Long-term strategy for electromobility Bosch: working on the automobile of the future Complete product range for electric powertrains

Bosch hybrid-vehicle technology already in series production
Hybrid drives, which combine an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, are an interim technology en route to the all-electric drive. This year has seen the launch of full-hybrid versions of the Porsche Cayenne S and Volkswagen Touareg, the first vehicles worldwide to feature Bosch's innovative parallel-hybrid technology. In addition, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Bosch have formed an engineering alliance to develop diesel hybrids that have electric four-wheel drive. Series production is planned for 2011 in the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4. Bosch is developing and manufacturing the power electronics and electric motors involved.

In 2004, what was then known as the “hybrid technology project unit” began its operation with roughly 100 associates. Today, some 800 Bosch associates worldwide develop technology for hybrid and electric vehicles. The SB LiMotive joint venture has some 700 associates, who develop and produce lithium-ion battery technology for use in automobiles. Production of lithium-ion battery cells for pre-series projects will begin in November 2010 in Ulsan, Korea, with large-scale series production to start in 2011. BMW is the first customer of the joint venture, which was set up in 2008. The German automaker will purchase its battery cells from SB LiMotive for the electrically driven Megacity Vehicle and for the ActiveE, which is based on the BMW 1 Series.

Components for hybrid and electric powertrains
Bosch has already established a complete product portfolio for hybrid and electric powertrains. It includes core components such as the power electronics, which control the energy flows in hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as high-torque electric motors.

Work is underway to prepare series production of power-electronics components in Reutlingen and of electric motors in Hildesheim. Then there are the chargers which will allow plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles to recharge from the power socket. “Going forward, the objective now is to reduce the weight and installation space of these components and increase their efficiency, so as to achieve as great a range as possible on the basis of the battery capacity available,” says Dr. Matthias Küsell, who is responsible for engineering and customer projects for electric-vehicle and hybrid systems at Bosch. With all these products, plus the lithium-ion batteries from the SB LiMotive joint venture set up with Samsung, Bosch is now in a position to supply the entire electric powertrain – from the energy-storage medium to the electric motor. Every year, Bosch makes some 400 million euros available for powertrain electrification.

Using hybrid and electric powertrains has an impact on many other automotive components and systems. Bosch is also investing in these areas. They include efficient auxiliary units, such as electric power steering. Then there are braking and ESP® systems tailored to hybrid and electric vehicles. They coordinate interaction between the conventional friction brake and the braking effect of the generator. Finally, there are features such as efficient thermal management for the heating and cooling systems in electric vehicles, and navigation systems that compute the best routes in terms of fuel efficiency.

Charging and communication infrastructure for electric vehicles
The Bosch Group has also successfully bid for a pilot project in Singapore that comprises a software-based service platform for e-mobility, as well as the necessary charging and communication infrastructure that goes with it. The target customers and users of the platform are people who drive or rent electric vehicles. The internet-based eMobility Solution” not only helps drivers find available charge spots, but also lets them reserve spots in advance. That is particularly significant in megacities, where parking space and thus space for charge spots is limited.

Specific mobility requirements determine type of powertrain
Bosch uses its expertise to make a major contribution to the exploration and improvement of technology, infrastructure, and mobility concepts. In the end, this will pave the way for a gradual roll-out of electric vehicles. Out of a global total of some 100 million newly produced vehicles in 2020, Bosch expects to see some three million electric cars and plug-in hybrids, as well as roughly six million hybrid vehicles. However, these figures may vary depending on future legal requirements, rising fuel prices, and progress in battery technology. In the long run, the future will belong to the electric vehicle. But the figures clearly illustrate that the internal combustion engine will remain the dominant powertrain for the next 20 years. “In the future, the choice of powertrain will depend on the individual driver's mobility requirements. The electric car will play an increasingly prominent role,” says Dr. Rolf Bulander, president of the Gasoline Systems division of Robert Bosch GmbH. The potential of electric vehicles can be exploited above all in the megacities, which are growing rapidly worldwide. Electric vehicles can also make the air in conurbations cleaner. And if they are powered by electricity from renewable sources, electric cars can play a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions. For driving over medium to long distances, economical diesel and gasoline engines, which are being continuously improved, come into their own. Hybrid vehicles are an option for short-, medium-, and long-distance driving, while fuel-cell vehicles are especially suitable for long distances.