Along with the announcement of the completion of Gordon Murray Design T.27 electric vehicle program, Zytek has also released more details regarding developing the electric drivetrain for use in this cutting edge lightweight vehicle.
Funded by the government-backed Technology Strategy Board, Zytek were responsible for all aspects of the design and manufacture of the complete drive system, including motor, inverter, battery, in addition to working very closely with the gearbox supplier Vocis. In addition, uccessful application for Gordon Murray T.27 electric vehicle includes Zytek’s first automotive High Voltage battery.
The lightweight iFrame geometry in the T.27 is available of all aspects in vehicle to be optimized, including Zytek Automotive’s integrated powertrain. The T.27 features lower energy consumption per mile that other EVs: the Smart EV uses 29% more energy per km, the Mitsubishi iMiEV uses 36% more energy per km, and the Mini-E uses 86% more energy per km, according to the partners.
2D and 3D simulation tools are expected to apply in a wide variety of motor topologies and designs, leading to a reliable maximum motor speed of 14,500rpm. This high operating speed allowed motor torque to be reduced to 64Nm whilst maintaining vehicle based performance targets.
"We believe that the Zytek powertrain and battery make a significant contribution to the Gordon Murray Design T.27's justified claim to be the most efficient electric car in the world," says Zytek Automotive managing director Neil Heslington. "The success of this TSB funded programme has led to further interest in the Zytek 25kW E-Drive by several major European vehicle manufacturers and we expect to continue the development of this powertrain through to production."
The second major powertrain component is the three phase inverter. Following the same design guidelines of examining every component for potential weight saving opportunities, it was concluded that the inverter should also combine battery charging and high voltage switching capabilities. This has the added benefit of reducing the weight of high current copper cable and also avoiding any reliability issues associated with use of high voltage connectors.