#WorldEVDay & The Secret to Navigating Complexities & Uncertainties of EV Transition

Part 1 of 4: Nexteer’s focus on product alignment with megatrends

As we celebrate the fourth annual #WorldEVDay, the automotive industry finds itself at a defining moment in its EV transition journey. Many OEMs are rethinking their timelines, volumes and powertrain mix of BEV, hybrid and ICE to navigate uncertainties and varied consumer adoption rates across global markets.

Regardless of the ultimate “right” EV transition plan, all OEMs and vehicle types require steering, driveline and software solutions that deliver safe, green and exciting motion control solutions that overcome challenges in this transition.

OEM Cost & Consumer Affordability:  A Modular Approach  

To achieve affordability while also investing heavily in electrification and advanced technologies, OEMs are searching for innovative ways to offset their costs while also accelerating speed-to-market with vehicles that excite consumers.

At Nexteer, we’ve found that modularity and innovating with existing technology building blocks is key to affordably achieving the trifecta of safe, green and exciting solutions.

Our latest modular steering offering, Modular Pinion-Assist EPS (mPEPS) is Nexteer’s third modular steering design, completing the modular portfolio that also includes Modular Rack-Assist EPS (mREPS) and Modular Column-Assist EPS (mCEPS). These solutions offer a scalable building block approach that drives down cost, accelerates development speed and achieves flexibility required to meet a wide range of OEMs’ requirements across various propulsion systems.

Plugging Into Electrification: Technology Considerations for EVs

While modular designs’ strength lies in their affordability, speed and flexibility, we’re also cognizant of considerations specific to EVs.  Here are just a few…

• Heavier, Quieter Vehicles: Our steering technologies, such as High Output EPS, are capable of handling EVs’ heavier load requirements, while supporting improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) objectives.
• Packaging Flexibility, New Safey & Performance: We’re also an industry leader in Steer-by-Wire (SbW) that offers both under-hood packaging flexibility (such as EV batteries) and the opportunity to revolutionize the cockpit and HMI designs. SbW will also unlock new safety and performance features that are not achievable with traditional steering systems.
• Optimizing Battery Life, Comfort & Control: Nexteer driveline technologies include high-efficiency joints and lightweight axle bars that help extend battery charges and achieve optimal NVH performance – enhancing comfort and control. EVs are quiet and don’t mask road sounds like traditional ICE vehicles, so it’s imperative to engineer quiet and robust driveline and chassis systems to maintain and improve the overall driving experience.
• Driving Standardization & Offsetting EV Transition Costs Through Software: The costly transition to EVs and convergence of megatrends like electrification, software and connectivity are accelerating the need to standardize hardware and streamline vehicle development by shifting from hardware to software-defined vehicles (SDVs). SbW technology is an excellent example of this trend that allows more commonality and standardization of the mechanical steering system, with the customization of features and functions achieved through flexible software solutions.OEMs are using this transition as an opportunity to start from a “clean sheet” to rethink and modernize their electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures to develop their innovative SDV platforms. Nexteer’s software solutions and capabilities help OEMs efficiently design, develop, test and seamlessly integrate software to drive down costs and accelerate speed-to-market, while also introducing new, exciting performance, safety and convenience features throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.

As OEMs navigate this pivotal moment in the global EV transition, the winners will be those who successfully balance innovation with affordability – attracting consumers across all global markets by delivering safety, sustainability and excitement.

At Nexteer, every one of our almost 13,000 team members around the world are committed to doing exactly that – not only on #WorldEVDay – but every. single. day.