Development "X-in-1": More systems in Chinese electric drives

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An electric drive typically consists of an electric motor, power electronics, and a torque converter. In China, some manufacturers are increasingly integrating additional systems into the drive unit.

Henrik Bork, long-time China correspondent for Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau, is Managing Director at Asia Waypoint, a consulting agency specialized in China, based in Beijing.

The evolution of electric drives in China has just reached a new milestone. The first electric car with a "10-in-1" powertrain has been officially on the market since January 7th. It is the provisional climax of a trend that has become unmistakable in China's automotive industry – the ongoing integration of more and more components into increasingly complex electric drives.

An example is the "10-in-1" drive of the new electric car "Nammi 01", which is built by the Chinese car manufacturer Dongfeng. In addition to the electric motor and the reduction gear, further systems are integrated:

• the motor control unit (MCU),

• the direct current converters (DC-DC),

• a power distribution unit (PDU),

• the onboard charger (OBC),

• the vehicle control unit (VCU),

• the battery management system (BMS),

• the thermal management control unit (TMCU) and

• a temperature controller (PTC element).

Compact car for the mass market

The Nammi 01 is the first model of a new electric car brand by Dongfeng. With "compact electric cars," it has been positioned for the masses, essentially a Chinese "electric Volkswagen."

Whoever wants to conquer this market must produce particularly cost-effectively, and the integration of as many components as possible in the electric drive is supposed to help. This saves cables, plugs, and other connection parts – and in the long term also development costs and personnel costs in the procurement department, because orders do not have to be placed with as many suppliers.

Dongfeng manufactures the drive unit itself

"3-in-1 has become the norm and X-in-1 is currently booming," comments the Chinese specialist portal NE Shidai Xinnengyuan. It has become an "undeniable trend." The car manufacturers are the drivers of this development, as besides the drive batteries, the electric drives are responsible for a significant portion of the production costs of electric cars.

The "10-in-1" now introduced has the product name "iD3-70" and is built by Mach Power, a subsidiary of the auto group Dongfeng. Accordingly, electric cars of the Venucia and Aelous series, two more electric brands by Dongfeng, have also been equipped with highly integrated electric drives.

BYD, Huawei, and others: Additional OEMs work on X-in-1

As early as May 2023, BYD had introduced its own "8-in-1" drive. Previously, the electronics conglomerate Huawei, which is pushing into the auto industry as a supplier, had developed a "7-in-1" drive together with Seres. What was considered the ultimate in electric drives in 2020 – the "3-in-1" consisting of an electric motor, transmission, and controller – must be seen as somewhat outdated as of this year at the latest. Electric drives with more than three components, so-called "X-in-1", are very quickly gaining traction in China.

From 2020 to November 2023, the share of "3-in-1" in China's electric cars increased from 55 to 67 percent, a statistic from NE Shidai shows. However, the market share of electric drives with more than three components is growing even faster. The "X-in-1" have increased their share from less than one percent to as much as 19 percent over the past four years.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer announces highly integrated drives

In addition to the car manufacturers already mentioned, Changan Auto, GAC, JAC, Leapmotor, Nissan, the Nio subsidiary XPT, and Tesla have introduced various versions of "X-in-1" drives. Even Nanjing Iveco, a minibus manufacturer, has announced that its new model will be equipped with a "6-in-1" electric drive.

Last year, the integration trend in electric drives seems to have accelerated even further. In March, Nissan invented the term X-in-1 for its "5-in-1" drive in Yokohama, Japan, a designation that has since become industry-wide. Together with Nidec and Renesas, the OEM is working on a "6-in-1" drive.

40 percent less installation space

In June, the Chinese car manufacturer JAC launched its "JAC Yiwei Y3" with a "9-in-1 Super Electric Drive" under the hood. This drive claims 40 percent less installation space compared to weakly integrated systems.

In September, Changan Auto showcased its "7-in-1". And there are more examples. "A smaller drive system provides more space inside and more storage space in the front and back. The same battery power can thus offer a longer range," writes the trade magazine Qiche Shangye Pinglun.