December 29, 2020
2085
At Rimac, precise development and advanced engineering are everything. Therefore, in order to carry out the latest development and testing phase before the first batch of customers are delivered next year, we have been keeping C_Two at the latest pace. On the road, on the track and proving ground, and in the laboratory.
As part of C_Two's rigorous testing procedures, in order to meet the certification requirements, the engineering team has been cooperating with the German engineering expert IAV and the testing service provider SLG. There, experts specialize in EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) testing. In today's increasingly connected and gadget-focused world, EMC testing has become particularly important.
The principle behind EMC is to test all electrical equipment and their performance in the real world, whether it is the electromagnetic radiation emitted, or the way they react when the input is affected by the outside world. Without such in-depth testing, many things will not function properly, from the car’s air conditioning and radio systems to road infrastructure (such as speed cameras and traffic lights).
When developing electric vehicles, EMC testing is critical, and this task is particularly important when developing one of the most powerful cars to date. Electromagnetic radiation is measured according to the standard ECER10 approved by the European Union, which is essential for car certification. At Rimac, we focus on superior quality levels and overall customer experience, and we strive to go beyond the goal of merely meeting minimum standards.
Before conducting any vehicle level tests, Rimac has implemented the most advanced development methods for all high and low voltage systems (including batteries, powertrain-inverters, OBC, controllers, communication protocols, etc.) from the early design stage. This approach involves our team adopting industry standard solutions from the beginning, such as filters and Y-shaped bottle caps, and then using our advanced tools to enhance them at the mature stage of component development.
For vehicle testing, C_Two was placed in a semi-anechoic EMC room. With the help of a hybrid absorber and a ground plate, it can be completely sealed from external interference, which means that the car can be thoroughly tested without any risk of external electromagnetic radiation penetrating the room and affecting the results.
During the test, the prototype C_Two was driven at a certain speed and was exposed to radiation levels of 20MHz to 20GHz. In a specific time interval, electrical-based systems such as air conditioners, lights and wipers are also turned on to assess whether the car can achieve the expected performance every time, flawless and reliable. In keeping with the advanced features of the car, the test also considered each specific driving mode of the car, such as range and tracking, to ensure that the car's inverter and power distribution can respond as expected.
After the test is completed, the professional team will disassemble the prototype, evaluate each key component separately, and discuss the results to determine any areas for improvement. Then reassemble the car, put it back into the EMC room, and perform the process again to make sure everything is in order. Because EMC is even regarded by experts as "black magic"; the test aims to understand the overall behavior of the vehicle and determine the biggest influencing factors. The test itself is better than expected by the standard specification, but further improvements are still needed before the strict internal goals and quality standards are met.
