Meeting customer demands with modular EDU and battery solutions.
When developing specialist and performance EVs, the challenge goes far beyond selecting an off-the-shelf powertrain. Each manufacturer brings unique performance targets, packaging constraints, and integration requirements. And add on the fact that no two platforms look the same. Powered by Everrati, our B2B division, engages directly with leading customers globally, capturing what they truly need from electric powertrains. Two areas emerge consistently as the most complex and variable: the electric drive unit (EDU) and the battery system.
On the EDU side, requirements diverge around power, torque, output speed, and packaging. For batteries, vehicles differ just as much: some vehicles don’t need to exceed 400V due to compatibility or safety considerations, while others require at least 800V to maximize performance and minimize weight. Add in variations in capacity (kWh), available package space, and output power (kW), and it becomes clear there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Designing a flexible EDU
To respond to this unique demand, our approach has been to build modularity into the EDU itself. A range of gear ratios, roughly from 10:1 down to 5:1, allows tailoring to different applications. A long driveshaft design maintains the critical <11° running angle to preserve durability while maximizing wheel travel.
Equally important, the EDU must not dictate packaging to the vehicle. Flexible mounting points are essential, as vehicles across different platforms present very different architectures. We’ve also ensured the EDU can be mounted facing forward or backward. That means full speed and torque must be available in both directions. While this may seem like a seemingly small detail, it makes all the difference between forced compromise and genuine integration.
A family approach to batteries
The battery system requires even greater adaptability. Rather than treat the battery as a single product, we’ve developed it as a family. Flexibility starts with the cells themselves: by using cylindrical formats, we can switch suppliers as needed, accommodating differences in chemistry and performance without locking ourselves to a single source.
From there, the arrangement of cells can be reconfigured. Think longer, shorter, wider, narrower, each to suit the vehicle’s package envelope. The challenge is to deliver this versatility without incurring prohibitive tooling costs. Our solution has been to adopt flexible manufacturing methods: using aluminum fabrications or flat composite panels joined by right-angle strips. This helps ensure we can build enclosures quickly, without extensive new fixtures or non-recurring engineering effort.
Enabling market entry
Conceptually, the goal across both EDU and the battery is the same: maximum flexibility, minimum tooling cost. By creating modular, reconfigurable systems, we allow customers, whether individual vehicle owners or OEM partners, to get to market at the lowest possible entry price while still maintaining quality.
In practice, this means that specialist and performance EVs can be developed without forcing platforms to conform to a fixed powertrain. Instead, the powertrain adapts to the platform. That philosophy not only preserves the integrity of the original design but also ensures long-term serviceability and customer confidence.
Doug Cross is a powertrain specialist with Everrati and wrote this article for SAE Media.
Source : SAE Media