KSPG AG is the parent company of Rheinmetall’ s corporate sector Automotive. Operating for over a century on the international automotive markets, this first-tier supplier has three divisions. The Hardparts division comprises business in pistons for cars and commercial vehicles, large-bore pistons, engine blocks and cylinder heads, other cast products, plain bearings, and continuous castings. The Mechatronics division specializes in modules and assemblies for emission control, solenoid valves, actuators, and pumps for passenger cars as well as for trucks and off-road vehicles. The third division, Motorservice, is responsible for global aftermarket business in over 130 countries. In 2011, the KSPG Group generated sales of € 2.3 billion at over 30 production locations throughout the world employing a total workforce of more than 11,500.
Dual-material bearings for hybrid drives.
The power unit is conceived in such a way that the vehicle interfaces are reduced to a minimum. Vehicle integration thus proves comparatively unproblematic and installation or disassembly can be performed easily and efficiently. This enables the range extender to be reduced to an additional accessory equipment option. The automobile can thus be delivered with or without a range extender and allows for a modular design concept.
Customer response from trial operations at well-known automakers endorses the targets set in the development of the extender, with high priority given to barely perceptible noise and vibrations from the 2-cylinder V engine fitted with FEVcom vibration compensation. Due to its special design with active vibration compensation and an advantageous power set mounting, this technology solution achieves optimal NVH( Noise Vibration Harshness) scores. This means that the lownoise environment of an electric vehicle is largely maintained when the range extender is on.
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The Range Extender, as a modular component of a serial hybrid drive concept, offers the technical potential to pave the way as a bridging technology for electromobility.
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The advantages of the power unit lie in the fact that it reduces battery size and costs and lower additional related weight. With range extenders, normal ranges can be achieved even without long en route recharging periods. It alleviates“ range anxiety,” a phenomenon not to be underestimated when introducing electric mobility.
Experts and legislators generally see range extenders as paving the way for widespread acceptance of electric vehicles and assume that an entirely new category of very small gasoline engines will arise to make them a reality. This presents attractive possibilities for suppliers, given that these devices are largely unsuited for production in currently available automobile manufacturer production lines and initial unit quantities will possibly not be very high. KSPG has both a diversified product portfolio and the necessary development competencies. The largely universally mountable module furthermore allows for economies of scale and limits development and application costs. AI
Bridge technology reduces costs
The current market situation for electric vehicles looks as if many consumers are afraid that battery range will be insufficient(“ range anxiety”). They also appear to shy away from high added costs. A bridge technology like that employed in range extenders could expedite market entry for a generation of battery-powered vehicles and support legislators in their efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions. AI
KSPG Range Extender.
Automotive Industries 41