Renesas Electronics, a leading global supplier of semiconductor solutions, today announced the world's first "8-in-1" proof-of-concept (PoC) design for electric vehicle (EV) E-Axle systems. The design, which controls eight functions through a single microcontroller (MCU) and was developed in collaboration with Nidec, integrates key components such as a motor, reduction gear, inverter, DC/DC converter, and on-board battery charger (OBC). To ensure high performance, the system has been validated through system-level testing.
The E-Axle is an electric vehicle power unit that combines a drive motor, a gear system, and an inverter to optimize the size and weight of the system through a high degree of integration, making the design of an electric vehicle simpler. As the core technical supporter of the 8-in-1 E-Axle system, Renesas provided the necessary semiconductor components and reference designs. In addition, Renesas plans to introduce a wider range of "X-in-1" system semiconductor solutions to the market based on the designs validated by this PoC, so that developers can quickly evaluate and deploy X-in-1 systems and significantly accelerate the development of electric vehicles.
Working in tandem with Nidec's motors and gears, the eight functions of PoC include: Renesas inverter (output power of 70~100kW, maximum efficiency of 99% or above), 1.5kW DC/DC converter, 6.6kW OBC, power distribution unit (PDU), battery management system (BMS), and positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater control. Whereas typically requires a separate MCU and power management IC (PMIC) control for each functional block of an E-Axle system, Renesas has innovatively implemented a single MCU and PMIC to manage the entire 8-in-1 system. By consolidating multi-function modules into a single MCU, the PoC effectively reduces component count, cost, and size.
Photo: Renesas Electronics and Nidec Corporation jointly develop the world's first 8-in-1 PoC design (Source: Renesas Electronics)
Renesas' PoCs incorporate a variety of optimized Renesas products, including 32-bit automotive control MCUs RH850/U2B, PMICs, RAJ2930004AGM isolated gate drivers, IGBT modules for inverters, and power devices that support DC/DC converters and OBCs. These innovations enable Renesas to provide complete system support and software services to enable the key equipment of the X-in-1 system to support the development of electric vehicles.
Chris Allexandre, senior vice president and general manager of Renesas' power business, said, "We are very pleased to introduce the world's leading 8-in-1 E-Axle system and have proven its superior operational performance in close collaboration with Nidec. By combining our power management products with digital solutions, we are committed to providing our customers with complete, off-the-shelf system-level solutions that help them accelerate development and reduce time to market.”
Ryuji Omura, Senior Vice President, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, and Head of Semiconductor Solutions Center, Nidec, also said, "The rapid development of the electric vehicle market is driving the growing demand for compact and efficient E-Axle systems. A single ECU solution reduces system weight and cost while reducing the number of components. We are honored to have co-developed the world's first 8-in-1 system PoC controlled by a single MCU with Renesas, and we are deeply grateful to the Renesas team for their enthusiasm and support." This project made us realize the importance of scalable design, and the integration of the X-in-1 system can be adjusted according to the needs of different market segments. With the flexibility to configure the software for multi-core MCUs, we hope to lay a solid foundation for an X-in-1 platform that can be broadly adapted to a wide range of combinations.”
