China is driving the transition from traditional combustion engines to electric vehicles. In 2018, over one million electric cars were sold in China representing one of the globally highest market shares of 4.5 percent . By introducing the New Energy Vehicle credit system and continuing subsidies to boost the market, China has established a straightforward strategy to improve air quality and decarbonize the mobility sector.
The e-mobility market is characterized by a high innovation ratio as well as high demands for new mobility solutions regarding safety and reliability. Compared to many other areas of electrified applications, vehicle components must withstand higher loads for a much longer period of time. Against this backdrop, the use of precise and durable sensors is one of the most important success factors in international competition.
“Heraeus considers platinum temperature sensors as a key part to ensure accurate temperature control and thereby help maximize performance efficiency,” says Steve Dou, Head of Sales at Heraeus Nexensos China. “This enables Chinese manufacturers to drive innovation and lead the steadily growing market of e-mobility where we expect growth beyond 60 percent in 2019.”
In electric vehicles, Heraeus platinum temperature sensors ensure the full use of advanced components and widen operation windows of batteries. The sensors guarantee high long-term stability at measured ranges of up to 500 °C and deliver precise, drift-free measurements over their entire service life.
Heraeus Nexensos supports manufacturers in different application areas:
- Electric motors: Component protection is required to avoid over-heating of the electric motor, especially at high load conditions. Heraeus platinum sensors deliver high stability and high precision over the entire service life and allow for operation close to the specification limit.
- Batteries: Accurate temperature control in batteries decreases the need for spare capacity and ensure safe operation at high load conditions. The well-controlled environment enhances the battery lifetime and contributes to long driving ranges over the product life.
- Charging plugs: Rapid charging times require high currents. These conditions in turn increase the risk of overheating the charging connectors. Heraeus platinum sensors ensure optimal charging performance as well as a high level of safety during the charging process.
- High-performance power electronics: High-performance power electronic modules control the energy distribution and energy management in electric vehicles. The accuracy of Heraeus platinum sensors adds additional safety to operation close to the load limits of the power chips. Higher temperatures enable manufacturers to use innovative material systems based on silicon carbide and gallium nitride.
“We see the huge potential for e-mobility applications and are committed to support this market and our customers with a dedicated engineering team,” says Steve Dou. “Our more than two decades experience with global OEMs, complete automotive TS/IATF 16949 certification and profound technological knowledge form the basis for successful cooperation and innovative products.”