Bosch working on retrofit electric passenger vehicles: report
19 Oct 2018
German automobile and technology solutions provider Bosch is planning a break-through in the electric mobility market with a comprehensive systems approach, where the company would be able to retrofit an ordinary car into an electric vehicle, says a report in Car and Bikes.
“Our customers benefit from our expertise in intelligently linking all the components in the powertrain. This broad-based systems expertise is our USP. It is a source of huge business potential for Bosch,” says Mathias Pillin, who is responsible for electromobility activities at Bosch.
Bosch has been working for many years to improve the energy efficiency of individual components and the system as a whole in order to further increase electric vehicles’ range.
“Our electric motors and electric axle drive are already the benchmark for energy efficiency. In the end, affordable range is the key to helping electromobility achieve a breakthrough. Achieving this depends on smart interaction among all the components of the powertrain,” says Pillin. The reasoning behind this is the less electricity the motor and other components consume, the long the battery charge will last, and the greater the range.
Bosh says its engineers are working on new generations of electric motors, inverters, and battery systems. “Modified thermal management systems can increase electric cars’ range by up to 20 per cent. And special battery-management systems allow the best possible management of batteries. In this way, the efficiency of individual cells can be further increased.”
The Bosch portfolio includes key components of the electrical powertrain, such as the electric motor, power electronics, and battery systems. This year Bosch will start production of a new 48-volt battery for hybrid vehicles.
Bosch India, a leading supplier of technology and services for industries, including mobility products, is expecting some of its systems and solutions for electric two-wheelers to be implemented in India by next year.
The company is working with various original equipment makers (OEMs) to offer its electric vehicle (EV) and connected vehicle solutions.
Bosch expects the electromobility market to grow rapidly in the years ahead. The company’s latest forecasts assume that more than 15 per cent of all new vehicles will be hybrids or electric cars by 2025. By 2030, it will be nearly 30 per cent. More than 70 per cent of vehicles will then be driven by combustion engines, some of them with electrical support from 48-volt systems.
Bosch is looking at mass-market electromobility, which is scalable and affordable and is currently demonstrating this with its eAxle, the next-generation electrical powertrain.
Bosch sells this electric axle drive to a wide range of customers – to established automakers and start-ups alike. Here, Bosch customers also benefit from the company’s global research and engineering network. The latter allows the company to carry out projects flexibly and close to its customers, whether in China, Europe, or North America.
Bosch is also partnering with various automakers to give drivers of electric vehicles access to some 17,400 charge spots in five European countries – with the help of charging apps.