Ricardo UK wins funding to improve efficiency of electric vehicles

The well-known expertise of Ricardo in the field of electric vehicles has lately reached a further step. In fact, the global company (here is a recent post of ours about a Ricardo web event focused on the off-highway sector) has been awarded funding from the Office of Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) – through a partnership with Innovate UK – to investigate the use innovative advanced thermal management methods to improve the performance and efficiency of the electric motors and power electronics used in electric and hybrid vehicles.

Ricardo for electric vehicles: a 15-20 percent improvement in performance

According to the press release, «The focus of Ricardo’s work in the project will be the development of an electric motor concept with the aim of achieving a 15-20 percent improvement in performance compared with that of current state of the art products. If successful, this will provide vehicle manufacturers as early as 2021, with the capability of developing products which are able to meet Automotive Council UK motor and power electronics specific power targets for 2030. By virtue of its enhanced performance, the concept will enable10-20 percent motor downsizing and weight reduction, providing improved vehicle packaging opportunities».

Looking at aerospace, off-highway and beyond…

«This will help support the UK Government’s drive to increase the rate of electrification across a range of transport sectors and is applicable to battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell drivelines. The design principles demonstrated in the new motor can also be applied across aerospace, off-highway and other markets».

The final expected outcome from the project is a well-developed concept design with manufacturing considerations which, supported by analysis, will be used to guide global vehicle manufacturers as they develop electric vehicles.