WHAT’S IN THE BOX? – BYD’s 8-in-1 electrification system at a glance

Twice a month, Yole SystemPlus analysts share the noteworthy points from their automotive Teardown Tracks. Today, Benjamin Pussat, Technology & Cost Analysts at Yole SystemPlus, part of Yole Group, takes us to the heart of BYD’s all-in-one high-voltage powertrain, the most integrated electrification system on the market.

From the stand-alone units of 10 years ago to today’s most commonly used 3-in-1 Integrated Power Unit and e-axle, BEV high-voltage integration continues its unbridled progress. On this point, Chinese OEMs are at the helm. Chang’an and Leapmotor already offer 7-in-1 systems. BYD goes a step further by additionally embedding the BMS (battery management system) in the box(1). Thanks to strong incentive policies followed by penalizing regulations (dual-credit mandate), the share of EVs reached 27.6% in China in 2022 whereas it was 0% a decade ago.

The BYD 8-in-1 powertrain includes the BMS, VCU, inverter, PDU, OBC-DC/DC merged into one unit, and the gearbox/e-motor in another. The teardown was performed on all devices apart from the gearbox and e-motor.

Yole SystemPlus observed that the overall system space is optimized, with components placed very close to each other, and sub-boards soldered perpendicular to the OBC/DC-DC power board. This involves the implantation of an efficient thermal management solution characterized by the use of SiC technology for both inverter and OBC-DC/DC MOSFETS, thermal pads placed over critical areas, an insulating sheet and a water-cooling system.

Eleven boards were discovered. Four are used in the inverter area, the other ones in the OBC/DC-DC. Main component identification reveals that BYD still relies on foreign providers for most of the electronic components (led by Texas Instruments). However, local suppliers such as Runic, Len Technology, Novosense and Faratronic provide basic functions components.
Opening the system makes it clear that the Chinese OEM has adopted a self-sufficiency strategy, as most of the key power components have been identified as being manufactured or assembled by BYD (inverter SiC power module, output current sensor module, power relays, DC link capacitor…). This certainly helps the company to lead the total integration race.

More to come in December with cost analysis latest news (2). Stay tuned for our next What’s in the box? review!

Yole SystemPlus Automotive Teardown Tracks are the result of detailed physical and costing analyses. They are carried out by experts with academic and industrial backgrounds in the semiconductor domain. Yole SystemPlus Automotive Teardown Tracks offer a clear and fruitful understanding of the technical choices made by the leading manufacturers. It also reveals accurate insights related to manufacturing costs.

The company covers the overall supply chain from the components to the system. Based on daily technical and industrial monitoring, Yole SystemPlus has significant expertise to support innovation.

Benjamin Pussat is a Technology & Cost Analyst at Yole SystemPlus, part of Yole Group. With solid expertise in electronic systems and with a specific focus on automotive systems, Benjamin produces reverse engineering & costing analyses while also working on custom projects for the electronic systems teams. Benjamin identifies and analyzes the overall manufacturing process and determines the technical choices made for the system components. The objectives of this analysis are to understand the structure of the device, identify all the relevant components and determine the final manufacturing cost.

In addition, Benjamin updates internal tools and runs custom training sessions and demos with industrial organizations. He has also published some articles in the press.

Prior to Yole SystemPlus, Benjamin worked as an Engineering Technician at SEIA.

Benjamin holds a University Diploma in Technology in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Computing (Université de Nantes, France).

This article has been developed in collaboration with Yu Yang, Senior Technology & Market Analyst, from Power and Wireless Division at Yole Intelligence, and Amine Allouche, Technology & Cost Analyst from Yole SystemPlus.

Source: www.yolegroup.com