800-Volt integrated drive module (iDM) features high-voltage silicon carbide inverter
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – BorgWarner has secured a contract with a Chinese luxury new energy vehicle (NEV) brand to supply its new integrated drive module (iDM) equipped with its compact 800V silicon carbide (SiC) inverter and hairpin electric motor. The 800V iDM220 features BorgWarner’s exclusive and compact Viper power module which is the core of the SiC inverter, helping improve the range, driving performance and safety of electric vehicles. This is BorgWarner’s first 800V iDM project worldwide, opening a new chapter in the company’s global electric drive business.
“We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with this leading domestic manufacturer of luxury electric vehicles,” said Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems. “The 800V iDM generates a higher power density and system efficiency, thus creating mobility solutions with better driving performance, and longer range for OEMs, like our valued customers in China.”
The compact 800V iDM220 consists of electric motor, inverter and gearbox. Its platform offers high integration and efficiency, and covers power requirements from 160kW to 300kW with peak wheel torque up to 5300Nm. The power module for the 800V SiC inverter uses BorgWarner’s proven double-sided water-cooling Viper module technology, with reduced semiconductor size and increased efficiency. With the proven application of the patented Viper, higher reliability and adaptability are ensured.
The current system has achieved ASIL C defined by the ISO 26262 standard and is fully compatible to be upgraded to ASIL D. The software is also cyber security functional. In terms of electric motors, the 800V High Voltage Hairpin (HVH) 220, BorgWarner’s third generation of high-voltage motors after the HVH 410 and HVH 250, has a compact design with an outer diameter of 220mm and a maximum speed of over 20,000 rpm. Thanks to the scalable and innovative design, the HVH 220 with its high-power density can achieve over 300Nm in a compact packaging space.
The platform will be manufactured by a fully automated production line, improving assembly efficiency and quality as BorgWarner is currently one of the few companies worldwide with in-house development and production for integrated EV drive modules and their core components. The new iDM has an anticipated start of production in 2023.
As part of its Project Charging Forward initiative, BorgWarner is accelerating the company’s electrification strategy and has announced plans to grow electric vehicle revenues to approximately 45% by 2030, along with a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
