Vitesco is getting ready to manufacture 800-volt e-drives

After introducing an 800 V inverter only six months ago, Vitesco Technologies is now preparing to start production of 800-volt electric motor technology in China, which is scheduled to start in 2023.

The motor matches the recently announced new generation EMR4 electric axle drive, which is said to be 25 per cent lighter with the same power output. The stator and rotor are to be part of the electric powertrain platform of an unnamed “leading Chinese manufacturer”.

“The Chinese market is not only of paramount importance on the global scale. It is also a competitive market that welcomes and appreciates innovation and premium quality,” said Changsong Yu, head of Electrification Technology in Asia. “The 800V technology significantly enhances our competitiveness in the electrification market position in China. Our pioneering technology fulfills our mission of powering clean mobility,” Yu added.

Vitesco Technologies is already mass-producing axle drives with its EMR3 platform. The addition of 800 V motor technology is expected to complement the EMR4 platform’s portfolio, which would now include everything from components to complete axle drives – and in multiple voltage layers.

The 8-layer hairpin technology is said to enable an “optimal copper fill factor and thus a lot of power from a small size”. For Vitesco Technologies, it would be the first series application of its 800 V motor technology.

Vitesco Technologies will produce the “active parts” on a new line at its Tianjin site. The preceding development of the 8-layer hairpin stator was “an international project”. Production of the 800 V motor technology is scheduled to start in 2023.

Additionally, Vitesco Technologies recently published the securities prospectus approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The company, previously the Powertrain business unit of Continental AG, is to be listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 16 September 2021.

vitesco-technologies.com (800-Volt), vitesco-technologies.com (stock market)