Variable architecture electric vehicle platform
Freely adjustable wheelbase
Building a multi-variety, small-scale EV-based production base

The automotive market is shifting towards mobility based on electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles.

However, EVs have different components required for vehicle operation, such as battery packs and motors, from internal combustion engine vehicles, so there are limitations in reusing internal combustion engine platforms, such as powertrains.

Using a dedicated EV platform allows for optimal placement of components to maximize space utilization, and is also advantageous in terms of interior and exterior design.
The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) has developed a 'variable architecture electric vehicle platform' that can produce various types of industrial EVs, such as shuttles, logistics, and cleaning, using a single EV platform.

The EV platform developed by the team led by Hyunrok Cha, head of the EV Components and Materials Group at the Southwest Regional Headquarters, has a variable structure that allows for free adjustment of the wheelbase, which is the distance between the vehicle's front and rear axles.

As the wheelbase gets longer, the battery capacity that can be installed increases, which increases the transport capacity and driving range, but the vehicle price also increases by the amount of battery capacity installed.

On the other hand, if you utilize the developed platform, you can get the vehicle that the consumer wants.It is possible to produce a variety of small-quantity EVs, reflecting the vehicle's mileage and price, and because it is a single platform, the manufacturing process is simplified, reducing production costs.

The structure of the variable architecture EV platform is largely composed of a front wheel frame, a rear wheel frame, and a center frame where the battery pack is mounted.

The core of the technology is the 'variable module', a connecting part that connects the center frame and the front and rear wheel frames. By inserting the variable module between the two frames according to the vehicle specifications, the vehicle length can be increased by up to 40 cm in the longitudinal direction and 28 cm in the lateral direction, and the suspension height can also be adjusted depending on the insertion location.

We also developed an integrated drive module that integrates the motor, inverter, and reducer, which are essential components of EVs but were previously manufactured as individual parts.

The developed drive module can be placed in one space, which is advantageous for securing space, and can be equipped with motors at each end, so it can produce an output of up to 120 kW.

In addition, to increase the convenience of installing the battery pack, a metal bar was installed inside the center frame and a slide method was applied to insert it by sliding it in.

The research team is currently conducting research to integrate Level 3 autonomous driving technology into the developed EV platform, and plans to conduct a pilot operation of autonomous vehicles on a 2.9km course that goes back and forth between Bitgoeul Chonnam National University Hospital and the Senior Welfare Center, which have a large elderly population, within this year.

Autonomous EVs based on a variable platform are expected to be used in unmanned shuttle buses, cleaning vehicles, and delivery vehicles that travel along set routes at speeds of less than 30 km/h due to their advantageous characteristics for small-scale, multi-variety production in the future.

Group Leader Cha Hyeon-rok stated, “We are promoting an agricultural EV business together with the Daegyeong Electric Vehicle Cooperative to quickly commercialize the variable architecture EV platform,” and “We will work to build an electric vehicle industry ecosystem led by small and medium-sized enterprises in the future.”

Meanwhile, the Daegyeong Electric Vehicle Cooperative is an organization established in December 2018 by 11 small and medium-sized enterprises, including root companies in the southwestern region, joining forces.