MAHLE at NAIAS 2019: MEET the mobility concept

DETROIT, Jan. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MAHLE, the leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry, will present its mobility concept "MEET" (MAHLE Efficient Electric Transport) during AutoMobili-D, Jan. 14-17, at the North American International Auto Show.

MEET is systematically aligned to the needs of urban mobility. The concept combines efficiency, comfort and driving pleasure – all at an affordable price.

The vehicle makes use of an innovative MAHLE 48-volt twin-power drive unit. It combines two electric motors, the transmission and a 48-volt electronics system. The MAHLE IPM (Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) traction drive provides maximum efficiency and dynamics.

Driving pleasure redefined – zippy, agile and intuitive
In urban traffic, maximum speed is not what counts. With a top performance of 40 to 60 kilowatts—depending on the model of the motor—MEET is very zippy in relevant speed ranges. The basic model of MEET accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h in five seconds. When using the new MAHLE motors, each with a peak power of 30 kilowatts, the time drops to less than three seconds.

Maneuvering and parking are supported by the torque vectoring functionality of the MAHLE twin-power drive unit, and MEET is rendered exceptionally agile thanks to the selective wheel-torque output of the two electric motors. 

Comfort
Personalized heating and cooling is produced exactly where it is needed. Innovative heating elements in the form of thin, flexible films produce surface heating with direct contact to the occupants.

Affordably designed for the end customer
Despite its technical sophistication, MEET is an affordable vehicle concept. There are several reasons for this:

• MEET is a platform concept. The modular approach can be flexible and transferred to a range of vehicle concepts.
• Economies of scale are generated. For example, the modular drive unit also may be easily used as an e-axle in a 48-volt hybrid system. In addition, MAHLE believes that all the technologies in MEET can be carried over into large-scale production.
• The 48-volt approach requires fewer safety measures in comparison with high-voltage systems, reducing the cost of the drive by 25 percent.

MAHLE combines expertise for new directions in e-mobility
MEET is the vehicle concept for tomorrow's urban mobility. With MEET, MAHLE is actively addressing current auto-industry challenges. MEET combines the broad MAHLE portfolio and expertise in the fields of thermal management, powertrain, electronics and user interfaces, and convincingly demonstrates what new directions in e-mobility will be.

About MAHLE
MAHLE is a leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry as well as a pioneer for the mobility of the future. The group's product portfolio addresses all crucial issues relating to the powertrain and air conditioning technology—both for drives with combustion engines and for e‑mobility. In 2017, the group generated sales of approximately EUR 12.8 billion with about 78,000 employees and is represented in more than 30 countries with 170 production locations.

SOURCE MAHLE