How Vehicle Electrification is changing the Powertrain landscape?

1. OEMs are finding it tricky to find the right balance between conventional and electric Powertrains. Given the variety of options that electric Powertrain brings in, how is the Automotive landscape changing?

Electrification of on-highway vehicle is now very much a reality. I would like to answer this question in two parts.

Firstly, from technical perspective, there are broad range of possible configurations not just for OEMs but also for Tier1s. Pure electric vehicle will change the dynamics of the entire supply chain. Some of the components such as transmission will not be required. The overall diagnostics strategy for the electric vehicle will be different, which would also affect service network. The overall infrastructure requirements will be different as the super charger, quick charging options on highway will have a key part to play.

Secondly, on software development side, there will be an interdisciplinary challenge to build safe and reliable control systems among other needs. To get to market quickly, this will require an increased reliance on real-time test, production test, and ecosystem partners, who have vertical expertise in building tools on top of industry-leading, flexible, and open platforms.

2. Electric Vehicles (EVs) are relatively easy to build as only one percent of moving components are required when compared to ICEs? How does this affect the embedded software part involved in it? Does it increases or decreases the complexity?

The system complexity of electric vehicle is less. However, from embedded software perspective, the complexity rises manifold. There is an increase in the need for safe and reliable control system as most part of the system is “By wire” technology. And that requires a safe, fault tolerant and robust system.

3. Tier1s (Independent transmission suppliers) are using various approaches to provide various technologies such as Dedicated Hybrid Transmissions (DHT), Hybridized AMT to OEMs. Are OEMs facing challenges in customizing the various configurations?

The volumes for EVs are not expected to represent significant share of the global market over the next two decades. OEMs are expecting increased volume in hybrid vehicles. For EVs, there are many simple reduction transmission/systems, which are available for OEMs to use. Having said that, the high torques available from electric motors are making EVs increasingly attractive to customers. Currently, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are using single-speed transmissions but in future OEMs expect to use multi-speed transmission and dedicated hybrid transmission for both BEV and Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
So it is challenging for vehicle makers in customizing the transmission configurations for BEVs, EVs and HEVs.

4. KPIT is known for providing leading technology solutions in both conventional and electric Powertrain domains. Can you throw some light on the solutions you provide to auto ecosystem in ePowertrain space?

KPIT provides a complete suite of engineering services in the electrification space. We have ready accelerators for certain xEV components such as Battery Management System (BMS), Vehicle to Grid (V2G) stack, Inverter platform, which can be used by OEMs/Tier1s to reduce the overall development time and cost of xEV components.

In addition, we provide engineering services in systems engineering, system architecture development, hardware development, software development, V&V and calibration for following components

• Vehicle Electronics Control Unit
• Inverter
• DC-DC
• On board / Off board charger
• BMS

Thanks for your time for this interview. We look forward to listening to you in the panel discussion on “Electrification at the core of future automotive transmissions – driving efficiency and performance” at Transmission Tech 2018 on 18th April at 4.40 PM.

KPIT Technologies has been invited to the Transmission Tech 2018 event to participate in the panel discussion on “Electrification at the Core of Future Automotive Transmissions – Driving Efficiency and Performance”. As a precursor to this session, he shared with KPIT’s marketing team, his perspective on how vehicle electrification is changing the powertrain landscape.