MOTOR UPDATE
March 29, 2021 Reading time 2-3 min
Project Titan is the internal name of Apple’s electric car. And Hyundai Motor Group is helping the tech giant. The project went viral when Hyundai blurted out in January that it was in the “early stages” of a partnership. with tech giant Tim Cook.
And the latest reports hint that Kia will work closely with the Bitten Apple. The question is clear: What is it that has made the Korean manufacturer’s new E-GMP platform so attractive? The product of four years of intense development, the Global Electric Modular Platform has been designed to adapt to very different electric vehicles and keep costs down.
That part is not new: VW, BMW, and Geely (to name a few) have been implementing similar solutions. The novelty here is that the platform groups the motor, transmission and inverter in the same module, like a Tetris. Being lighter and more compact, they allow the chassis to be pushed down and obtain the lowest possible center of gravity.
It also uses a five-link rear suspension to gain comfort and dynamism. On the other hand, the new batteries use 40% fewer parts than the current range and have a 10% better energy density than any current Hyundai or Kia EV. E-GMP vehicles will be powered by a rear-mounted high-power engine as standard, although a front engine will also be offered for all-wheel drive.
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Unlike the VW Group, which is putting high-performance electric vehicles on a separate platform (PPE), Hyundai wants to use the E-GMP for everything, so a default rear engine provides greater flexibility. “We are also working on some more interesting and challenging high-performance applications that will even go up to 600hp.” reveals the head of R&D, Albert Biermann. “With the front-wheel drive architecture, maybe the high-performance driving is a little more limited.”
That’s not to say that all-wheel drive E-GMP models aren’t fun. Hyundai’s engineers have made it possible for the front engine to be disabled when necessary, whether for performance or efficiency reasons.
The platform battery has a capacity of up to 500 km of range, and when charged from an 800 volt source, 80% takes as little as 18 minutes –you can charge 100 km in 5 minutes. It will also accept a power supply less than 400 volts without the need for an adapter, a world first. Basically the E-GMP redirects the 400 volt power through the motor and inverter where it is stepped up to charge the 800 volt battery.
The omni-directional charging capability allows E-GMP vehicles to eventually be able to charge with sustainable energy during the day and then power homes at night.
And solid batteries are also in play. “We have a roadmap to follow, and the possibility that E-GMP will at some point benefit from a solid state battery is high.”Reveals Biermann. Therefore, the E-GMP is a great option for Apple’s “Titan”.
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