10.10.2011
The companies have agreed on an extensive strategic cooperation on that field. The focus is on the joint development of electrical drive technology, power electronics and charging technology as well as the integration of those systems into Volvo C 30 Electric cars. The first vehicles in this model fitted with Siemens electric motors will already be on the test tracks at the end of this year. Beginning in late 2012, the Swedish carmaker will be delivering a test series of up to 200 vehicles to Siemens, which will then be tested and validated under real-life conditions as part of a Siemens internal test fleet.
Both companies' goals and core competencies in electric mobility are perfectly matched. The partnership with the renowned vehicle manufacturer gives Siemens the chance to extend its industrial leadership in electric drive technology into the automotive market. Volvo will be relying on proven and efficient Siemens technology for the electrification of its future vehicles. "We are extremely happy to have Siemens as a partner. Their world-leading knowledge and experience will bring the technology in our electric cars up to an entirely new level," said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO at Volvo Car Corporation.
Electric power train, battery management and charging technology are considered to be key technologies in the development and production of electric cars. "Cooperation with Volvo is an important milestone in the development of top quality components and systems for electric cars subsequently intended for series production", said Siegfried Russwurm, Member of the Siemens Managing Board and CEO of the Siemens Industry Sector. "It is our long-term goal to establish Siemens as a global system provider with solutions both inside and outside of electric vehicles. We see ourselves as a comprehensive electric mobility pioneer." As the worldwide leading vendor of industrial software and automation technology, the Siemens Industry Sector will also contribute to accelerating progress in and cutting the cost of vehicle and battery production.
As part of a comprehensive energy concept for sustainable electric mobility, Siemens is also continuing to work on industrializing the production of hydrogen for fuel cells. The goal is to convert temporary excess energy from renewable power generation into "green" hydrogen. It can then be directly used in industrial applications and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as in battery-powered electric cars by means of a prior power re-conversion process.
The Siemens electric motors for Volvo are modular in design and very compact, and have a peak power output of 108 kilowatts with a maximum torque of 220 Newton meters. The inverter design will be jointly optimized to meet all safety requirements in an automotive application. In addition, Siemens will provide highly efficient and fast on-board and off-board charging systems.
Siemens drive technology has been used for decades in many mobility solutions, including railway systems and hybrid buses. As a worldwide leading manufacturer of drive systems with electrical and mechanical components, the Siemens Drive Technologies Division has over 36,000 employees and a global production network with 43 locations. The Siemens portfolio for electric mobility also covers everything from regenerative electricity generation and smart grids to charging infrastructure and intermodal traffic management.
Source: SIEMENS