SOUTHFIELD — Two Detroit-area transportation technology companies said they’d be unveiling new hardware and details on one of the world’s most advanced cars at the 2015 SAE World Congress, to be held April 21-23 at Cobo Center in Detroit.
The plans are as follows:
* Auburn Hills-based FEV North America Inc. will be displaying a liquid-cooled high-performance battery designed for hybrid powertrains. FEV says the battery packs 80 kilowatts of continuous power, 200 kilowatts of peak power and a stored energy content of 10.4 kilowatt-hours — all in a package that weighs less than 300 pounds and takes up less than three cubic feet of space. The modules within the battery pack are liquid-cooled lithium-Ion cells.
* FEV also said it would exhibit a new “connected vehicle gateway module” that it says enables faster connected vehicle development. It allows electronic control units with different communication protocols to be integrated in a combined system architecture, along with other consumer electronics products. The gateway will be demonstrated as an enabler for the implementation of convenience and comfort features throughout the vehicle, such as a “smart seat” application that will be featured in the FEV exhibit.
* Troy-based Munro & Associates Inc. will also discuss material and lightweighting findings from the company’s extensive teardown of the BMW i3 electric vehicle. Making the presentation at 11:30 a.m. April 21 will be CEO Sandy Munro and Mark Ellis, senior associate. They will share the BMW i3’s notable use of carbon fiber, including key aspects such as the manufacturing of the vehicle’s carbon fiber life module, its polymer components, recyclability and safety. According to Munro, with its extensive use of carbon fiber, the BMW i3 introduced material and process technologies that have the ability to radically change the automotive manufacturing sector, as well as the aircraft, high-speed train, household appliance, computer and cell phone industries. During his presentation, Munro will discuss what his company’s extensive teardown and costing analysis uncovered and how it can be applied to future manufacturing processes and applications. Munro’s presentation is part of the SAE World Congress Tech Hub, which will use a series of interactive activities to provide concise, impactful exposure to truly innovative ideas and concepts, all geared towards examining the influences on future designs.
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