E-Power will be moving us

We all know that the electric motor will be replacing the ICE (internal combustion engine) motor in lots of vehicles like cars, trucks and off-highway machinery. EVs (electrical vehicles) are increasingly conquering the roads. Several pros and cons regarding EVs are politically motivated, some are called “alternative facts”, however, there are always the technical facts because there is no “alternative physics”. These facts show that it is much easier to control an electric motor in terms of speed and torque than an ICE motor – thanks to power electronics.

Not only the control but also the efficiency of a propulsion system is a big issue, and when it comes to EVs the challenge is to get the longest range from a given battery: We all want more miles per gallon, or respectively, more miles per kWh. The diesel-powered ICE engine has set the standard by enabling almost 500 miles (800 km) between two stops at a gas station, but do we really need such a high range for our daily commute?

With the help of recuperation, we can feed the energy released during negative acceleration (also known as braking) back into the battery. These systems have improved over the years, so that less and less braking energy is converted into heat. As a result, the brake discs of EVs wear much less, which in turn reduces particulate emissions and maintenance costs.

In the past, if you needed to brake gently to a standstill, a hydraulic brake was always required – until now! At the IAA motor show in September 2025, the German automotive supplier ZF will be presenting a brake that smoothly brakes to a standstill purely electrically using the drive motor alone. I tried this out on a test drive and I was very impressed with the system.

However, it's not just the functional safety concept and the sophisticated braking control algorithm that fascinated me, but also the fact that ZF’s motor inverter also acts as a bidirectional charger when the vehicle is in parking mode. Although this means lower sales for the power semiconductor companies, it also enables much more compact designs at considerably lower costs. Bodo’s magazine is delivered by postal service to all places in the world. It is the only magazine that spreads technical information on power electronics globally. We have EETech as a partner serving our clients in North America. If you speak the language, or just want to have a look, don’t miss our Chinese version at bodospowerchina.com. An archive, of every issue of the magazine, is available for free at our website bodospower.com.

My green tip of the month:
Go with the seasons: In summer, wear a shirt with short sleeves and set the air conditioning to a summer temperature; as the A/C also reduces the humidity, 25 °C (77 °F) in the office feels wonderful. And, when you go back outside, the temperature shock will be less. Here too, good inverter control helps us in everyday life.