Rheinmetall scores major e-mobility order from German O
The German technology group Rheinmetall has won a major contract in the field of electromobility worth over 250 million euros from a German premium manufacturer in the automotive sector. The supplier will equip a “new 900-volt generation of the electrically powered vehicle fleet” with new types of switchgear contactors.
According to the company’s own announcement, Rheinmetall will supply a total of a mid-double-digit million number of contactors for the carmaker’s new vehicle platform from 2025 onwards. As is usually the case in the supplier industry, the customer is not named. However, it is unlikely to be Audi or BMW, as both BMW’s New Class and the VW Group’s PPE platform operate at 800 volts, according to previous information.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche had already presented and tested concept vehicles with 900 volts system voltage with the Vision EQXX and the Mission R respectively. The Mission R was considered to be the technology carrier for the confirmed electric successor to the 718 Boxster/Cayman. However, earlier reports said that the electric two-seater would also be based on the PPE. Whether this rules out the jump to 900 volts for an electric sports car is not known in detail. What also speaks rather against Porsche as a Rheinmetall customer for the contactors: production is to start before 2025.
Rheinmetall’s statements about a new vehicle platform and the start of delivery in 2025 could fit in with Mercedes’ previously announced plans: When the Stuttgart company distributed the plants for the electric platforms planned from 2025 in the summer of 2022, the Sindelfingen plant was appointed as the lead plant for the ‘Top End Luxury’ segment. Models of the electric platform AMG.EA are to be produced there from 2025. So far, however, there is no detailed technical data on the AMG.EA. Thus, it is not confirmed whether this platform will rely on 900 volts or not.
Rheinmetall states that 900-volt technology will “significantly improve” the efficiency of the next generation of battery-electric vehicles by enabling faster charging and longer ranges. “This makes the 900-volt voltage class the new standard for future electric vehicles,” the Düsseldorf-based supplier said.
Contactors enable the safe switching on and off of electric vehicles and ensure safe and efficient vehicle operation. As soon as the vehicle is switched off, the contactors disconnect the high-voltage battery from the rest of the vehicle. This is particularly important in emergency situations, such as in the event of an accident or short circuits in the event of a fault.
Among other things, Rheinmetall cites the very low weight with high performance as a special feature of the “new type of contactor”. “Low contact resistances guarantee low power losses. The contactors do not require highly volatile quenching gases, which enables lower manufacturing costs and ensures a longer service life compared to the competition. At the same time, this technical solution allows higher ambient temperatures and has a significantly lower risk of bursting,” the release says.
With reporting by Sebastian Schaal, Germany.
