The first electric disks from Steyr have long been tested intensively, the start of the series production is getting closer: while the mega project in terms of electromobility in the BMW factory in Steyr is clear by the construction of two new buildings and the installation of hundreds, new development tasks were rather unintentional. The engineers are now also heat specialists.
More than 1.18 million engines produced in Steyr last year rolled off the assembly line, including the first electrified discs of the production of Pre -Series, which was officially started in September 2024 – as the largest motorcycle factory in the group, the work in Upper Austria is something like the heart of BMW.
Development center with 700 employees
What you do not immediately think of: not only do discs are made at the location led by Klaus von Moltke, and research is also being carried out here. 700 employees work on the engines of the future. More than half of the research team are already involved in topics related to e-mobility. What does she keep on a trot? High -quality electric engines are developed in Steyr and inverter, ie inverters. And the heads also smoke about heat management.
Because: in Steyr, heat management is only developed for all new battery-electric BMW vehicles, which achieves the optimum range in terms of reach and the comfort for car-residences must also be kept as high as possible. Why is there a need for action here? While waste heat is created in the combustion process for diesel and gasoline vehicles, the energy for an electric car only comes from the battery, which in turn works best for body temperature.
First tests with the digital vehicle twin
This requires a lot of detailed work with a view to the components: of each new car, digital twins are made with all the heat sources for research purposes. A wide range of business modes and their effects on efficiency are then simulated on this. Only then will a live test with a vehicle.
“Efficient heat management can reach up to 15 percent more electric reach in our vehicles,” says Josef Honeder, who has led the development in the factory since 2022. With the new IX, Steyr’s know-how is already noticeable in the reach, also for the new class that will be built in Debrecen/Hungary of the Year, the heat management is exclusively from Steyr.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
