents are proudly and comprehensively displayed on the walls of the NTCNA lobby.
Intellectual property group manager Matt Clark: “When the pandemic started, we didn’t know how that was going to impact our patent activity.”
Use of a simulator built in-house enabled AV researcher Chris Ostafew to continue development in the lockdown.
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planner algorithm gets handed off to the system’s “re-active layer,” which monitors the driving situation sig-nificantly faster than the trajectory planner. It con-stantly looks for changes and deviations to that plan.
“So, if a vehicle cuts in ahead of you unpredicted, or something comes out of occlusion that modifies the plan, the reactive layer then modifies the piece,” Ostafew explained. The trajectory planner is the base layer, needed to handle static objects, moving objects, and other components. The team is now focused on integrating the ‘world model’. Its role, Ostafew said, is
“detecting other road users and making predictions about what an-other vehicle or object is going to do, so our planner can integrate that information.”
Ostafew voiced frustration about some current driver assistance systems that are imprecise and unreliable. “Ideas I have for the tra-jectory planner are guided by the notion that you shouldn’t keep making the same mistake,” he asserted.
A significant workaround that benefited his patent work during the lockdown was having access to a simulator, developed in-house for a previous project. It was on the shelf, and came in handy when lock-down arrived and the AV road-test fleet became unavailable.
“When COVID hit in February 2020, everybody scrambled to work at home—but we were able to use the simulator for free, without li-censes,” Ostafew said. “So compared to our group at YM0 in Japan, we were able to keep developing using the simulations for the algo-rithms we were working on. Our managers were surprised at how far along we were, and how fast we were moving in simulation.”
After their experiences during the pandemic, the Nissan technol-ogy experts are looking forward to being able to work together again in person — “to walk around the building and see what the engineers are working on. It helps us in finding where to look to identify patent-able ideas,” said Ostafew.
Clark agreed, noting the value of “meeting with our researchers face-to-face and really seeing the new technology up close again.”
Cenk Gumeci’s SOFC patent was enabled by a “one team” philosophy across Nissan’s technology pillars, noted his colleague, battery expert Dianne Atienza.
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Indoor pass-by solutionThe BK Connect Indoor Pass-by tool from HBK (Egham, U.K.) was designed to help automotive manufacturers en-sure their vehicles comply with strict pass-by noise regu-lations. Although pass-by noise tests have typically been performed outdoors, an indoor method now is also accept-ed for type approval. According to the company, BK Connect Indoor Pass-by software was created in line with legal standards so it covers the full spectrum of pass-by testing, making it suitable for automotive testing needs, from conformance assessments to noise-source contribution analysis. The software includes automatic measurement plans, a pre-defined test setup, which can be uploaded ahead of time to focus on test operation, plus the ability to define source and indicator microphones for Source Path Contribution (SPC) analysis. Test data is accessible on the BK Connect Team Server for inspection, comparison, and reporting using a Pass-by Data Viewer.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79443-401
SPOTLIGHT: NOISE & VIBRATION CONTROL
Adhesive transfer tape3M (St. Paul, Minn.) Adhesive Transfer Tape 6038PC is a pressure-sensitive ad-hesive transfer tape suitable for use in automotive interior applications. According to the company, the double-sided, acrylic adhesive is tested to SAE J1756 specifications and offers adhesion to many materials. This tape is 8.0 mils (.20 mm) of adhesive coated on a 4.2 mil (.10 mm) polycoated kraft paper lin-er. Specifically designed to be low fog-ging, 3M’s Adhesive Transfer Tape 6038PC provides a strong bond on many surfaces, including plastics, wood, foam, fabric and metal. This adhesive transfer tape meets specifications of automotive manufacturers, making it suited for use on inte-rior fabrics and panels. Recommended applications include to attach a wide variety of vibration and sound-damping materials, bond automotive interior anti-squeak fabric and foam and attach interior panels.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79443-402
Air springs, hydro bushingsVibracoustic’s (Darmstadt, Germany) front and rear axle air springs, as well as hydro bushings, are used in the all-electric SUV Hongqi E-HS9 from car manufacturer FAW (Changchun, China). The air springs in the Hongqi E-HS9 use a welding technology that makes it possible to use both plastic and aluminum for the air-spring top pot, resulting in increased design flexibility and reduced overall weight. This technology can optimize the airflow under the car and therefore contribute to a better passive bat-tery cooling in electric vehicles. The E-HS9 also is equipped with Vibracoustic’s hydro bushings, which help to improve handling and safety and reduce unwanted vibrations. The bushings respond to road-surface excitation and the integrated fluid adjusts the dynamic properties of the bushings depending on these excitations to always provide a smooth ride and best possible driving comfort for all passen-gers, the company claims.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79443-403
