The battle of internal integration, who stands at the top How much can the electric drive system be integrated Recently, two manufacturers have provided the latest answers On May 10th, BYD’s latest release of the twelve-in-one intelligent electric drive system integrates motor, reducer, electronic control, vehicle controller, battery manager, DC converter, on-board charger, distribution module, boost module, current module, self-heating module, and energy management in one However, it is worth noting that, at present, the manufacturer that can achieve a twelve-in-one electric drive system is not just BYD As early as the Beijing Auto Show, Geely released an eleven-in-one electric drive system, as well as a twelve-in-one assembly for the global market, which also reached a new height in highly integrated electric drive systems, supporting the new Galaxy models So, as Geely and BYD’s twelve-in-one electric drive systems gradually enter the market, what kind of subversive and innovative significance does this have for the current mainstream “three-in-one” electric drive system market “Roll” to the extreme, breaking through the pain points of electric vehicles one by one If Tesla at the end of 2022 was the “instigator” of the “price war” in the new energy vehicle industry, then BYD, which pushed the “price war” straight from “oil and electricity at the same price” to the “electric cheaper than oil” stage at the beginning of this year, is the one who added “ammunition” to this “war” Even though for the vast majority of car companies, they will inevitably suffer backlash in the long run in the “price war,” the fact of “grabbing the market with low prices” is already in front of them. The main manufacturers who must participate in the “price war” can only choose to reduce the overall production cost of the vehicle, and every aspect of the supply chain is under pressure as car companies seek cost reductions With the significant drop and stabilization of lithium carbonate prices, the contradiction between the cost of power batteries and the pricing of vehicles is no longer as sharp as before. However, there is still ample room for cost reduction in the electrification process of electric vehicles, and more and more main manufacturers are focusing on cost reduction in the field of electric drive systems. It is reported that the electric drive system accounts for about 10% of the total vehicle cost, ranking second only to the battery in cost, and also determines the energy efficiency of the vehicle. Nowadays, a variety of highly integrated electric drive system products have entered the market, helping new energy vehicle manufacturers reduce overall vehicle costs. By the end of 2022, BYD introduced an eight-in-one electric drive system, while some domestic new energy vehicle manufacturers were still in the early stage of three-motor electric drive systems. In 2023, Dongfeng launched the Mach E ten-in-one electric drive system, taking the integration of electric drive systems to a new height. Today, there is a new breakthrough in the integration of electric drive systems. Geely’s eleven-in-one electric drive system, designed and produced by Wuxi Xingdrive Technology, has achieved a new breakthrough in the integration of electric drive systems through innovative design. This system combines twelve components into one, effectively reducing costs while significantly improving efficiency. Xingdrive Technology’s ultra-high integrated multi-in-one electric drive system is compatible with various power requirements such as front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive. With a lightweight and compact design, the total weight of the system is within 79.8kg, which is more than 15% lighter than non-integrated systems. This means that the vehicle can have more interior space, run longer distances on the same battery capacity, and improve overall assembly efficiency and power density of the electric drive system. Today, in pursuit of continuous improvement in power performance, manufacturers are focusing on increasing the power density of electric drive systems. High-power density motor drive systems can deliver greater output power in the same volume or weight, resulting in stronger acceleration and sustained high-speed performance.
Currently, the pursuit of all major automakers is miniaturization with massive power of the motor. However, breakthroughs in motor power density always face two major challenges. One is to achieve greater power output without changing the size. The other is to avoid power loss from high power output, in order to prevent waste of power on useless heat generation. StarDrive Technology has clearly overcome the above two major challenges. StarDrive Technology uses 0.27mm high-performance ultra-thin silicon steel sheets and neodymium-iron-boron magnetic steel with high-grade and rare earth diffusion technology to provide higher magnetic energy density. This has achieved a motor power density of 7.52kW/kg, surpassing the industry average of about 6kW/kg by a significant 25%. However, it is worth noting that high power density of the electric drive system requires more efficient power conversion efficiency and the ability to cool at higher operating temperatures, which poses higher demands on power devices. In terms of efficiency, Gesi Motors has learned that StarDrive Technology’s ultra-high integration multi-in-one IGBT electric drive CLTC efficiency has reached a stunning 90.04%, making it the first domestic 400V IGBT electric drive CLTC assembly to break through 90% efficiency. By using IGBT microgroove technology to reduce device charge and inductance while reducing the voltage in the conduction area by 15%, the current density is increased. In terms of cooling, Xingqu Technology uses IGBT micro-groove technology to change the polycrystalline silicon grid from horizontal to vertical, increasing cell density and device heat dissipation, reducing thermal resistance, greatly lowering operating temperature, extending equipment lifespan, improving vehicle performance reliability and stability. Xingqu Technology’s ultra-high integration multi-in-one OBC efficiency reaches 94%, effectively reducing the load on the battery system, extending battery life, reducing battery replacement frequency and cost. The importance of ensuring normal vehicle operation and battery safety is self-evident. Behind