Digi-Key at Embedded World 2022 with Wurth Elektronik

Mobility is a focus topic inside Wurth, and it has been divided into four major segments:

1. Light electric vehicles – everything from scooters to e-bikes
2. Electric vehicles, buses, and trucks
3. Charging infrastructure – at home with a wall box or public chargers with AC or DC charging stations
4. Electric boats, drones, and robotics

All Wurth components will fit into one of the above four segments.

Trends

There are many trends within this marketspace, but Wurth have highlighted four:

1. Electrification – power via battery or fuel cell
2. Connected – drivers get connected to the car and vice versa, as well as the car becoming connected to the outer world
3. Autonomous – the car driving passengers to location autonomously
4. Shared – in the future, there will be a reduction in privately-owned cars and people will share mobility

Safety

It’s very important for designers of autonomous cars to consider EMC. Foelkl said: “You can imagine if you drive a car autonomously and you have interference from a mobile phone, the car could start to implement full braking for example.” Safety is of major importance, and you have to use components which are shielded. Wurth’s inductors are designed to be completely shielded and immune from external electromagnetic fields.

A designer who doesn’t consider EMC at an early stage will pay for it later, and may have to re-design.

E-racing

Wurth also supplies several components to e-racing teams and has been active in this field for more than 10 years.

The company had a very famous partner, Audi Sport ABT, which was active in the Formula E and won several series. Wurth provided them with electronic components.

It is also active in the Formula Student area, supporting solar car projects. Lerche said: “This is not only fun for us, but it also has a professional background”. How do Wurth components operate in demanding conditions? Wurth’s work with e-racing helps answer such a question.