Engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo has won two UK government-backed innovation competitions to develop novel solutions for electric heavy-duty vehicles focusing on improving efficiency and performance, as well as reducing the cost.
Ricardo will be partnering with the University of Bath for both projects. For the first, which is funded by the Faraday Battery Challenge, supported by Innovate UK, Ricardo will investigate the efficacy of integrating power electronics – a modular, series-connectable inverter and charger – into a battery pack, and understanding whether this novel approach can help to reduce the total cost of ownership.
The project is targeting to deliver efficiency improvements and reduce the powertrain mass, leading to savings of around £1,000 per vehicle. Ricardo added this will help to accelerate the wider-scale adoption of electrified commercial vehicles.
The second project, which is funded by funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK, Ricardo is developing technologies for future higher voltage (1400V) electric trucks to enable greater efficiency and faster charging. This includes the development of a modular battery pack, advanced power electronics and an electrified drive unit optimised for high voltage use.
According to the consultancy, the benefits of these technologies will be assessed through the development and use of advanced desktop tools, which will also support us to optimise the technology configuration and control while focusing on minimising total cost of ownership.
Teri Hawksworth, president of Ricardo automotive and industrial EMEA division, said: “Heavy duty vehicle CO2 regulations will require manufacturers to reduce their fleet average CO2 emissions significantly. These targets will not be achieved just by improving current technology but will need new powertrain technologies.
“Fleet operators have incurred considerable costs through the accelerated fleet renewal. Ricardo is committed to supporting manufacturers and fleet operators by driving cost out of electrification, leveraging our world-renowned expertise in battery, electronics and motor innovation to help achieve net zero ambitions.
Earlier this year Ricardo received government funding to develop a retrofit hydrogen fuel-cell bus demonstrator for the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub in the northeast of England.
