New Heating Concept Increases Range and Enhances Comfort of Electric Vehicles

At the heart of the heating concept is a thin, cost-effective and easy-to-process foil from Louisenthal. The SmartMesh foil, as it is known, has a mesh of conductive tracks in its surface. The foil is easily integrated into doors, the center console and roof lining. On applying the operating voltage, it warms up and radiates heat into the passenger compartment for vehicle occupants. The heating foil is transparent which means it can be combined with ambient lightning or LED design elements.

In the heating concept developed by IAV and Louisenthal, the foils are integrated into the vehicle alongside the standard heating system, making a key contribution to maintaining occupant comfort.

Dr. Daniel Lenssen, Director Business Development at Louisenthal: “We can produce the SmartMesh foils on an industrial scale in large quantities, providing an energy-saving and more convenient addition to conventional heating systems for future electric vehicle concepts. The foil is one example of how we are applying our technological expertise in banknote and security papers to new industries where we can provide innovative development services.”

IAV has simulated use of the foil in vehicle trims with 3D CFD software and, using a demonstrator, shown how it works on a car door interior trim. The result of the simulation: to begin with, a comfortable climate in the passenger compartment can be achieved for the driver and passengers in less time at low outside temperatures thanks to the additional integrated heating foils. After the heating-up phase, the total amount of energy required for heating the passenger compartment can be reduced by up to 20 percent as a result of the heat that is radiated. This increases the vehicle’s cruising range – in the best case by up to six percent.

Rico Baumgart, team manager in IAV’s Vehicle Dynamics division: “We are currently seeing huge technological advances in electric vehicles. One of the main challenges is to increase energy efficiency and extend the cruising range. With this heating concept, we can show that, besides the obvious approaches, there are other ways of achieving significant energy savings and, with this, potential for increasing traveling range.”

Louisenthal
Louisenthal is a leading manufacturer of banknote substrates, security papers and security foils. Over 100 central banks and governments across the globe, including the European Central Bank, use Louisenthal products. The company also provides comprehensive security and service solutions in all phases of plant engineering from planning to commissioning production facilities. In the “Industrial Applications” division, Louisenthal applies the expertise it has built up over the years to new areas of application, and develops functional foils and papers, e.g. for the electronics or the automotive industry. At its production sites in Gmund am Tegernsee and Königstein near Dresden, Louisenthal employs around 1,100 members of staff. It is a subsidiary of the Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology GmbH technology group.

IAV
Employing over 8,000 members of staff, IAV is one of the world’s leading engineering partners to the automotive industry. The company has been developing innovative concepts and technologies for future vehicles for over 35 years, generating sales in excess of € 1 billion in 2019. Its customers include all the world’s prominent car manufacturers and component suppliers. Besides vehicle and powertrain development, IAV entered the segment of electric mobility and autonomous driving at an early stage and is now one of the leading engineering service providers in these fields. In addition to its development centers in Berlin, Gifhorn and Chemnitz/Stollberg, IAV also has further operations in Munich, Sindelfingen and Ingolstadt as well as in Europe, Asia and North and South America.

Giesecke+Devrient (Louisenthal)
Christoph Lang – christoph.lang@gi-de.com – +49 89 4119-2164 – +49 172 7451359

IAV
Kevin Schrein – kevin.schrein@iav.de – +49 30 3997-88453 – +49 172 1901432