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VOLTCAR
design, manufacturing, and Validation
of ecOcycle
eLecTriC
trAction motorR
Challenge
As a response to the need to decrease the transportation related emissions and energy consumption, today, all major passenger car and other light-duty vehicle manufacturers are broadening their electric vehicle portfolio. The dependency of the present electrical traction motors on rare materials, such as rare earth permanent magnet materials, namely Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets, is problematic from several viewpoints: they are imported and expensive and there is a real risk for supply problems in the coming years.
The main challenge of VOLTCAR is to ensure that the motor prototype combines
Performance Requirements
(power density, efficiency)Sustainability Criteria
(recyclability, circularity and low use of rare resources and copper)The expectations of the Automotive Sector
(cost, reliability, integrability)
Solution
To strengthen the European competitiveness, VOLTCAR proposes highspeed, permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance technology with a drastic reduction in rare materials’ utilization and modern mass manufacturing technologies. This major goal is supported by introducing digital design and optimization methodologies that are capable of assessing the life cycle costs, energy consumption, and carbon footprint in the early phase, guiding the outcomes towards maximized sustainability with reduced use of rare materials.
Additionally, VOLTCAR motor is optimised at all stages of its life cycle, increasing the reliability, extending the lifetime and providing efficient end-of-life circularity strategies, including efficient recycling and repurposing patterns.
High Power Density
(> 23 kW/I, 7 kW/Kg)
Reduction of Cost
(45%)
High recyclability rate
(65%)
Reduction of Losses
(20%)
Strengthen EU technology
leadership
High Voltage Level
(800 VDC)
Outcomes & Impact
VOLTCAR is a response to the market needs for lower cost, more efficient, and compact traction motors facilitating reduction of materials use and higher recyclability rates of electric vehicles – to accelerate the adoption of EVs and thereby the transformation of transportation towards greener future. The final purpose of VOLTCAR is to ensure that the industry (e.g., OEMs and Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers) as well as regulatory players and scientific community can make the best use of the VOLTCAR results, which will lead to the expected outcomes and the wider impacts.
Outcome
Outcome
Market uptake of sustainable electrical traction motors
Outcome
Increased driving range
Outcome
A holistic digital platform coupled with E-motor emulator and combined with sustainability assessment
Outcome
Elevating the market acceptance of electric vehicles
Impact
Impact
Accelerating the transition of road vehicles from combustionbased platforms to zero-tailpipe emission ones
Impact
Reducing dependency on critical materials
Impact
Enabling improved charging performance
Impact
Boosting sustainability and acceptability of the electric cars and vans
Impact
Integrating effective design, incorporating elements of manufacturing and operational life
Impact
Providing green jobs in local SMEs throughout Europe to reduce unemployment rate
Impact
Contributing to the Strategic Plan of Horizon Europe and its Key Strategic Orientation C ‘Making Europe the first digitally led circular, climate-neutral and sustainable economy through the transformation of its mobility, energy, construction and production systems’
Market Needs
Reduce costs, energy consumption
& carbon footprint of future traction motors
VOLTCAR Innovative Technologies & Models
VOLTCAR Results (TRL 6/7)
Dissemination & Communication & Exploitation
VOLTCAR Outcomes
Expansion of Solutions
VOLTCAR Impacts
2% power saving
Reducing >582 tonnes CO2eq
Saving >0.82 kt virgin REE & 180 kt raw materials
Accelerating the
integration of car and
vans in the automotive
market by providing
cost, energy, and
material efficient
E-motors
Reducing environmental
impact and supply risk
by lowering the usage
of raw materials and
virgin REE
Increasing charging
speed and use of shared
charging infrastructure
by enabling higher
charging power
Commercialised
recycling of motor
materials by providing
the holistic digital
platform
Consortium
VOLTCAR consortium comprises 12 partners from
six European countries including seven industrial
and five research partners. VOLTCAR brings
together different experts from science and
technology and reaches societies through broad
exploitation of the results aiming at increased
acceptance of electrification.
VOLTCAR has been built around six key innovative
industrial partners on electrical motors and drives
for electric vehicles. The SME and research
partners possess complementary expertise on
identified areas of further development, such as
environmental and related assessments, material
development, and digital threads.