- Bosch supplies complete powertrain for the Fiat 500e
- Motor delivers immediate 196 Newton meters of torque
- Power electronics with 92 percent efficiency extends range
Bosch is positioning itself as a systems supplier for electrical powertrains. The supplier’s portfolio includes all the components needed for modern electric drives – including electric motors, power electronics, batteries, and regenerative braking – and can also combine them to form complete systems. The best demonstration of this is the Fiat 500e. For this Italian-designed electric car, Bosch provides the complete powertrain. “Bosch is a one-stop supplier for the electric drive,” says Dr. Bernd Bohr, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH and chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group. “The technology in the Fiat 500e shows that Bosch not only manufactures components, but also has the expertise to combine these into a complete electrical powertrain.”
And this electric drive certainly has power: thanks to the SMG 180/120 electric motor developed by Bosch, the Fiat 500e delivers 80 kilowatts of power. The permanent magnet synchronous motor is the drivetrain’s powerhouse. Right from the start, it delivers 196 Newton meters of torque.
The central interface between electric motor and battery is the Bosch INVCON 2.3 inverter. This power electronic device is the command center of the electrical powertrain. The pulse inverter transforms the direct current stored in the battery into alternating current for the electric motor. The reverse happens during braking: it converts the alternating current generated by recuperation into direct current. This is the only way energy released while braking can be stored in the battery. The more efficiently the power electronics works, the greater the vehicle’s range. In combination with the electric motor, the Bosch system has an efficiency rating of 92 percent, which allows car owners to make the most of their batteries’ capacity. The DC-DC converter transforms high voltage into power for the 12-volt vehicle electrical system. This system encompasses power consumers such as the radio and headlights. The DC-DC converter also supplies power from the lithium-ion battery to comfort and safety systems such as electric steering and ESP, as well as to all the control units in the vehicle electrical system.
Bosch technology enables maximum recuperation At the same time, the power electronics makes energy recuperation possible. The recovery of braking energy in the Fiat 500e is also controlled by a Bosch component: a vacuum-independent regenerative braking system with extremely high recuperation performance. This function ensures that every time the brakes are applied, energy that would otherwise be lost is fed back into the battery. This extends an electric vehicle’s range. Thanks to the Bosch battery pack, the Fiat 500e has a range of around 140 kilometers. The complete traction battery is where energy is stored in the powertrain. It consists of prismatic cells with a total capacity of 24 kilowatt hours, and takes less than four hours to fully charge.
