Impact of Electrification on the Vehicle Concept – Potential of Determining Components and Technologies

The design of electric car concepts requires the development and integration of new components that have not been relevant in the design of conventional combustion-driven cars. High-voltage battery systems, electric powertrains, fuel cell systems and hydrogen storage systems for instance, are challenging with regard to an efficient package and design of constructed space. In addition, compromises between the functional and geometrical layout of these components, which determine the overall vehicle concept, are necessary. In respect of development of future electric vehicle concepts it is essential to know the interdependencies between the entire vehicle, its determining components and not least their underlying technologies. The first part of this paper presents the key components that determine the concepts for battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). Using the example of the BEV traction battery system, an approach for design and analysis of electric key components for a basic vehicle concept is introduced afterwards. In this context, a process model as well as dimensioning and construction tools based on MA TLABI Simulink and CATIA V5 have been developed and are to be explained in this paper.