Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform.
Revealed online recently during an ‘E-GMP Digital Discovery’ event, the platform will serve as the core technology for Hyundai Motor Group’s next-generation BEV line-up.
From 2021, the E-GMP will underpin a range of dedicated new BEVs, including Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5; Kia Motors Corporation’s first dedicated BEV to be revealed in 2021; and a series of other models.
Designed exclusively for BEVs, E-GMP provides various advantages compared to the Group’s existing platforms, which have each been engineered predominantly to accommodate internal combustion engines. Benefits include increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features, and more interior space for occupants and luggage.
“Today our front-wheel driven Hyundai and Kia BEVs are already among the most efficient ones in their segments,” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of R&D Division for Hyundai Motor Group. “With our rear-wheel driven based E-GMP, we are extending our technological leadership into segments where customers demand excellent driving dynamics and outstanding efficiency.”
“E-GMP is the culmination of years of research and development and brings together our most cutting-edge technologies. Our BEV line-up will evolve and be strengthened by this innovative new platform,” said Fayez Abdul Rahman, Senior Vice President of Vehicle Architecture Development Center for Hyundai Motor Group.
Maximizing development flexibility through modularization and standardization
E-GMP reduces complexity through modularization and standardization, allowing rapid and flexible development of products which can be used across most vehicle segments, such as sedans, SUVs and CUVs. Moreover, flexible development can satisfy various customer needs for vehicle performance. Among these, a high performance model will accelerate from zero to 100kph in less than 3.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 260km/h.
E-GMP will be highly effective in expanding the Group’s EV leadership position as it will enable the company to enlarge its EV line-up over a relatively short period through modularization and standardization.
Efficient and Powerful Electrification System
The E-GMP’s compact new power electric (PE) system consists of a powerful motor, EV transmission and inverter. These three components are integrated into a single compact module. This ensures powerful performance by raising the motor’s maximum speed by up to 70 percent compared to existing motors. The high-speed motor is smaller than other motors while providing comparable performance, and it gives efficiencies in both space and weight.
Additionally, a standardized battery system can be tuned to offer performance appropriate for a specific vehicle segment, to maximize driving range, or to meet various customer needs.
The motor is controlled by the inverter power module, which adopts silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. This motor can enhance system efficiency by around 2~3 percent, which means the vehicle can be driven for approximately 5 percent longer on the same battery energy.
E-GMP relies on the rear wheel for propulsion. Customers will be able to choose between rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations; models with the latter can be equipped with an additional motor. The all-wheel drive system includes an EV transmission disconnector, which can control the connection between the additional motor and front wheels, and switch between two-wheel and all-wheel drive modes to enhance efficiency by offering the ideal level of power or performance for current driving conditions.
All vehicles developed with the E-GMP platform use a standardized single type of battery module. This module is composed of pouch-type standard cells and can be packed in different quantities as required for each vehicle.
Multi (800V and 400V) and Bi-Directional Charging System
Most existing EVs and the fast-charging infrastructure provide 50kW~150kW charging for EVs equipped with a 400V system; however, the development of 800V infrastructure, with up to 350kW charging, will gradually enable even more fast-charging.
In line with this trend, Hyundai Motor Group has invested in IONITY, Europe’s leading high-power charging network, as a strategic partner and shareholder. IONITY operates 308 high-power charging (HPC) stations – using a charging capacity of up to 350 kW – along highways in European countries. The company plans to increase this number to 400 HPC stations by 2022, including 51 currently under construction.
E-GMP offers 800V charging capability as standard and enables 400V charging, without the need for additional components or adapters. The multi-charging system is a world’s first patented technology which operates the motor and the inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging compatibility.
A BEV based on E-GMP is capable of a maximum range of over 500km with a fully charged battery, according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty vehicle Procedure (WLTP). Moreover, it can high-speed charge up to 80 percent in just 18 minutes and can add up to 100km of driving range in just five minutes.
Unlike previous BEVs, which only accept one-way charging, the E-GMP’s charging system is more flexible. The E-GMP’s newly developed Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) represents an upgrade from existing On-Board Chargers (OBC), which typically only allow electricity to flow in a single direction from an external power source. The ICCU enables a new vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which can additionally discharge energy from the vehicle battery without additional components. This enables BEV based on the E-GMP to operate other electric machinery (110 / 220V) anywhere. The system can even be used to charge another EV.
The new V2L function can supply up to 3.5kW of power and operate a mid-sized air conditioner unit and a 55-inch television for up to 24 hours.