The next-generation coolant heater sets new standards for electric high-voltage heaters in terms of installation space and weight.
25 Aug 2023 | 2545 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Like a number of global suppliers, Webasto is set to display its latest products and innovations at the IAA Mobility 2023 trade fair in Munich next month. One such product is its next-generation coolant heater with which Webasto is launching an electric heating system built on a platform basis, allowing ...
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Like a number of global suppliers, Webasto is set to display its latest products and innovations at the IAA Mobility 2023 trade fair in Munich next month. One such product is its next-generation coolant heater with which Webasto is launching an electric heating system built on a platform basis, allowing it to be flexibly adapted to meet different customer requirements.
It is based on innovative heating technology that is integrated into an installation-space-optimised heat exchanger and is suitable for both 400- and 800-volt vehicle architectures. Its heat output is scalable between three, six and nine kilowatts. The new coolant heater also facilitates a flexible interface with the customer’s vehicle architecture, irrespective of voltage and heat output.
“Webasto is setting new standards for electric heating with the Next Generation Coolant Heater,” states Marcel Bartling, Chief Technology Officer of Webasto. “The concept is our answer to wide-ranging customer requirements and allows us to scale along demand. The new platform gives our customers a flexible interface. By taking a modular approach we are able to achieve a high level of production automation, offering excellent flexibility in terms of the higher volumes we can manufacture. We have already won our first European order and are now looking forward to launching the innovative concept – which we fully expect to reach production standard in two years’ time – at the IAA trade fair this year.”
Sustainable development
The new coolant heater is a refinement of the company’s HVH portfolio. The platform concept is specifically designed to meet OEMs’ increasingly tight installation space constraints and saves both weight and raw materials. “For example, the aluminium content of the next-gen coolant heater is reduced by almost 50 percent compared to the actual 10 kilowatt variant, ensuring a weight reduction of 30 percent,” explains Bartling. “Webasto is taking an important step towards sustainability with this new concept.”