Magna claims it can increase EV range by 30%, with software and control a big part of it
Automotive supplier Magna is launching a complete electric powertrain package that the company can claim can increase range by up to 30%.
Magna said in a press release called EtelligentReach, the powertrain will debut on a “new entry vehicle” in 2022. It includes two electric motors, a frequency converter and a transmission, but Magna points out that most of the performance gains will come from a holistic software approach.
The bundled software package is designed to monitor multiple vehicle functions at once through a modular control unit, ensuring the mechanical components work in sync for maximum efficiency, according to Magna. .
Magna EtelligentReach
The company will also include a trickle disconnect, which can help improve efficiency by decoupling a motor under lamp load, as well as torque vectoring and multiple drive modes.
Magna is contract to build Fisker Ocean An electric SUV, but it’s not yet clear if that’s the new vehicle the supplier will use to launch the EtelligentReach. Fisker has said that it is focusing heavily on its own development on Ocean, while also borrowing a few things from Magna.
However, we wonder if this”unique clutch“that Henrik Fisker teased is the same as the disconnect function Magna mentioned.
Prototype 2023 Fisker Ocean
We know that Magna will provide some basic architecture for Ocean, is scheduled to begin production on November 17, 2022, at the Magna-Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.
That factory is currently building the Jaguar I-Pace, which Magna has used as a demonstration for both the EtelligentReach and the e4 system. we sampled in a prototype last year. That system also uses Magna’s front and rear engine, transmission, and software. Magna claims to have improved range by 25% over stock I-Pace.
Magna has been very active in EV components since late this year; early last year it showed a modular solution called eBeam as a way electrified body-on-frame truck.
