44 September/October 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering torque in a really compact package,” explains Jesus Molina of Cascadia Motion. The module integrates BorgWarner’s HVH410-150 motor core in a custom housing, integrated with a CM350 inverter, delivering 280 kW of continuous power and 425 kW peak power, with respective torque figures of 1580 and 2700 Nm, operating at up to 850 V DC and 6000 rpm. Weighing approximately 190 kg and measuring 420 mm in axial length and 546 mm in total height, it also has a shallow sump that extends 296 mm from the shaft centreline to the bottom. The system is also available with silicon carbide inverters, using BorgWarner’s Viper power modules, offering up to 2% efficiency gains over IGBT switches. Cascadia Motion’s newest integrated drive module, the iM-575SiC was also highlighted in the show, featuring an oil-cooled, fully flooded internal design paired with a water–glycol (WEG) cooling system. As with all integrated drive modules, the WEG circuit cools the CM350SiC inverter first, then the oil (Dexron VI automatic transmission fluid), which in turn cools the rotor and stator via a dedicated heat exchanger. Dürr presented the latest iteration of its advanced battery production concept, developed in cooperation with GROB, which the company says achieves a 50% reduction in factory footprint and energy use compared with that of the earlier design unveiled in 2024. The breakthrough stems from two innovations: GROB’s Z-folding machine integrating notching into cell assembly, and Dürr’s dry-coating process for electrodes that eliminates the need for dryers and solvent recovery, according to Dürr’s Kristin Roth. “We’ve eliminated energy-intensive drying and solvent recovery systems entirely,” Roth explains. The dry process uses a dry-mixed active material that is pressed into a free-standing film without a current collector, enabling 100% material reuse until the film is laminated onto the current collector. Excess active material gets recycled directly, contrasting with wet coating where the active material is applied directly to the current collector, making waste recycling extremely difficult. Where traditional plants required separate areas for drying and solvent recovery, the new concept does not require these steps, thereby saving space. The dry-coating line uses modified calendaring equipment to press films before low-force lamination onto current collectors. Although the scalability of dry coating stalled earlier industry attempts, Dürr is confident. “We are currently demonstrating the proof of concept of the dry-coating process on a scaleddown gigafactory model,” Roth says. In collaboration with a cell manufacturer from the automotive industry, Dürr plans to implement the technology in a pilot line on a gigawatt scale. Hutchinson Automotive introduced an integrated refrigerant module using propane (R290) as the working fluid. Designed to optimise thermal management in EVs, the module offers significant weight savings, efficiency gains and sustainability benefits. The compact system integrates short refrigerant lines, compressor brackets, and sensor arrays, serving both battery and cabin cooling loops. “The advantage is weight saving; we use less refrigerant compared to R1234yf systems, and the design allows for dual modules in a vehicle, reducing line length,” explains André Schittenhelm of Hutchinson Automotive. Propane operates at lower pressure and temperature than CO2-based systems, simplifying component design and enabling the use of standard refrigerant lines instead of costly metal alternatives. The system is regulationcompliant, with Europe favouring propane and North America exploring CO2 owing to safety considerations. “The quantity of propane is limited for safety, but the system maintains cost efficiency and material compatibility with existing R1234yf components,” Schittenhelm adds. Beyond refrigerant modules, Hutchinson also develops cooling fluid modules featuring TPV-knitted plastic lines. These lines offer a 20–30% weight reduction and a lower CO2 footprint compared with traditional EPDM hoses. Their layered construction ensures flexibility and durability, validated through OEM lifetime testing. The design supports sustainable materials, incorporating up to 30% bio-based or recycled content. Currently in the quoting phase, Hutchinson expects the propane module to be market-ready within 2–3 years. Heimdalytics discussed how it aims to bridge the gap between laboratorygrade analysis and real-world battery management with its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven state estimation platform. By combining electrical impedance spectroscopy with machine learning, the system detects subtle degradation patterns that conventional BMS parameters often miss. The core technology excites battery cells with multifrequency current signals (up to 1.5 kHz) and analyses voltage responses to generate Nyquist plots. “Human eyes can spot correlations between these plots and a battery’s Show report | The Battery Show Europe Cascadia Motion’s iM-425 integrated drive module, which includes the HVH410-150 motor core with the CM350 silicon carbide inverter, is a solution offered for heavy-duty off-highway trucks (Image courtesy of the author)
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