How do you convince skeptics to switch from conventionally fueled cars to e-vehicles?

Dr. Eckardt: Electromobility has long since vacated the niche of very small vehicles without any comfort. Anyone who drives our IISB-ONE test vehicle will tell you that e-mobility can also be very enjoyable. With its double drive unit and 160 kW that accelerate the vehicle without interruption to tractive force due to shifting, you experience a very sporty driving experience. At the same time, vehicle electric drive is a very efficient way of using regeneratively produced energy for mobility.

Which challenges need to be overcome, in your view, to make e-mobility in urban spaces even more efficient and sustainable in the future?

Dr. Eckardt: Naturally, the ranges of electric vehicles must continue to increase, but we can already see that this is happening thanks to the developments of the next e-vehicle generations. Current vehicles usually have a range of 150–200 km. The next generation will have a range of 300–400 km. A drop in battery costs and higher production rates of electric cars will also result in competitive prices.

Something we already know from our smartphones is now also possible for electric cars: charging without a cable. How does an inductive charging station work and does it offer the time-saving charging we will need in the future?

Dr. Eckardt: With inductive charging, the energy is transmitted from the charging station to the vehicle by means of an alternating magnetic field, a process with which we are familiar from induction stoves. To ensure that it doesn‘t just get hot like a cooking pot, the vehicle has a second coil in which the alternating magnetic field induces a current that is then used to charge the vehicle battery. This is a great deal more convenient for the user than conventional charging with a cable. The charging times are not reduced, however. Cable-less charging will not exceed a charging rate of 22 kW in the future. Faster charging – currently at 50 kW and expected to rise to 100 to 200 kW in the future – is achieved by means of cable-based DC quick charging.

The potential offered by e-mobility is very promising. Can you imagine a scenario in the year 2050 where e-mobility is also in use for freight and public transportation?

Dr. Eckardt: Some freight and public transportation is already powered entirely by electricity – with trams, subways and freight trains. I am convinced that urban public transportation with buses will soon put its trust in quiet, emission-free electric drives. For long-distance transportation of freight, however, purely battery-powered drives will soon hit its limits.

Has e-mobility also become a part of your daily life?

Dr. Eckardt: My private car, which has quite a few miles on the clock, is still powered by a classic internal combustion engine. I am planning to buy an electric car next year, however.

Dr. Eckardt, thank you very much for talking to us.
 

Bernd Eckardt was talking to Lisa Schwede.

About Bernd Eckardt:

Dr. Bernd Eckardt studied electrical engineering at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and completed his degree in 2003. He then worked as a research associate at Fraunhofer IISB in the area of power-electronic systems. In 2007, he took over management of the “System Integration and Mechatronics” group. He focused on voltage transformers for the electrical drive train for e-vehicles. This work formed the basis for his doctorate, which was awarded in 2010. Since 2014, Dr. Eckardt has managed the “Vehicle Electronics” department at Fraunhofer IISB.