EVC1000: EU project aims for 1000km range electric SUV

The EU funded project EVC1000 launched this month and brings together ten partners from industry and science to develop novel electric vehicle components. Hence the EVC in the name. The number 1000 though is significant as well as it stands for the target of covering 1,000 km on one quick charge.

The ambitious aim hinges in large parts on one component: in-wheel motors that are to enable an electric SUV to cover a range of 1,000 kilometres with a one-off charge lasting fewer than 90 minutes. Next to such a seemingly miraculous drive, the consortium is to focus on a wheel-centric integrated propulsion system and advanced EV management.

Funding through the EU accounts for a project cost of 6.8 million euros over three years and is part of the Horizon 2020 pot. The working title “Electric Vehicle Components for 1000 km daily trips” suggests that any component is to focus on range. Again in case of the in-wheel motors, advances are being sought in using dual inverters based on Silicon Carbide technology.

More efficiency gains shall come through components for electrified chassis control including brake-by-wire system for seamless brake blending, high regeneration capability and enhanced anti-lock braking system control performance and electromagnetic active suspension actuators. Lastly, a high degree of automation is to lead to advanced energy management for further range.

At the end of the project in 2021, the partners will showcase the new EVC1000 components in two production-ready electric vehicle demonstrators of different market segments. The vehicles will be developed together with Audi and JAC and build on the Audi e-tron and JAC iEV6S.

The vehicle demonstration phase that includes driving tests will consider “objective and subjective performance indicators for human factor analysis,” according to the project’s description.

Apart from Audi and JAC, the EVC1000 EU project includes the following partners: AVL List GmbH (Austria), Brembo (Italy), ELAPHE (Slovenia), Fraunhofer ENAS (Germany), Ideas & Motion (Italy), TU Ilmenau (Germany), Tenneco Automotive Europe (Belgium), and the University of Surrey (UK).

europa.eu, tu-ilmenau.de (in German)