EU R&D projects to boost e-mobility
The projects 3Ccar, OSEM-EV and SilverStream aim to make electromobility more affordable, energy efficient and reliable. The projects with an overall budget of €67 million are intended to strengthen Europe’s R&D and manufacturing competencies. In detail, the goal is to make the electric systems in e-cars more compact and lightweight by some 20% which in turn is expected to increase their driving range and reduce the price level by about 25%. The research activities cover the entire value chain from the semiconductor provider to the car manufacturer.
Today, battery electric vehicles contain about 50 percent more electronic components and semiconductors than vehicles with internal combustion engine (ICE), which adds to the complexity. In addition, these components have to be active for longer operating periods. The 3Ccar project – with the acronym standing for Integrated Components for Complexity Control – aims to strengthen the reliability of automotive systems irrespective of the system complexity. The project comprises the activities of 48 partners in 14 countries.
OSEM-EV stands for Optimised and Systematic Energy Management in Electric Vehicles. The project with twelve partners is focusing on devising an intelligent thermal management. This includes the cooling system for the electric powertrain, the recuperation process and the battery lifetime – with aligned temperatures, the battery’s life will be significantly extended.
In the SilverStream project finally, ten commercial companies and research institutions are collaborating in developing an inexpensive electric compact car.
All three R&D projects are part of the European initiative ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership). Munich-based chip vendor Infineon, one of the leading vendors of automotive chips, is coordinating the activities of the three projects. On June 9th and 10th, an international kick-off event in Brussels takes place where the research initiative is introduced to the public. The results can be expected in 2018.