ISSUE 012 Winter 2021 Sigma Powertrain EMAX transmission dossier l In conversation: David Hudson l 48 V systems focus l 2021 Battery Show North America and Cenex-LCV reports l Everrati Porsche 911 digest l Switching insight l Motor laminations focus

Technical consultants Ryan Maughan founded the AVID Technology Group back in 2004, and has led its growth and development ever since. As well as being an award-winning entrepreneur, he is an engineer by background with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UMIST and an MSc in Engineering from the University of Durham. Ryan worked in the motor racing industry in his formative years, learning about high- performance engineering and developing a unique blend of hands-on practical skills with high-level engineering expertise. After a few years of working in a high-precision machining business, AVID was born, with the mission from the outset to develop new technology that will reduce emissions and fuel consumption of vehicles through improved control. Danson Joseph has had a varied career in the electrical power industry, having worked in areas ranging from systems engineering of photovoltaic power plants to developing the battery packs for Jaguar Land Rover’s I-Pace SUV. With a PhD in electrical machines from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, Danson has focused on developing battery systems for automotive use. After completing the I-Pace project he formed Danecca, a battery development company with a focus on prototyping and small-scale production work, as well as testing and verifying cells and packs destined for mass production. Dr Nabeel Shirazee graduated from Leicester University in 1990, where he studied electrical and electronic engineering. An MSc in magnetic engineering followed at Cardiff University, where he continued his studies, earning a PhD and developing a permanent magnetic lifting system that has been patented by the university. His interest in magnetics led to a patented magnetic levitation system that was awarded the World’s No 1 Invention prize at INPEX in the USA. In 1999, he founded Electronica, a magnetics research and design consultancy. Since then, he has been involved in various projects, including the design of an actuator motor for a British aerospace company. He has also licensed the levitation technology in France. Ryan Maughan Danson Joseph Dr Nabeel Shirazee Motorwire is ‘green’ WINDINGS Tau has started shipping prototype environmentally friendly winding wire to the automotive industry (writes Nick Flaherty). The wire combines minimised partial discharge, high fill factors and improved temperature resistance for high-voltage and frequency optimisation for electric motors. The higher performance of the wire enables producers of electric motors, cars, buses, trucks and aircraft to double the power output of future traction motors while keeping their size the same. The wire works in temperatures of more than 200 C and can withstand elongation and deformation from novel designs such as hairpin and needle windings in motors. It also has a partial discharge resistance of up to five times higher than standard magnet wire. Tau uses a solvent-free process it calls DryCycle that eliminates emissions of greenhouse gases and harmful volatile organic compounds. It combines the adhesion capabilities of enamel and the thinness of thermosetting polymers with a solvent-free dry extrusion additive process. Piero Degasperi, Tau’s CTO and co- founder, said the company is currently increasing production to support global manufacturers of electric cars, buses, trucks, aircraft and ships from early 2022. Tau’s winding wire works in temperatures of more than 200 C Winter 2021 | E-Mobility Engineering 11 TheGrid