Hyundai Motor Group Orders Vitesco EMR4 Axle Drives For New EVs

It's expected to be used in new global B/C-segment electric vehicles.

By: Mark Kane

May 7, 2022 at 10:00am ET

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Vitesco Technologies officially announced that Hyundai Motor Group has placed a major order for its latest EMR4 (Electronics Motor Reducer) axle drive.

The value of the deal is estimated at the €2 billion ($2.1 billion) magnitude, which suggests a multi-year, high-volume electric car in the pipeline.

The EMR4 axle drive (3-in-1 drive) is Vitesco's fourth generation of axle drive, which integrates into a single package an electric motor, power electronics and a gearbox (single-speed also called a reducer).

According to the press release, the Hyundai Motor Group is expected to use the EMR4 in its new global B/C-segment electric vehicle, although there are no details about the vehicles.

What Vitesco says is that the South Korean manufacturer will use a 400 V/160 kW version of the EMR4. We guess that Hyundai will use it in new small EVs (below the E-GMP platform, which runs at higher voltage 600-800 V), like the successor to the electric Kona.

Vitesco supplies EV parts for Hyundai's E-GMP platform as well (including 800 V SiC inverters).

Andreas Wolf, CEO of Vitesco Technologies said:

"We are proud to contribute to Hyundai Motor Group's upcoming electric vehicle platform with this highly attractive axle drive. This order once again confirms us in our strategy with the very early focus on electric mobility."

Vitesco EMR4

The EMR4 is available in a range from 80 kW to 230 kW, which is significantly wider than the previous EMR3 (120-150 kW).

The company underlines its high efficiency, partially thanks to the use of silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics, as well as a high level of integration, which results in a compact size and light weight.

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Vitesco Technologies EV solutions: The EMR4 consists of an electric machine, power electronics and a reducer and delivers significantly greater power scaling between 80 kW and 230 kW

The new EMR4 appears much smaller in the provided image. Vitesco underlines that it supports a particularly high level of scalability to cover the need for complete vehicle platforms and different vehicle segments.

Thomas Stierle, member of the Executive Board and head of the Electrification Technology business unit at Vitesco Technologies said:

"For our new electric axle drive, we have standardized the internal interfaces, while generating the greatest possible flexibility externally, so that we can offer customized and at the same time cost-optimized solutions."