Steinbauer Has a Power Module For The Smart EVs

All the cars in the tuning house fleet deserved treatment for more power.

By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

Sep 30, 2019 at 5:17pm ET

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Steinbauer has a fleet of electric cars. They were bought from 2016 on and include a Tesla Model S P90, a Model S P90D, and nine Smart EVs. This is mostly how the company has developed the PowerModules for EVs. Not only for the Model S, as we told you in a previous article, but also for the Smart EVs. It makes the little cars go from 55 kW (74 hp) to 70 kW (94 hp) — a 27 percent improvement.

Steinbauer Develops The First Power Enhancement Module for Tesla

That is because Steinbauer made the PoweModule for the third-generation Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, which had 55 kW. The new one, which made the brand go fully electric, has 60 kW. A 27 percent improvement would make it reach 76.2 kW (102 hp).

Steinbauer says the PoweModule brings a 25 percent improvement both power and torque wise. The third-generation Smart had 130 Nm (96 lb-ft). A 25 percent increase would lead it to 162.5 Nm (119.9 lb-ft).

The graphic below shows Steinbauer managed to take it to 174 Nm (128 lb-ft). A 33.8 percent improvement. It is usually wiser to overdeliver than to promise more than you can accomplish.

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As with the Model S, the installation takes 45 minutes and it is of the plug-and-play kind. But how does it work? “We monitor the voltage and temperature of the cells. The module is basically doing the same Tesla was doing with the Ludicrous update. We release more current to the motors, depending on drivers torque request,” said Herbert Steinbauer, CEO.

“The power of an electric motor consists of voltage multiplied by the current. We can’t change the voltage, only the current. It is easy to calculate the output on electric motors. Normally, no testbench is needed. We just use what Tesla and Daimler already designed.”

Does it affect the warranty? According to Steinbauer, not at all. “As with all aftermarket products, consumers are protected by the Magnuson Moss Act. All Steinbauer products leave the manufacturer safety settings in place. The battery is protected with the main fuse.”

You may be wondering how much does the PowerModules costs. Tesla used to charge $10,000 for the Ludicrous update, but Steinbauer is happy with just a fraction of that. “The PowerModule is already available in the US market for $2,960 from our Michigan Warehouse. The PowerModule for the Smart EV is also available for $1,400. Steinbauer already sells the PowerModules in China and Europe.

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