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Endurance runner: SCT electric motor from Mahle on the test bench
Photo: Simon Schaller / MAHLE
Who is still campaigning for the internal combustion engine?
In any case, the Stuttgart-based automotive supplier Mahle, with historical roots in the construction of pistons right at the heart of these drive units, has something else in mind: Mahle announced that its latest development paved the way for the replacement of the internal combustion engine in all vehicle classes. .
It may still be relatively easy for the large car manufacturers or supplier groups such as Bosch, Continental or Schaeffler to commit to the all-electric future.
The fact that even Mahle is now doing this sends a signal.
A new electric motor was presented, which was advertised as "unmatched small, light and efficient".
The biggest advantage of the new unit, known as "Superior Continuous Torque" (SCT), is that the engine can work at high power for an unlimited period of time.
According to new measurement results, the continuous output reaches more than 90 percent of the peak output.
Mahle spoke of a “technological leap” and the “electric motor with the greatest endurance”.
"It's easy to build large electric motors that deliver high performance in the short term," explained Martin Berger, Head of Corporate Research.
"What was still missing on the market to make e-vehicles fully suitable for everyday use were durable and at the same time compact drives." Mahle named driving an e-truck over mountain passes (which, however, apparently also existing technology is already possible) or repeated sprints of a battery-electric car.
According to Mahle, the continuous performance is made possible by oil cooling, which also allows the waste heat from the engine to be used in the vehicle.
By default, the drive uses a permanent magnet made of the rare earth metal neodymium.
This technology is considered particularly efficient and space-saving, but the mining of the metal is considered environmentally harmful and is also dominated by China.
For customers who want “greater independence from raw material prices and geopolitical developments”, Mahle also wants to offer the motor without magnets.
Last year, Mahle announced another breakthrough in the technology for electric motors.
While the new SCT model, with which the manufacturer is also targeting commercial vehicles, is said to be particularly efficient within a certain speed range, the drive system for cars presented at the time could cover a wide speed range.
Automotive suppliers like Mahle are seen as a challenge for the transformation from combustion engines to electric engines.
The company recently employed more than 71,000 people, but it is in a crisis and is repeatedly downsizing jobs and entire locations.
The company, which also offers air conditioners, no longer makes the majority of its sales with combustion technology.
Mahle has long been offering drives for e-bikes, for example, and now the range is to be expanded to include the electrification of all vehicles.
Officially, "the further optimization of combustion engines" is still part of the corporate strategy.
However, the new announcement sounds quite different.
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