Since the inception of electric vehicles, chargers have played a key role recharging the battery and ensuring that it is always operating safely and maintained in a good condition to deliver the best performance. Chargers, vehicles and batteries were all simple enough in the early stages of the technology, but as battery systems and charging safety requirements have become more complex, the need for more sophisticated charging solutions has emerged. Electrification of commercial vehicles accelerated the transition from alternator-powered auxiliaries,…

TM4 is adding 4 new electric powertrain options with increased performance within its SUMO family of products: SUMO HD HV3500-9P SUMO MD HV1800-3P SUMO MD HV2200-3P SUMO MD HV2400-6P   These new motor and inverter combinations have been optimized in terms of power, torque and speed. Within the SUMO HD line, the new SUMO HD HV3500 allows up to 350 kW of peak power, an increase of over 100 kW compared to the most powerful system already offered by TM4.…

TM4 introduced its first SUMO powertrain system in the market during the summer of 2012, which means that this family of products is now entering its fifth year of deployment in dozens of vehicles applications. With more than 75 million kilometers of real road driving and no design-related failures, the technical and commercial success of this product family is evident. More importantly, it helped TM4 establish itself as a global supplier of electrified commercial vehicle drivetrains, both by expanding its…

TM4 offers its SUMO direct-drive powertrains for the bus and commercial vehicle markets. They represent the best compromise between efficiency and simplicity for our customers looking to electrify their commercial vehicle platforms. But why did TM4 come up with this design choice, you  may ask? When TM4 first started to develop motor and inverter systems for the commercial vehicle market, our original idea, as a company mainly involved in automotive projects, was to design a high RPM and high power…

Ultimately, one of the key to being able to optimize the hardware design and the control software of inverters acting as motor controllers is having an in depth knowledge of the design of electric motors. It is one thing to ensure that electric motors and inverters not only have the highest possible efficiency as standalone products, but to design a truly efficient powertrain system, the challenge is keeping the combined efficiency of these components at the highest level possible.

One question our sales representatives often get is related to Dana TM4’s multi-phase approach; what advantages do 6- and 9-phase electric powertrains provide in comparison with more traditional three-phase systems? Let’s take a look at the top 5 benefits multi-phase systems can offer.

Selecting the right electric motor to fit a particular vehicle isn’t always straightforward. There are so many variables to consider that it can be difficult to know where to start. Given the price of batteries and electric motors, in order to find the most economical solution, you should look for a powertrain that will fit required vehicle performances as close as possible. In this article, we will overview 10 basic questions that you need to answer before attempting to find…

Electric motors have been around since the 19th century and are used in a diversity of applications. They can be found anywhere, from small toys and electronics up to electric vehicles and industrial applications. Electric motors for electric vehicles are broadly classified into two categories: ASYNCHRONOUS MOTORS SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS   The choice of a traction motor technology for an electric vehicle is crucial for the design of the whole system. Many criterions such as efficiency, cost, reliability and power density must…