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING July/August 2021 27
EV development, testingHoriba Automotive’s (Kyoto, Japan) electrifi-cation offering includes solutions for the differ-ent stages of vehicle de-velopment and evalua-tion. Solutions are avail-able for the full range of vehicle types, from light- to heavy-duty vehicles and off-high-way equipment. With the addition of electrified vehicle test-ing solutions, the company serves all relevant stages of re-search, development, validation, certification and end-of-line verification. The total solution ranges from single component testing to turnkey testing solutions and includes consulting and other services throughout the total vehicle development process. Unique in its approach, Horiba can integrate scien-tific expertise from a range of industries to offer a solution based on customer needs. Offering this full range of solutions and expertise for electrified mobility allows HORIBA to col-laborate with customers to integrate their vehicle develop-ment process with required testing protocol and develop a customized solution for their needs.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79443-405
Inertial measurement unitsKVH Industries, Inc.’s (Middletown, R.I.) P-1750 IMU and P-1725 IMU comple-ment previously released P-1775 IMU and create a full line of inertial measurement units (IMUs). Designed to meet the needs of autono-mous technology applica-tions, the P-series IMUs are offered in the same compact IMU housing design and feature more dynamic and accurate sensor performance. These features deliver improved navi-gation capability and more environmental robustness in vi-bration and shock capability for more challenging applica-tions. KVH’s PIC technology features an integrated planar optical chip that replaces individual fiber optic components to simplify production and increase reliability. The P-1750 IMU is a versatile high-performance IMU featuring a choice of 10 g or 30 g accelerometers for autonomous and manned platforms. The P-1725 IMU is a compact, commercial IMU featuring PIC technology and 10 g accelerometers.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/79443-404
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READER FEEDBACK
READERS: Let us know what you think about Automotive Engineering magazine. Email the Editor at [email protected]. We appreciate your comments and reserve the right to edit for brevity and clarity.
A useful Software roundupThe article on Software in your May 2021 magazine was inter-esting and useful – it actually helped me land a job at one of the companies mentioned by the author Terry Costlow.
Thanks to SAE for its detailed articles on the latest trends in automotive. I have been an SAE member since getting my engineering degree and continue to discover the member-ship benefits.
Regina Lee
AVs and Big BrotherIncreasingly, people looking at the problem of autonomous cars real-ize that it is not a technical prob-lem but a battle of technical and governmental force against a tra-dition of freedom that we are ac-customed to.
The result will be less safety, less mobility, less convenience, less efficiency and far higher vehicle and roadway costs. The govern-ment can set any speed it wants to, for your car, so if you are being harassed by another car you have no chance to escape them. Government can take you and your car anywhere they want to. And it will fall woefully short of its goals. Finally, there is the question of consumer acceptance which will be difficult to achieve.
Carl Goodwin
Mr. Goodwin has been involved in motorsports safety and authored a 1998 SAE Technical Paper
on the new highway barrier invented by racer John Fitch.
Stuart Birch retires I liked your June editorial on Mr Birch. I was lucky to get my first interview with Stuart back in the 1990s when I was an engineering manager at Delphi in Luxembourg. He did a great job. I’ve reflected on our exchange often in the past 25 years.
John Fuerst SVP Technology and Innovation
Tula Technology Inc.
Munro the teardown kingYour June SAE article on Sandy Munro and his famous com-pany was deserved. In contracting the services of Munro & Assoc. for competitive teardown and analyses, my company (an OEM that will go unnamed here) found Sandy’s team to be honest, straightforward and fair. Munro himself is a no-BS guy who tells it exactly as it is. There are other teardown specialists and we’ve used them all. But when Munro digs into them, no fastener is left unturned, unmeasured, or un-weighed. He tells you exactly what metal it’s made of. All your questions get answered. They follow up. A high-value outfit that delivers what you pay for.
Name withheld by requestBrighton, Mich.
EV charging is not freeIn most of the United States, coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy remain the primary sources of electrical energy to charge the battery of EVs. As a result, a small gasoline-powered vehicle uses less energy and emits less CO2 than any of the current EVs. Well-to-wheels efficiency and emissions of EVs will remain non-competitive until alternative energy becomes the primary energy source to charge the EV batteries. Of course, no one would burn costly diesel fuel in a power plant to charge an EV, because coal and natural gas are much less costly.
