Closing the loop

E-mobility requires many solutions — and MAHLE is driving them forward. The battery is one of the most important components in an electric vehicle — in terms of cost as well as performance. Its significance is thus comparable to that of the internal combustion engine — and it needs to be looked after just as carefully. Maintaining the correct battery temperature not only determines the ­service life of the battery, but also the speed at which it can be charged and even the cruising range of the vehicle. If the battery temperature is managed properly and its capacity handled carefully, you will get more out of it. The electric compressor from MAHLE is already at the center of the air conditioning and refrigerant circuit — ensuring the correct interior cabin temperature. Now it is also at the center of the battery cooling function — ensuring the correct battery temperature and it is becoming a key component in the e-mobility drive system. Because if the battery runs optimally, so will e-mobility — to the point that it can be perfectly integrated into everyday life.

In the first test room, an electric vehicle is connected to the laboratory through a complex array of cables and instrumentation. The e-compressor is sitting ready on the test bench. John O’Brien, systems engineer, begins: “The e-compressor is a crucial component for maintaining a comfortable cabin interior and providing adequate battery cooling — both during vehicle operation and during charging.” His team partner Jonathan Hammond, engineering manager, stands by his side and continues: “The cooling provided by the e-compressor is key to improving charging performance. You can speed it up.” He’s referring to one of ­­­the essential characteristics that will help to make e-­mobility just as much a part of everyday life as combustion technology still is today. “The key to popularizing e-mobility is making the end product familiar to the ­consumer. Rapid charging is critical to that.” We continue through the engineering center. Workbenches, cabinets. Everyone is engrossed in their work.

It’s Friday. Delivery day. The next prototypes are going out to customers. There are components lined up on tables. These include parts from Slovenia and Spain because some colleagues are not on site. While MAHLE Electric Drives in Slovenia supplies the motor, or as the team colleagues explain, the “heart” with which the e-compressor can drive itself and hence be independent of the combustion engine, MAHLE Electronics in Spain provides the “brain” of the e-compressor: the power electronics. These components are now being assembled here in Amherst in the way that was planned at the very start. The distinguishing feature of MAHLE’s e-compressor is evident in this assembly: precision across all components. This is because MAHLE develops all of the components itself. And precision is exactly what has made MAHLE a pioneering automotive supplier since day one. With countless tests, meticulous attention to detail, and a huge amount of know-how.

Akeem Francis, electrical engineer, is age testing a motor winding specimen with electric power. He adjusts the test equipment providing current to the sample and the wires start to glow. This is an extreme way of testing the limits of materials under specific conditions. It is an extreme that will never be reached during normal use in the electric vehicle. But if you know the limits, you can guarantee safety. In terms of high voltage, this means that the electrical charge must not have any point of contact with the occupants of the vehicle.­“I primarily work on the insulation system of the e-compressor,” says Akeem Francis, summing up his work in a nutshell. His colleague John O’Brien quickly brings the definition of precision to a charming, unprecedented level by proudly reformulating this for his colleague: “The customer is growing increasingly interested in insulation resistance, which Akeem focuses on. His work helps us tremendously.” Akeem Francis smiles and adds: “It’s vital to keep vehicle occupants and anyone else away from situations in which they could be exposed to the high voltage of the battery.”

The e-compressor is now going into production in Hungary, on the world’s first production line for MAHLE e-compressors. The international team ­has worked across the various time zones and languages to successfully commence series production of the e-compressor. Despite the different cultures, one thing above all unites them: the MAHLE mentality. James Faller explains what it is: “At MAHLE, it’s never ‘No, you can’t do that,’ but rather ‘How can we do it?’ It’s very liberating and empowering for us to do what we do.”

The customers are convinced by this too. Aside from the technology, Dr. Armin Frommer, head of Product Development E-compressors, sees yet another crucial element as the basis for this success: “Trust in the team.” And adds: “We once revolutionized mobility with the aluminum piston. The e-compressor has the same potential. We want to shape and develop this change too. Because one thing is certain: it doesn’t matter whether mobility is old or new, the challenges remain the same. We will carry on with our work as usual. With passion and systematic development activities.”

Akeem Francis sees it from a very sporty perspective: “For me as someone from an athletic background, it’s somewhat fundamental for the team to recognize that we’re here to play, and we’re able to win. And we did. Anything else would have been devastating.”

With the e-compressor, MAHLE is supplying the component that is central to the thermal management of the electric powertrain. And all the other components that are needed. It’s not just about offering systems expertise for e-mobility. It’s about clearing the path for anyone who wants to buy an electric vehicle. This path begins at MAHLE. And MAHLE has — once again — delivered.