E-Mobility Engineering 015 l EMotive Scarab off-road truck dossier l In Conversation: Giulio Ornella l Hall effect and magnetic sensors focus l Challenge of batteries for heavy-duty EVs l Alpha Motor Corporation digest l Automated charging insight l HVAC systems focus

The competencies gained from this, combined with the rapid pace with which Dana acquired new companies from 2017 onwards, pulled Ornella away from being general manager at the mechatronics centre in order to better understand and integrate the technologies and skills in each acquisition in the group. For instance, Brevini was acquired in early 2017, and Ornella was asked to determine where its hydraulics, sensors and electronics fitted best into the group’s strategic move towards e-mobility. Subsequent acquisitions (and anticipated future gains) in inverters, electric motors, electronics and software prompted Dana’s executives to ask Ornella in 2018 to move to Ohio as a director and decide the future of the company’s electrification core engineering architecture. Frontiers of e-mobility These days, as vice-president of global engineering, Ornella has worked to merge the different competencies needed for robust, well-integrated electric powertrains, from computer sciences and electrical engineering to design and programming of motors and inverters, much as he had done 15 years earlier at Carraro. “Once again I’m in discussions with Ferrari, which has become our customer at Dana through the 2019 acquisition of Oerlikon Drive Systems,” he says. “As one example of the work we do for them, we’ve put powertrain components into production for the SF90 Stradale, which is perhaps the most technologically advanced car in Ferrari’s portfolio.” The SF90 is a PHEV sportscar with three e-motors that produce a combined 217 bhp (162 kW), with a maximum output of 735 kW when the car runs on its electric motors and its V8 3990 cc engine in combination. It also carries a 7.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that enables a 26 km range between recharges from either the engine or charging stations. “In fact, this project and the architecture of the PHEV at the heart of it follow closely what I worked on at Ferrari 15 years ago. The SF90 Stradale is four-wheel drive, but unlike the mechanical 4WD I worked on for the Ferrari FF, the SF90 is a fully electric 4WD system,” Ornella says. “It’s been a major challenge for the team to get it right, having two forward-wheel drive e-motors [with the motor on the transmission being provided by another company] spinning at 25,000 rpm, and innovations such as the electro-mechanical actuator, which allows dynamic connection and disconnection of the e-motors from the wheels in certain driving conditions to optimise efficiency and performance. But now all those technologies are really nicely integrated, and they’re inspiring new innovations in our other EV projects, creating other technologies you won’t find on mainstream EV platforms.” These days, Ornella leads Dana’s work on customising e-powertrain solutions for various major OEMs who are aiming to use electric and hybrid powertrains in their next-generation vehicles. “We are now developing the next generation of hybrid dual-clutch transmissions for high-performance cars, as well as other mainstream technologies such as single-, multi- speed and multi-motor independent and rigid e-axles from 100 to more than 500 kW of power,” he says. Those projects are by no means limited to high-performance cars. For customers such as Ford and GM, Ornella directs Dana’s r&d in designing and integrating e-motors and inverters for their heavy-duty drivetrains. “Advances in e-mobility engineering don’t require that you start with a blank sheet,” he says. “Optimal powertrains for, say, pick-up trucks can be made through a logical rethink of our past solutions for such platforms, with smart additions of new electrified ‘content’. “Obviously it’s not a simple task; the interactions between motors, inverters, software and mechanical components are complex, and they can have severe consequences on cost, reliability, NVH and packaging. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale contains Dana’s electro-mechanical actuator, which allows dynamic connection and disconnection of the e-motors from the wheels to optimise performance and efficiency 18 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering