E-Mobility Engineering 015 l EMotive Scarab off-road truck dossier l In Conversation: Giulio Ornella l Hall effect and magnetic sensors focus l Challenge of batteries for heavy-duty EVs l Alpha Motor Corporation digest l Automated charging insight l HVAC systems focus

Standard of driving Rob Coppinger reports on Alpha Motor Corporation’s route to creating a more efficient range of EVs for the global market A lpha Motor Corporation’s latest vehicle, the Saga sedan, is building on the technical standardisation the company is applying across its range of vehicles. Announced in November last year, the Saga is continuing and expanding on the company’s Ace Coupe, with an additional emphasis on interior space. The 4.7 m-long, 1.91 m-wide Saga will carry five passengers and have 396 litres (14 cu ft) of storage space with a wide-format display for the driver. It is planned to have a range of more than 482 km (300 miles) as 250 miles covers 92% of a typical customer’s annual driving needs, with home charging, according to Alpha. Also, it will weigh 1905 kg (4200 lb) and come in two drive versions, rear wheel and all-wheel, with an expected acceleration of 0-60 mph in 6 seconds. Its wheel diameters will range from 16 to 18 in. Alpha’s passenger vehicle range will have two-wheel drive, with forward and rear-wheel drive options, and all-wheel drive. For light-duty vehicles and select compact vehicles there will be RWD and four-wheel drive options. The two-wheel models have a single motor, while the all-wheel version uses dual motors. A single motor for RWD is planned for the base models, while performance variants will get a dual motor, as they will be all-wheel drive. The standard RWD vehicle is planned to be powered by a 135-150 kW electric motor, while the all-wheel-drive system will have a combined power output of 270-350 kW. For the dual-motor models, a multi-speed gearbox is under consideration. The vehicles will recoup energy using motor regeneration, with the level of it being under user control according to the driver’s preferences and road conditions. Alpha also plans to equip the vehicles, including its Wolf electric truck series, with a single-speed transmission and a gear ratio of about 9:1. A single- speed transmission has been deemed sufficient for the needs of the vehicles to reach their top speed, and the company believes that a gear ratio of 9:1 to 9:5 is sufficient for the driving performance that customers will want. The vehicle platforms will have modular compatibility, being configured to support the standardisation of structures and components. That means all the vehicles are built around one of two platforms: utility and passenger. The utility platform is for the truck and planned SUVs. The passenger platform is for the Saga, Ace Coupe and other planned crossover models. Each platform will also have a common architecture and power configuration as well. This standardisation is expected to cut development time and costs significantly. The company intends eventually to have a line of vehicles for different markets, encompassing additional Alpha’s Saga five-seat sedan will have modular compatibility with its other EVs (Images courtesy of Alpha Motor Corporation) 50 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering