ZF has a new EV powertrain that promises a 30 per cent winter range improvement

Vehicle tech supplier ZF has created a modular e-drive powertrain that it says gives electric cars up to 30 per cent more range in extreme cold conditions.

How so? The Select modular system – to give the thing its official name – combines electric motors, converters, inverters, transmission and the software package needed to optimise electron-fuelled propulsion, though the company says all the components are interchangeable.

The not-so-secret sauce is a magnet-free motor (I2SM, for the nerds), which ditches the permanent magnets in favour of a slimmer, lighter setup that saves five kilos and fits into tighter spaces. According to ZF, it chucks out up to 300kW (402bhp in old money), and generates a silly 4,057lb ft of torque. And it’s slicing energy losses by more than 25 per cent at motorway speeds.

Using something it calls 'TherMaS' - a compact, propane-based heat pump refrigeration circuit, rather than a pricey Scandinavian spa treatment – the German engineers have been able to extend range through heat management efficiency.

The results? At a nippy -7°C, you get 15 per cent more range compared to current systems. At a nose-freezing -25°C, you’re looking at up to 30 per cent more – which sounds pretty game-changing if you're based in the Arctic Circle. 

The multi-tasking design uses the inspirational 'X-in-1' (akin to your favourite shampoo) but by utilising power supply and battery for different things, there are fewer components contributing to those lightweighting gains. New innovations to the gearing, inverter and converter which among other attributes enable bi-directional charging, too.

ZF also acknowledges that there’s still a place for hybrids – set to be around for a few more years than first expected – so it has upgraded its eight-speed automatic transmission to be deployed in any kind of hybrid, not just mild and plug-in as it once was. Plus, there's that new generation of range extenders it's been working, too.