The Reader Feedback discussion in the June issue by Herb Adams and George Kraus is useful in that it does show that charging an EV is not energy free. Too many politicians as-sume that most states have inexpensive solar, wind, and hydro power available to charge EV batteries. The fact is most states have limited zones where large-array solar farms and wind turbines are efficient. We must pay double for California PG&E power at our second home in Northern CA, compared with what we pay for coal plus natural gas power at our pri-mary Indianapolis home. That is $0.34 cents/kWh versus $0.16/kWh cents in Indy.
Our 2007 Toyota Prius, at 121,000 accumulated miles, and 45 mpg, will remain our primary Indy vehicle, and our 100,000-mile Honda Civic, at 31 mpg average to date, will remain our Northern California car. An EV does not make economic sense at this time, due to its lengthy charge time and high cost.
Joseph J. NeffIndianapolis, Indiana
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING July/August 2021 29
Q&A
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Not your typical R&D boss Nissan Americas senior VP Chris Reed talks about leveraging the company’s expanding technical resources for EV development, new materials, and safety.
that’s going to be blossoming in the future. Certainly, that skill-set needs to be enhanced and grown. But the reality is that mechanical, electrical and base-electrical skills are what’s need-ed to build cars. At the same time, there is an immense number
of software-related projects. Our teams out in Sacramento and Silicon Valley are working on autonomous drive [see page 24], artificial intel-ligence and material informatics, so there is an infinite amount of work that can be done. But we still need to launch cars and we still need to build great quality cars, so I don’t see any loss in that. I see a growth. Your job demands knowing what’s over the horizon regarding regula-tory standards, safety standards, manufacturing processes, etc.Complexity management is a great way to look at it! I want every engineer on my team to constantly look through the eyes of the other side. This usually means the plant, the product planner or the program director view, which is the profitability of the vehicle. The “silo approach” never works.
And even though each engineer has a problem-solving mindset, you’re solving a problem that has to work with all those different re-quirements from each viewpoint. That’s the right way to be success-ful. It’s how you manage the com-plexity and find the solution. I think that is the key job of an engineer. The more that you focus just on your part, the less you are making the right solution for the customer.
What is top of mind for you over the next couple years in terms of regula-tory processes? Certainty of the future is important for any company and recently that has been a bit of a struggle because of all the uncertainty over the last year. At the same time, we see emis-sions and greenhouse-gas regulatory
Chris Reed is not the typical R&D boss. In his diverse 25-year engineering career at Nissan Americas, Reed has done every-thing from body design to leading development of the Murano SUV, to serving as overseas chief vehicle engineer on Leaf, Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60. He’s headed platform and technology en-gineering and now, as senior VP of research & development, runs the automaker’s expansive tech center in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
But Reed’s “hands-on” expertise is not exclusively in autos. Mention your latest home-improvement project and his eyes will light up. He’ll then give you his mechanical engineer’s view of the materials, tools, and techniques needed to do the job. That’s because a decade after joining Nissan, Reed took a career chicane and became a self-employed home builder, before rejoining the OEM nine years later —but only after running a small auto-parts supplier.
“I love working with my hands as well as developing products and managing projects,” Reed explained during an interview with SAE Media in spring 2021. Highlights of our con-versation follow; the full interview can be found on SAE.org.
Nissan’s technical resources in North America continue to expand. How many employees currently work out of the Farmington Hills facility?Roughly 1,000 people. And regarding the engineering team, we have about 200-300 people in Arizona [Nissan’s proving ground] and there’s another 100 or so in Silicon Valley. We have about 20 people in Sacramento and another 1,000 in Mexico.
Are you in hiring mode? Everybody seems to be looking for software engineers. That’s the direction of the industry. We are working on expansion in connect-ed services — and that’s something
“I want every engineer on my team to constantly look through the eyes of the other side.”
Chris Reed sees ‘huge’ potential in leveraging the capabilities of Nissan Americas’ new safety facility with product and technology development.
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Q&A
requirements changing; that impacts our entire portfolio. It is very sensitive to sales volumes, and car-by-car performance. So, it’s a major activity that’s very cross-functional with our planning teams because engineering is on the side of solving problems and executing the portfolio compliance plan.
You’re adding a new crash-test facility at the tech center. How do its capabilities help your entire operation?We will now have the in-house capability and equipment onsite available to test, re-test and solve any safety performance re-quirement of today and the future. This capability will enable us to be a global center of excellence for crash testing.
Is it being modeled after the NHTSA or IIHS crash-test facilities? There is a correlation that we want to achieve. We’re using a lot of the same setup and equipment that run a lot of the NHTSA tests. It will be state of the art, considering all we know now and for future IIHS and regulatory requirements. The site will be ready for that and [further] expansion. It’s going to be a motiva-tion for the employees to look across the parking lot and see our Safety Advancement Lab giving them the tools to do it themselves.
