Yamaha’s
new MOTIV.e city car concept, shown at the Tokyo motor show, is powered by an
advanced electric drive from Zytek that employs a range of new design
approaches to minimise the cost, weight and size of the powertrain while
maximising the performance and range. By supplying a number of core high
voltage components as an optimised system, Zytek is also minimising the time
required for vehicle development.
Zytek
says it is the world’s most experienced specialist EV/HEV design consultancy,
having worked with many of the major vehicle manufacturers worldwide. Today the
company is a leading supplier of all aspects of hybrid and electric vehicle
powertrain technologies across all vehicle sectors, complemented by expertise
in control systems, vehicle integration and manufacturing. There are now more
than 4,000 vehicles on the road driven by Zytek powertrains.
Based
at two dedicated engineering, product development and manufacturing facilities,
located in Staffordshire and Derbyshire in the UK and employing over 250 staff,
Zytek is a world leading supplier of expertise in automotive control systems,
powertrain management, electric / hybrid-electric vehicles, racing engines and
Le Mans Prototype chassis. Zytek has the capability to manufacture in low
volumes, simplifying customers’ development and field trial times with reliable
hardware and software.
MOTIV.e
comes from the partnership between Yamaha and Gordon Murray Design, using
Murray’s revolutionary iStream manufacturing technology to deliver a highly
efficient yet fun-to-drive electric vehicle at an affordable price. Zytek’s
sales and marketing director, Steve Tremble says that taking a fresh approach
to the powertrain is central to achieving these goals.
“Yamaha
wanted the vehicle to reflect the company’s reputation for outstanding
engines,” he adds. “Interpreting this in an electric vehicle has driven
excellence in performance and driveability, as well as in weight reduction and
efficiency, building on the potential of iStream to deliver an agile drivers’
car as well as maximising the range,” he said.
Zytek
supplies the electric motor, paired with a single speed reduction gearbox from
Vocis, and the electronic vehicle control module (EVCM) which provides the
interface between the powertrain and the rest of the vehicle. The low cost
power electronics is manufactured in high volumes by Zytek’s technical partner
Continental. To help achieve the light weight and high efficiency targets for
the MOTIV.e, the 25kW motor revs to 15,000rpm, much higher than comparable
units. This substantial increase in motor speed allows the electric engine to
be smaller, lighter and more cost-effective than previous-generation units.
“The
motor weighs just 13kg, the gearbox just 11kg,” explains Zytek’s engineering
program manager, Neil Cheeseman. “These are components that you can pick up
with one hand.”