Our Solutions

In order to keep pace with the worldwide push for HEV, PHEV, and EV vehicles, OEMs, suppliers, and integrators are being driven to develop competitive and differentiated hybridized electric vehicle concepts. Developing these new vehicles can require years of effort, large budgets, new engineering resources, and access to new technology. There are also the additional challenges of evaluating myriad architectural options and producing a differentiated product that stands out from others that are entering the market.

EDI provides drivetrain products and technologies and the associated development support to OEMs, suppliers, and integrators which enable them to rapidly and cost effectively develop a market solution. EDI's products, including key drivetrain components, control software, energy management solutions, and proprietary technologies are combined with a collaborative vehicle development process in order to develop a superior hybrid vehicle solution as efficiently as possible.

Our products and capabilities apply to light, medium, and heavy duty applications and multiple architectural options addressing PHEV, HEV, or EV requirements. Our technologies are covered by multiple U.S. and international patents and are available as part of our commercial relationships.

Control software and algorithms

Managing the operation of hybridized drivetrains is a complex undertaking which requires the development of control systems and algorithms and software operations. Companies desiring to offer a hybrid vehicle in today's market will need to develop huge amounts of new software or will need to identify methods to extend their existing vehicle control software to handle the complexities of a hybridized system. The time and resource requirements of developing new control systems are daunting and can have a huge impact on time-to-market and development budgets. Additionally, the absence of internal IP or access to technology can also create additional market entry hurdles.

EDI has developed a large number of control algorithms and systems that apply to both parallel and series hybrids. We leverage these algorithms and systems to produce drivetrain controllers with the associated software for all types of vehicles and hybridized architectures which reduces the complexity of the development of new vehicles and provides our customer with maximum flexibility to achieve vehicle performance targets.

Hybrid and electric vehicle power transmission

Both hybrid and electrical vehicles have special power transmission requirements which stem from several needs, such as matching engine and motor speeds, shifting more frequently as dual power sources engage and disengage, and the need to provide both hill climbing and top speed capability when driving in all electric mode. Adapting traditional legacy transmission or gearbox approaches can work, but can also result in poor vehicle driveability, loss of efficiency, or excess vehicle weight and cost.

EDI supports requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles using all types of transmissions, but has also developed its own line of continuously variable transmissions (CVT) which provide high granularity and seamless shifting at very high efficiencies across a very broad range of vehicle performance. EDI's CVTs can be applied to both light duty and medium duty vehicles and can also be adapted to front or rear wheel drive configurations. These CVTs provide dramatic improvement in a vehicle's operation by reducing fuel and emissions as well as improving the all electric operation.

Drivetrain components

When developing a hybrid or all-electric vehicle, it can be extremely challenging to identify the exact requirements for drivetrain components or to identify sources for those components. This can result in developing a vehicle that is not optimized or is unnecessarily costly, especially when dealing with motors, transmissions, battery modules, charging systems, clutches, and other major parts of the system. EDI begins the development process with our customer by setting vehicle and market requirements and then produces models and simulations in order to derive the optimum architecture and component characteristics. From there EDI and its customer can use existing components where possible, or alternatively can decide to develop a new component which precisely meets the design needs for optimized performance and economics.

Access to intellectual property and technology

Companies entering the PHEV, HEV, and EV markets must also have access to intellectual property and proprietary technologies. Many companies who are just working on their first vehicle implementations may not yet have the IP or technologies required to complete their commercial offerings.

EDI has developed an extensive range of Hybrid/Electric vehicle technologies and patents in both U.S. and foreign locations and offer those as part of its commercial projects or product sales. EDI will also consider licensing its technology or patents to interested parties.