What Will the Electric Powertrain of the Future Look Like?
At IMKT, we are exploring this question as part of the Opt4E research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The project brings together collaborators from the Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics at the Leibniz University Hannover, TU Munich, TU Darmstadt, and numerous industry partners. During the third biannual consortium meeting, held on April 1–2, 2025 at Schaeffler AG in Schweinfurt, project progress was presented in lectures and workshops, while future trends in electric vehicle powertrain development were discussed collaboratively.
At IMKT, we are responsible for developing loss power models for rolling bearings and seals, which are integrated into the multi-criteria optimization of the overall powertrain—a key step toward more efficient and sustainable mobility. These models are validated through extensive component testing using low-viscosity and water-containing lubricants.
In parallel, from March 31 to April 4, 2025, we jointly showcased our research at the Hannover Messe. At a joint exhibition booth, visitors were introduced to our work on electric powertrains through a demonstration model and an interactive presentation of our current development platform.
