Compared with silicon‐based Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), silicon carbide (SiC) Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor Field‐Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) are characterized by higher operating temperatures, switching speeds and switching frequencies, and are considered the next evolutionary step for future electric drives. The application of SiC MOSFETs in the field of electrified vehicles has brought many benefits, such as higher efficiency, higher power density, and simplified cooling system, and can be seen as an enabler for high‐power fast battery charging. This article reviews the benefits of SiC MOSFETs in different electrified vehicle (EV) application scenarios, including traction inverters, on‐board converters, and off‐board charging applications. However, replacing Si‐IGBTs with SiC MOSFETs introduces several new technical challenges, such as stronger electromagnetic interference (EMI), reliability issues, potential electric machine insulation failure due to high transient voltages, and cooling difficulties. Compared to mature silicon‐based semiconductor technologies, these challenges have so far hindered the widespread adoption of SiC MOSFETs in automotive applications. To fully exploit the advantages of SiC MOSFETs in automotive applications and enhance their reliability, this paper explores future technology developments in SiC MOSFET module packaging and driver design, as well as novel electric machine drive strategies with higher switching frequencies, and optimized high‐frequency machine design.

The complexity of automobile powertrains grows continuously. At the same time, development time and budget are limited. Shifting development tasks to earlier phases (frontloading) increases the efficiency by utilizing test benches instead of prototype vehicles (road-to-rig approach). Early system verification of powertrain components requires a closed-loop coupling to real-time simulation models, comparable to hardware-in-the-loop testing (HiL). The international research project Advanced Co-Simulation Open System Architecture (ACOSAR) has the goal to develop a non-proprietary communication architecture between real-time and non-real-time systems in order to speed up the commissioning process and to decrease the monetary effort for testing and validation. One major outcome will be a generic interface for coupling different simulation tools and real-time systems (e.g. HiL simulators or test benches). In this paper, we show the seamless transition from a purely simulated vehicle in a MiL (model in the loop) co-simulation to a heterogeneous testing scenario with an engine test bench linked to real-time models. First, the offline co-simulation consisting of a GT-POWER engine model, a SimulationX transmission model and a dSPACE ASM vehicle dynamics model is set up. All models are parametrized based on extensive vehicle measurements. Second, the engine model is substituted by an engine test bench which is coupled with the same real-time simulation of the transmission and the vehicle. A suitable closed-loop interface between the simulation, the dSPACE HiL simulator SCALEXIO® and a test bench automation system is created. Finally, the simulation results and test bench measurements are compared with a real test vehicle. The results show a good congruence and a high potential for the use of test benches and MiL co-simulation in early project phases. Standardization requirements for a real-time capable simulation interface are derived from this use case.

The use of state-of-the-art model-based calibration tools generate only limited benefits for seamless validation in powertrain calibration due to the often neglected system-level simulation of a closed-loop vehicle environment. This study presents a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL)-based virtual calibration approach to establish an accurate virtual calibration platform using physical plant models. It is based on a customisable real-time HiL simulation environment. The use of physical models to predict the behaviour of a complete powertrain makes the HiL test bench particularly suited for Engine Control Unit (ECU) calibration. With the virtual test rig approach, the calibration for the critical extended driving and ambient conditions of the new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) requirements can efficiently be optimised. This technique offers a clear advantage in terms of reducing calibration time and costs. The physical nature of the plant models permits to extrapolate the behaviour of the system under a wide variety of real driving conditions, e.g. varied ambient conditions (hot, cold, and altitude) with limited initial calibration effort.The article focuses on the practicality and usability of the virtual calibration approach. It demonstrates extended usage of HiL and optimised performance of the physical engine model including a crank-angle-resolved combustion model. In addition, other real-time capable powertrain models such as driver, transmission, vehicle, and after-treatment system models are implemented into a closed-loop environment with the ECU as the hardware component. After calibration of the plant models, the overall accuracy of the HiL test bench has been validated using steady state and transient cycle measurement data. The investigations focus on the accurate prediction of pressure, temperature, and emissions for different ambient conditions. Also, a strong emphasis was placed on the practical application examples for the air path and emission calibration using the HiL test bench and virtual calibration approach. The obtained calibration dataset has been compared with the calibration of the same development vehicle. Finally, the ECU dataset, generated with the HiL approach, is validated on the reference vehicle under RDE conditions.

Pulse and glide (PnG) is a driving strategy that controls vehicles in a more fuel-efficient way than driving at a constant speed does. It can be applied by the driver or, which is more likely, by an automated system with autonomy level one or higher. During the pulse phase, the vehicle is accelerated to operate the combustion engine and transmission at higher efficiency. During the following glide phase, the vehicle decelerates and the engine is decoupled from the drive train. The optimal pulse and glide strategy — as addressed in previous studies — implies high acceleration values and abrupt transitions between pulse and glide, which both degrade the ride comfort. A driveability study on PnG conducted recently identified that the acceleration, the jerk during the transitions and the duration of the glide phase have to be limited to reach the desired level of ride comfort. Thresholds have been derived for a level-eight calibration, i.e. a PnG operation that is noticeable only to skeptical customers. We use the results of the study to also provide thresholds for a level-seven calibration, i.e. a PnG operation that is noticeable to all customers without being disturbing. Subsequently, we establish a correlation between ride comfort and fuel consumption by comparing the fuel savings of three different driveability calibrations: level eight, level seven and a calibration without driveability constraints. The simulations are performed for a D-segment vehicle and two different gasoline engines. With reference to constant speed, the fuel savings of the level-seven calibration are larger than 30% below 40km/h, decreasing gradually with increasing speed. They are around ten percent higher than those of the level-eight calibration and only a few percent lower than those of a PnG operation without driveability constraints. Hence, the level-seven calibration can nearly exploit the maximal fuel-saving potential of PnG, and, as it is not disturbing, should be considered for practical applications of PnG. The PnG strategy can be applied to any vehicle equipped with a combustion engine that features the engine-off functionality, which is the case for mild and full hybrids and for some micro hybrids. However, considering that the benefit of PnG increases with increasing engine size, the fuel saving potential of PnG is highest for micro and mild hybrids as these vehicles are commonly equipped with larger engines than full hybrids.