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

application. That is because, after 8 years, the batteries are estimated to retain up to 70% of their original capacity and are still useable. For its Adventure series, Alpha intends to deliver enhanced thermal management and driving performance for their off-road like performance. The enhancements are needed because the Adventure customer is expected to want to drive in temperatures below or above 15 C and 35 C, respectively. Alpha adds, “Portable external batteries are another potential solution for range extension.” For the DC-AC power arrangement for battery-to-motor power transfer, Alpha is integrating Californian company Auto Motive Power’s AMP Energy Ecosystem and its energy management unit (EMU). The EMU has been designed to reduce the cost of vehicle power electronics and save space by reducing the component count. Alpha says the EMU is 70% smaller than the “industry average”, which is about 20 litres. This, it adds, reduces the overall weight of the vehicle and improves its range. The EMU features an 11 kW onboard charger (OBC) and has a bidirectional capability. That means it can use the OBC as a vehicle-to-load or vehicle- to-grid (V2G) 3 kW DC-DC converter, or for DC fast charge, as well as power distribution for 12 V loads. Alpha’s vehicles are also planned to have full ISO 15118 compatibility. This is an international standard defining V2G comms interfaces for the bidirectional charging and discharging of vehicles. Talking tough Another level of communication is secure wireless vehicle diagnostics, which will operate at about 2.4 GHz with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. Alpha plans to give its vehicles’ maintainers access to complete vehicle diagnostics via secure wireless technology, but the development of remote vehicle operation is not prioritised. It does not think the general consumer will be interested in remote vehicle operation and the additional purchase costs that come with it. Alpha will however eventually evaluate remote vehicle operation for future adoption based on market feedback; its vehicles will have an advance driver assistance system (ADAS) though. This will provide cross-traffic alerts, blind- spot indications, parking assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking and forward collision warning. Customers will also be offered remote keyless entry, USB connectivity, Bluetooth and an auxiliary socket. Other interior options will include push motor start, power windows, heated seats, heated steering wheel, air conditioning, electric heated mirrors, an audio system, steering wheel-integrated controls, a speed limiter and an adjustable steering wheel. The ECU, from AMP, that will control these elements will be uniform across the Alpha range. It will be embedded in the electrical and electronic vehicle architecture that controls such components. Alpha’s vehicles are also planned to have a common active liquid cooling system consisting of two cooling loops. The secondary loop is for managing the interior environment, while the primary loop will regulate temperature variations between the battery and the external environment. For example, in an indirect liquid- cooled battery management system, refrigerants inside insulated tubes flow through channels in a cold plate to provide cooling to the battery packs. The fluid will expel heat to maintain battery temperature in the 15-35 C range to maximise battery life. Charge accounts To charge the battery fully at home, Alpha estimates it would take 2 days using a regular wall outlet. Its cars are therefore planned to come with a 6 m-long 110 V NEMA 5-15 charging cable, which will allow about 3.2-6.4 km of range per hour of charge. For public charging, the Wolf truck can be charged at an estimated 16-32 km of range per hour of charging using a standard Level 2 charger. In the US, Level 2 charging stations are becoming more widely available, and are typically installed near places such as retail stores and restaurants. The Rex has a body-on-frame construction and accommodates two people The Wolf offers 1.22 m 3 of storage space 52 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering Digest | Alpha Motor Corporation