Siemens, Volvo team up to push electric-car advances

Siemens and Volvo have announced a new partnership aimed at advancing the technical development of electric cars.

The two companies plans to jointly develop electrical drive technology, power electronics and charging technology, as well as find ways to integrate those systems into Volvo’s C 30 electric cars.

The first Volvo C 30s fitted with Siemens electric motors are expected to be on test tracks by the end of this year. Beginning in late 2012, Volvo then plans to deliver a series of up to 200 vehicles to Siemens, which will then be tested and validated under real-life conditions as part of a Siemens internal test fleet.

Electric power train, battery management and charging technologies are considered to be key in the development and production of electric cars.

As part of a comprehensive energy concept for sustainable electric mobility, Siemens is also working to industrialize the production of hydrogen for fuel cells. The goal is to convert temporary excess energy from renewable power generation into “green” hydrogen. That hydrogen can then be directly used in industrial applications and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as in battery-powered electric cars by means of a prior power re-conversion process.