EV INTERIORS
“Any surface can be smart
and aesthetically integrated,
saving space and weight”
Juha Kokkonen, CEO, Canatu
3
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com // January 2020 // 103
workshop to think
about what we do next.
We had to do something
completely diff erent, to
rethink our brand. The
result was to create a new
Volkswagen with emissionfree
mobility. After four weeks we
had to come up with a family. We
couldn’t create models in that time,
but we made full-scale drawings on
paper showing the family at our
presentation hall. All the
resulting ID concepts at the 2019 Frankfurt
Motor Show were part of that presentation.
When the I.D.3 was done, the idea of the
platform with a fully-electric battery between a
long wheelbase with short overhangs was
developed, to get the proportions right. Then
the process started across the VW Group
brands, as it was a huge investment.”
The all-electric platform that underpins all
the forthcoming models is known as MEB
(Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) and will
spawn not just the next generation of VW EVs
– starting with the I.D.3 hatchback in mid-2020
– but numerous Seats, Skodas and Audis too.
This platform could equate to millions of full
production EVs on the road within the next
decade. But arguably from an EV layout point
of view, moving the front axle and fi rewall
forward gives benefi ts of a larger, usable
interior space.
Smart design
Where the Group’s designers are innovative
with MEB is the one that hosts the production
Porsche Taycan and the forthcoming Audi GT
e-tron. One key innovation is the hollowing
out of rear footwell space in the otherwise
rectangular battery pack by moving some of
the batteries to the outer edges of the car to
allow more room for the rear passengers’ feet,
allowing them to sit deeper within the car and
enable a lower roofl ine more in keeping with a
performance sedan. A further scalable VW
Group Premium Platform Electric architecture
MATERIAL WORLD
Electric powertrains present several
challenges to interior designers, whether
the need to be lower vehicle weight to
maximize efficiency or combatting the
effects of ambient noise as a result of the
absence of an engine. Lightweighting is
a big area of focus with advanced textiles
able to shave off vital kilograms to increase
driving range. It is estimated that a 10%
reduction in vehicle weight can result in an
8% increase in driving efficiency.
Nissan has addressed both of these
concerns with one single product, thanks to
the introduction of a new lightweight sound
insulation material called acoustic metamaterial,
which was revealed at this year’s
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Designed to make the cabin quieter
while also boosting energy efficiency,
the advanced material, which has been in
research since 2008, uses a combination
of a lattice structure and plastic film
that suppresses air vibrations to limit
the transmission of wide frequency
band noise such as tire noise from road
surfaces. Nissan claims the new material
weighs only a fourth of the heavy rubber
materials that are typically used for sound
insulation, while providing the same level
of performance.
As a result of its simple structure it can
cost the same, or possibly cheaper to mass
produce than current materials, meaning
it can be applied to more areas of the cabin
where sound insulation is currently limited
due to cost.
(PPE) will be used for future full-size and
luxury models. Standard models will get an
electric motor at the rear while high-end
versions will gain a second electric motor
on the front axle, plus be able to
accommodate diff erent battery sizes and
therefore mileage ranges. The architecture
will also allow for low and high-fl oor
vehicles from upper-medium cars to luxury
SUVs, estates and crossovers.
Automotive supplier Canatu believes EV
interior design can also benefi t in less
obvious ways. “The replacement of air
ducting with a new type of panel heater
creates signifi cant saving in space between
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