the ultra-high integration, what confidence does Xingqu Technology have? Generally speaking, in a multi-in-one electric drive system, the core components such as the motor, gearbox, and inverter are developed and designed by different parts companies. After integration, it requires one manufacturer to design and produce an integrated electric drive system, which puts higher requirements on the manufacturer’s self-research, production, and integration capabilities for key components of the electric drive system. Xingqu Technology is one of the very few manufacturers currently able to integrate multiple system components across different fields. In the conventional sense, the “big three electric” in the electric drive system include: drive motor, electronic control, and gearbox. According to Gesi Auto, Xingqu Technology’s R&D team has been immersed in the field of drive motors and electronic controls for many years, with deep technological accumulation. In the field of motors. StarDrive Technology developed a high-speed motor called SPEED last year. The motor can reach a maximum speed of 24,000rpm and has a power density of 14kW/kg. According to StarDrive Technology’s media briefing at that time:
StarDrive Technology’s SPEED high-speed motor significantly improves reliability and safety at high speeds by optimizing the design of the rotor magnetic bridge structure and equipping it with high-strength silicon steel sheets, moving towards higher operating speeds. Higher speeds inevitably pose higher demands on heat dissipation. StarDrive Technology has innovated deep oil cooling technology, introducing electronic intelligent oil pumps for fully active lubrication and cooling. Cooling oil quantity can be intelligently adjusted in real time according to power requirements and temperature field test results. The fuel consumption channel is designed in an Ω shape, expanding the cooling area by 35.3%, achieving 360° all-around cooling, further improving heat dissipation efficiency. In high-speed motor applications, the reducer is also an important component that cannot be ignored. According to Gesi Auto, StarDrive Technology’s research and development team completed the entire process from design and development to large-scale production in just one year, successfully launching the first domestically produced coaxial planetary dual-motor reducer. StarDrive Technology’s planetary dual-motor reducer uses NW-type dual-link planetary wheel structure, achieving a torque capacity of 4275Nm. Additionally, the reducer adopts a four-point angular contact ball bearing design, reducing bearing friction losses by about 50% compared to tapered bearings, achieving efficiency as high as 98.5%. Furthermore, the planetary gears are designed using phase-shift technology to cancel out gear meshing excitations, reducing overall excitations and significantly improving NVH performance.
In the field of electric control, Xingqiu Technology has fully deployed electronic control products on the 400V and 800V voltage platforms. Taking Xingqiu Technology’s 800V high-voltage motor controller as an example, it achieves a maximum efficiency of 99.5%, peak power of 398kW, helping the entire vehicle achieve stronger power and longer range, and meeting the application requirements of high-frequency fast charging. It can be seen that Xingqiu Technology has integrated the electric drive system into a “twelve-in-one” solution, showcasing its strong technical research and development capabilities and efficient technological iteration speed. Since its establishment in 2021, Xingqiu Technology has focused on the research, manufacturing, and sales of high-performance electric drive systems for pure electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, covering the entire value chain including components and software. It is reported that the Xingqiu Technology team has nearly 20 years of research and manufacturing experience in power transmission systems and electronic components. The company has research centers in Gothenburg, Sweden, as well as Wuxi, Ningbo, and Shanghai in China, and has established a manufacturing base in Wuxi that integrates intelligence and green technology. Data shows that as of March 2024, Xingqiu Technology has obtained a total of 277 patents, including 35 PCT and foreign invention patents, 156 Chinese invention patents, and 86 utility model patents. The previously mentioned independently developed deep oil cooling technology by Xingqiu Technology also won the 2023 TMC Annual Innovation Technology Award. Meanwhile, with strong technical research and development capabilities and competitive products, Xingqu Technology has attracted more capital attention in March. Xingqu Technology received hundreds of millions of yuan in Series A financing led by the National Development Fund, with participation from the Wuxi New Energy Industry Fund, Huiheng Industry, Huishan Jinfu, and Guolian Xinchuang. After this financing, Xingqu Technology will continue to expand its business layout, increase investment in product technology research and development, and strive to lead the global new energy electric drive industry. It should be noted that the components to be integrated into the electric drive system are limited, and there is an end to the “multi-in-one” approach. As the integrated development of electric drive systems reaches a certain level, in the future, electric drive systems will move towards cross-domain integration, entering the stage of central control + regional control, with a reduction in the number of domain controllers and chips. At that time, the cross-domain integration of electric drive systems will also involve the integration of multiple fields such as power electronics technology, electric motor control technology, vehicle control technology, and intelligent algorithms. In other words, as electric drive systems combine with advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence, the competitive focus of electric drive system manufacturers will gradually shift from “integration” to “intelligence.” As for the future, who will become the “top player” in the electric drive system race track, it is currently difficult to determine easily. But the clear fact is: today, we can see only two manufacturers in the market that have rolled the electric drive system into the highest integration of “twelve in one.”