Do you expect the facility to drive improvements upstream in terms of lightweighting and manufacturability of new materials? I think we will be able to do more ad-vanced engineering-type work in that
avenue. We are always pushing for the high-strength steel and greater affordability. Stamping and welding processes are con-stantly changing, so that integration with our manufacturing team is critical.
We also have a team in Silicon Valley that is doing material informatics, which is really about using artificial intelligence to search for better matching materials that you can then test to see if they’re going to work.
Do you expect the North American design and engineering team to have more hands-on, upstream involvement in the future of EVs from Nissan? Definitely. We have a great amount of background with EVs with our Leaf and how customers use them. At the same time,
EVs started as a niche product and are now going mainstream. I think the one thing that’s great about Tesla is that they have expanded the EV market and given visibility to more customers. That gets people thinking about EVs. The more that happens, the more we have a chance to hit the inflection point to mainstream EV acceptance. Customer acceptance is so key. So we’re very careful to go step by step showing the customer has to live and love their EV. We believe that the regulatory environment says that [electrification] is where we should go. We would like to be fully into that, but your success is driven by what people will buy at the right price and value.
“Your success is driven by what people will buy and sell at the right price and value.”
Nissan’s expansive Technical Center in Farmington Hills, Mich., will soon add a comprehensive Safety Advancement Lab that will include a crash-test facility.
The never-ending effort to reduce vehicle weight brings a widening spectrum of materials as candidates for vehicle bodies and structures, as well as interior components and trim. Invariably, these dissimilar materials must be joined. The science that enables this task is advancing as rapidly as the materials themselves. This 60-minute Webinar from the editors of Automotive Engineering discusses the latest techniques in materials joining.
UPCOMING WEBINARSINNOVATIONS AND TECHNIQUES FOR JOINING DISSIMILAR MATERIALSThursday, August 12, 2021 at 12:00 pm U.S. EDT
Hosted by:
For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts
Industry trends toward miniaturization are driving connector designs ever smaller. Small wire terminations present unique challenges for crimp tooling designers and end users. This 60-minute Webinar focuses on factors that affect the quality of small wire terminations and special considerations needed to overcome small wire termination challenges. Included in the presentation are considerations for termination tools ranging from hand tools to lead making equipment.
ADVANCED CRIMP THEORY FOR SMALL WIRE APPLICATIONSThursday, August 19, 2021 at 11:00 am U.S. EDT
Hosted by:
For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts
BEYOND BATTERY CYCLING: TESTING BATTERIES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRYTuesday, August 31, 2021 at 3:00 pm U.S. EDT
For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts
In this 60-minute Webinar, an automotive testing expert will explain what is needed to test a battery in addition to cycling. Wiring and fluid testing, for example, can be done separately or in combination with charging and discharging. The expert will also walk you through the latest testing requirements, procedures, and best practices in areas of battery testing you may not have considered.
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Sponsored by:
The megatrends of electrification, autonomy, shared driving or mobility-as-a-service, and the extension of the digital lifestyle to modern vehicles are transforming the automotive industry. Not only are these trends changing what and how we drive, but they are also fundamentally changing the architectures needed to support next-generation digital cockpit use cases and experiences. During this 60-minute Webinar, you’ll learn how a state-of-the-art digital cockpit platform provides a homogeneous solution for evolving automotive electronic architectures.
WEBINARSDIGITAL COCKPIT ARCHITECTURE AND EVOLUTION: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTUREAvailable On Demand
For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts
This 30-minute Webinar will highlight how Arrival leverages aPriori’s automated cloud-based technology to optimize the vehicle development process. Topics include:• Arrival’s objective in the automotive industry and the associated challenges• Maximizing efficiency of resources across the product lifecycle• Creating a culture where everyone is accountable for cost
MAKING COST AN ATTRIBUTE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE DEVELOPMENTAvailable On Demand
Hosted by:
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Sponsored by:
TOTAL APPEARANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONSAvailable On Demand
For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts
Traditional tools for appearance measurement used in automotive applications have put the focus on surface waviness. However, visual quality is more than waviness. Using image projection and analysis to mimic human visual perception, a Total Appearance Measurement System (TAMS) provides readings of the relationship between wave measurements, allowing an instant understanding of the balance in the appearance between different surfaces. This 30-minute Webinar examines the Rhopoint TAMS non-contact appearance measurement system, how it works, what its benefits are, and where it can be used.
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