Continental Thermal Management Increases Vehicle Efficiency by 25 Percent
Current owners of electric vehicles or hybrid cars can hardly avoid this experience: In the winter or in the summer the electric range of their vehicle is considerably lower because the electric energy for heating and cooling is also taken from the battery. Owed to this phenomenon the range can decrease by as much as 40 % at -10 °C, for instance. The technology company Continental utilizes cross-divisional know-how to compensate this range loss to a large extent. Existing and new products make it possible to control the need for heating and cooling within the entire vehicle in a more energy-efficient way.
Thermal Management (TM) is the instrument used for this end. Its components form a flexible modular set which allows it to switch thermal energy flows for heating or cooling to where they are needed while avoiding losses. New multi-port valves called Coolant Flow Control Valves (CFCV) serve to flexibly switch heating and cooling circuits in a way to route available heat or cold to the right places.
Demonstration
Thermal Management Components
Benefits
- Extended range and less charging time for electric vehicles
- Less emissions: high-performing thermal management necessary to meet future emission regulations under RDE conditions
- Mass volume production start for an electric vehicle is scheduled to take place in China end 2019