18 battery produced by Allotrope. The cell has relatively low energy density but extremely high-power density, enabling extremely fast charging whilst being robust enough to charge time and again with minimal deterioration. The research project analysed the applicability of cell technology to the use case of a pizza delivery moped, and Bassett recalls: “You could put in a decent charge in the space of 30 seconds. So, you could return to the shop, charge while you collected another load of pizzas, then go out on more deliveries. The technology was really interesting and it’s still being developed, so hopefully we’ll see it in an application soon.” Another bike project, partly funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and developed with White Motorcycle Concepts, considered development of an electric version of the Yamaha Tricity bike – the WMC3000e+ – for use by first responders and emergency services. MAHLE Powertrain’s role was to design and produce a bespoke battery pack with a premium placed on charging. The resulting, more conventional, 11 kWh lithium-ion battery delivered a beyondindustry-standard time of 15 minutes for a 20% to 80% charge. The team also explored fuel cell EVs in a project with Bramble, developing a Renault Kangoo van as a demonstrator. The team developed the balancer plant for the fuel cell stack, a controller and the vehicle integration, and it showcased this approach as a potential solution for certain powertrains that are difficult to electrify. The company’s work has, on many occasions, been supported by collaborative funding and third-party projects, much of which Bassett helped secure. He believes it is essential that investment in research from governments and innovative companies continues as we push to achieve our net zero goals. “It helps us to increase the amount of research work that we do, and it certainly alleviates some of the burden of undertaking that type of research,” he explains. “It’s quite challenging for us in the nature of the work we do, because we’re developing skills and capabilities rather than a physical product. “We offer a service, we don’t manufacture things, and the research funding tends to be targeted toward product development. Even so, having something we can point to and say ‘we’ve got this capability and you can see it in that’ is extremely valuable to us.” Looking into the future Bassett’s position as the technical lead at a company offering solutions across the entire vehicle powertrain gives him a strong understanding of industry trends, and MAHLE continues to research and develop ICE, hybrid and electric systems, with the goal of optimising each solution to work more efficiently, economically and with fewer emissions. So, what does the future of the vehicle powertrain look like? “That’s a really good question and I wish I had a really succinct answer,” smiles Bassett. “It depends on the timeframe. In 2035, the European passenger car market is set to be all EV and there won’t be a place for hybrids, but that path from now to then will be interesting and I think over the next decade we’ll see more range extenders. “If you look at China, their roadmap still has engines out to 2060. They’re taking massive strides into vehicle electrification – in some cities, all their taxis are electric, and these are cities of 15–20 million people – but then there’s lots of vehicles on the road and it is a country with developing infrastructure, so hybrids will be there for a long time to come.” Bassett suggests that the advance of plug-in hybrids over range extenders has been driven, in part, by tax breaks that have skewed design specifications in the wrong direction and he explains: “Historically, the platforms the manufacturers had led them down the hybrid route, rather than range extenders, but I think also some early range-extended vehicles didn’t help. “One particular product used a range extender that was a bit underpowered and if the battery got distressed, it revved at high speed, giving it a bad reputation for NVH. At the same time, plug-in hybrids were pushed onto company car users, but these users also often get free fuel, so they’re not incentivised to plug them in as often as they should. “It’s all about driving the right behaviour. I think that at the moment, 48 V mild hybridisation, from a May/June 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering In conversation | Mike Bassett The MAHLE Powertrain Stirling engine project
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