High-voltage battery: maximum protection, minimum weight
High-voltage battery: maximum protection, minimum weight
The ID.3 is powered by a high-voltage battery that is integrated in the underbody in a crash-proof construction. Watch and see how safety and lightweight construction have been taken to a new level in the ID.3 battery design.
Safety and lightweight design in the ID.3: for the first time, Volkswagen is offering fully-clad underbody protection – made of aluminium and designed for the lowest possible aerodynamic drag (cw value). This ensures efficient driving and optimum stability while also providing considerable weight savings and clearly sets the ID.3 battery design apart from the competition. Norman Tenneberg, sub-department manager for high-voltage battery housings, underbody applications and wheel housing liners, tells us how challenging the work on the crash-proof battery housing was.
What exactly was your role in this project?
Together with my team, I was and am responsible for the high-voltage battery housing, the wheel housing liners and the underbody cladding of the ID.3. For the first time, we have manufactured full-surface cladding and, thus, achieved an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cw value). In general, our team worked on coordinating the three assemblies in order to achieve optimal results in terms of range, space and driving dynamics. What is the ideal way to integrate the battery into the vehicle floor? How does the battery housing have to be designed – especially in the event of an accident? For this purpose, we designed solid aluminium collision protection for the lowest level. This is not only light but also ideal for the aerodynamic drag coefficient of the ID.3. We have never had something like this before at Volkswagen. A crash frame also protects the aluminium battery casing above it – this ensures optimum stability as well as a considerable weight savings and clearly sets our approach apart from competitors who still use steel solutions.
What inspired you the most when developing the ID. family?
Despite the complexity of the project, the team pulled together as a unit right from the start. Ultimately, this project represents ground-breaking electric vehicle from Volkswagen. We soon realised that the battery is the heart of the system and is compactly integrated into the MEB vehicle floor. So for the first time we developed a vehicle around the battery. This new approach and how we achieved the innovative solutions is still moves when I think about it.
We´ve introduced an extraordinarily smart and safe battery system for the ID.3.Norman TennebergHead of subdepartment High Voltage Battery Housing,
Underbody cladding and Wheel Arch Liner
At what point did you realise that electric mobility is about to make a breakthrough for everyone?
For me, there was no particular point. Every day that I worked on this project has made me believe more and more in e-mobility. We have transformed “pure” numbers, which previously only existed on the computer, into a tangible and suddenly real and measurable product. I simply realised that there is no truly influenceable reason why electric mobility – especially in terms of price and range – should not work. If you tend to use the ID.3 in the city, you can select the small battery at a reasonable purchase price. If you tend to drive longer distances, you will receive a range of up to 550 kilometres when you buy the large battery.
In detail: which technology do you find most fascinating in the new ID.3?
For me, it is the “battery” system as a whole – with its completely new challenges and corresponding solutions. I think that we have created an extraordinarily smart and fascinating battery system in ID.3. The idea behind it: We have developed a much more powerful battery system despite a deliberately less complex battery architecture when compared to today’s high-voltage batteries. The result is a highly variable product that can be quickly and easily integrated into all upcoming ID. models, each with completely different performance levels.
When you look at the project as a whole, what was the biggest challenge you faced?
As a multinational company, we want to position the ID. range in all the different markets around the world. Striking the right chord there has always been an incentive and challenge alike. In China, the world’s largest customer for electric vehicles, we often experienced changing boundary conditions throughout the course of the project and always had to respond with a technical answer. There, as in other regions, powerful, sustainably produced and affordable batteries are the key to promoting a breakthrough in electric mobility.
What have you personally taken away from the project?
I had the feeling that, metaphorically speaking, the more the battery housing came together in 3D data and hardware, the more we came together as a team. There’s nothing we can’t do with this amazing team.
