NOT having to engineer a big, strengthened gap within the entrance of your automobile’s chassis for a heavy, sizzling, vibrating inside combustion engine (ICE), and a hump down the center for a transmission, opens up a complete vary of potentialities.
With the worldwide transition to EVs gathering tempo, automotive engineers and designers are now not locked right into a sure set of ICE chassis design parameters which have prevailed for greater than a century – as a result of EVs require a very totally different algorithm.
An electrical motor is smaller than an ICE, generates much less waste warmth to handle, doesn’t want a gearbox within the accepted sense, nor a clutch, tailshaft, separate differential or a complete vary of different ‘redundant’ elements related to ICE energy.
Whereas some car-makers are adapting present ICE car architectures for electrified functions, others together with Hyundai Motor Group are shifting on to purpose-designed EV platforms that make extra financial sense.
Hyundai’s Electrical World Modular Platform (E-GMP) is tailor-made particularly for EVs and is already beneath automobiles just like the Ioniqs 5 and 6, Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60. Many extra will comply with because the South Korean producer switches over to primarily EV manufacturing.
“Whether or not it means putting in a workstation or zero-gravity reclining seats for a close to horizontal recline, with E-GMP you may create a memorable in-car expertise, utilizing area as you see match,” Hyundai Australia product planning supervisor Luke Croucher instructed GoAuto on the current Genesis Electrified GV70 launch.
“We’ve introduced that Ioniq 7, a seven-seater SUV, would be the subsequent Ioniq mannequin and it’ll present the platform’s adaptability.
“The E-GMP platform helps a wheelbase exceeding 3000mm that in flip helps varied sizes and configurations of autos together with C-segment, E- Phase, CUV, sedan and SUV (as much as three-row SUVs with seven seats).
“It’s a very inflexible construction that delivers advantages throughout the spectrum together with experience and dealing with, noise abatement and security.”
In distinction to an ICE platform, a devoted EV structure like E-GMP or VW Group’s modular electrical drive matrix (MEB) are solely required to accommodate a battery pack, high-voltage electronics and related thermal administration methods together with allowances for the motor (that may be in-wheel like an electrical scooter) steering, suspension, brakes, ancillaries, axles and wheels.
They’re modular, have standardised elements for price management, will be scaled to swimsuit many alternative functions and are manufactured to optimise area, security and the quantity of supplies used.
Though modular platforms have been an integral a part of car-making for many years, for ICE autos they’re extra complicated, expensive and tougher to adapt for various car sorts.
In designing the E-GMP, Hyundai prioritised quite a lot of components: Efficiency, modularity, reliability, security and useability. The corporate says it’s on monitor to attain its said goal of getting 23 new EV fashions within the line-up out there by 2025.
The E-GMP’s proportions are radically totally different to what underpins equal ICE autos, that means the cabin has a bigger, flatter ground area that permits Hyundai to greatest configure the inside to fulfill every phase’s wants and create autos that match varied makes use of or life.
Drive motors sit low within the chassis on the entrance or rear in step with the pushed axles and underfloor sandwich battery pack. The format has advantages by way of decreasing the centre of gravity, aiding weight distribution and ease of design. Extending the wheelbase is easy because it solely requires extending the center ground space, which then creates extra battery area.
“The battery is connected to the full-perimeter body utilizing eight bolts operating utterly via the battery for power. The entrance and rear crumple zones are designed to soak up and dissipate the vitality of a possible impression, and excessive power metal is used to guard the battery and passenger compartment,” stated Mr Croucher.
By standardising the battery cell and module right into a single unit, E-GMP has simplified battery repairs, that means broken batteries now not must be modified out as a complete – solely particular person malfunctioning modules must be mounted or changed, lowering the price of repairs for patrons.
Medium and enormous Hyundai autos will use the E-GMP devoted EV platform that includes a rear suspension that makes use of a five-link association with built-in drive axle, the place the drive shafts and wheel bearings are a single unit to scale back the variety of components and enhance rigidity.
Nevertheless, protecting off all choices, Hyundai R&D advisor Albert Biermann has said that “present EVs on ICEV platforms will see some enlargement into smaller segments”, suggesting Hyundai’s smaller EVs – such because the Kona – would proceed to make use of a legacy front-wheel drive platform in the meanwhile.
In associated info from its head workplace, Hyundai says; “Liberating extra inside room, the ‘area consuming’ air con unit is moved outdoors the automobile and is positioned the place the ICE engine can be, giving entrance passengers further room.
“Additional, the centre tunnel on the rear (seen on standard autos) is non-existent because of the low mounting place of the batteries. This will even permit varied preparations of the back and front seats for a wide range of functions.” It’s nonetheless attainable to supply a boot at the back and front.
“The modular nature of the chassis means it’s extremely adaptable and saves on manufacturing complexity and subsequently price. That wouldn’t apply to the prevailing GV70 platform, which isn’t modular.”
Hyundai locations nice significance on E-GMP and has accelerated its integration. It will likely be the spine of EVs made by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis in future because it provides optimum EV efficiency and components standardisation.
