· SB LiMotive lithium-ion battery as energy store

· Market for electric vehicles to gain in significance from 2020

Alternative drive technologies are becoming increasingly important, even if the internal-combustion engine is set to dominate the automotive market for the next 20 years. Even today, Bosch is working intensively on the development of alternative drive systems, which will make the automobiles of the future even more energy-efficient and will further reduce emissions. In doing so, the company is responding not only to legislative demands to further reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, but also to stricter emissions legislation worldwide and to the risks resulting from the finite supply of fossil fuels. Bosch is developing power electronics, electric drives, and – in its SB LiMotive joint venture – lithium-ion batteries for use in the automobile. Different versions of these systems and components can be fitted to all types of electric drive concepts. These range from hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, electric drives combined with a range extender, and purely electric drives, to the fuel cell as an energy converter.

Hybrid drives as a bridge to the electric car
Hybrid drives allow fuel consumption and emissions to be further reduced in conventional drive concepts. The mild hybrid achieves this by providing a comfortable start-stop function, by supporting acceleration with a power boost, and by recovering electrical energy during braking operations. This makes a smaller and more economical internal-combustion engine feasible. In the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), this mild hybrid approach results in fuel savings of up to 15 percent as compared with a modern gasoline engine.

A strong hybrid approach, on the other hand, has the additional advantage of making purely electric driving over short distances possible. For this, the car needs a more powerful electric motor and a larger battery. Here, fuel savings amount to as much as 25 percent. The plug-in hybrid goes a step further. This system can be recharged from the power grid and makes purely electric driving over longer distances possible.

The electric car with a range extender, which is a small, highly efficient internal-combustion engine, goes even further. When the battery reaches a low charge level after a longer drive with the electric motor alone, the range extender kicks in to recharge the battery. The range extender always runs at the ideal operating point, meaning that it consumes less fuel. The next step is an electric vehicle which runs solely on a larger battery that is recharged exclusively from the power grid. If a renewable resource has been used to generate this energy, then we can speak of almost zero-emission driving. Both hybrid and electric vehicles are especially suited for inner-city driving.

Broad product portfolio for the advent of the electric drive
Bosch has been working on hybrid technologies for over 30 years and has a wealth of experience at its disposal – including extensive know-how in battery, electric drive, and brake management as well as engine management and transmission control. The company has already built up a broad portfolio of components, including electric units that can be integrated into the powertrain of hybrid vehicles. These units can also be used as separate solutions for the final drives of hybrid and electric vehicles, or as high-voltage alternators in range extenders. The essential element of this Bosch portfolio is the power electronics – with an integrated DC/DC converter – that controls energy flow in hybrid and electric drive systems. Bosch is working on relevant technologies for recharging the batteries of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

For recovering the energy expended during braking, Bosch is developing a new ESP® system that electronically coordinates the braking power of electric motor and friction brakes. In addition, alternative drive technologies call for electric and highly efficient auxiliary systems, such as the electric support of power steering which Bosch already offers through its joint venture ZF Lenksysteme GmbH. The first series-produced vehicles with Bosch hybrid technology, the Porsche Cayenne and the VW Touareg, are set to roll off the line in 2010. Bosch has also signed an agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroën to create a strategic partnership for diesel hybrid vehicles. Apart from drive electronics, Bosch will also develop and deliver the electric motors for the electric final drive at the rear axle of these four-wheel drive vehicles.

Energy store of the future: the lithium-ion battery
As the energy store, the lithium-ion battery will play a decisive role in the advent of the electric drive. In their SB LiMotive joint venture, Bosch and Samsung SDI have pooled their know-how to further develop this technology for automotive applications. The main aim of this joint venture is to improve the energy density of this battery threefold, and to cut costs by two-thirds. The battery must have high cycle durability and a long service life. In addition, it must function under all operating conditions and at all temperatures. SB LiMotive plans to start large-scale series production of battery cells for hybrid vehicles in 2011, and for electric vehicles in 2012. BMW will be the first SB LiMotive customer for lithium-ion batteries. The German automaker will install the batteries in electric cars that are currently being developed as part of its “Megacity Vehicle” project.

Bosch estimates that the market for electric drives will gain significance as from 2020. Of 100 million newly manufactured cars, 6 million will by then be hybrid vehicles and 3 million plug-in hybrids and electric cars.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI6745 - September 2009