BYD Microelectronics transducers log >130M miles in EVs over 5 years
22 May 2014
BYD Microelectronics (BME), a division of the global BYD Company Ltd., announced that the Multi-channel, Current Transducers in BYD Electric Cars have reached an operational milestone of more than 130,000,000 miles in the last five years. The EVs have operated for more than 400,000 miles each and the BLX9 (the main BME multi-channel current sensor) has performed without a single issue over 5 years, according to the company.
The BLX9 is used for the electronic measurement of currents: DC, AC, pulsed, mixed, with a galvanic isolation between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit. Automotive applications include hybrid and EV battery pack current sensing; fuel cell current control; DC/DC converters and AC/DC inverters; hybrid and EV motor inverter drive; and EPS and X-by-wire applications.
The BYD BLX9 was designed to minimize system footprint and reduce power consumption. It is an open-loop, Hall-effect, three-channel system that measures all three phase current leads in a single module. It is designed to withstand extreme temperatures as high as 125 ˚C and as cold as -40 ˚C . The BME has 24 different current transducer product lines with 2-10 models in each series. Its range covers from 6 amps to over 2000 amps.
Each transducer meets EN50178 standards and has transient in-rush current and power-source-reverse-polarity protection with CE/UL/ROHS markings. BYD says that the BME current transducer yields excellent linearity, high accuracy, and robust anti-interference capabilities.
BME was created in 2005 to provide quality and customized integrated circuits and discrete power devices for BYD’s vertical integration manufacturing. BME designs and fabricates power management ICs, power MOSFETs, IGBTs, FRDs, IPEMs, IPMs, TVSs, current transducers, CMOS image sensors, ambient light & proximity sensors, touch control ICs, touch panel modules, etc.
BME products cover applications in automotive, new energy, industrial, telecom and consumer electronics. BYD Microelectronics is located in Shenzhen, China, and has a turnkey service foundry in Ningbo, China, with sales and distribution offices in Asia, Europe and North America.
Well, good for you BYD. But put this in context... if we conservatively assume 2.5M of the 3.5M or so Prii produced are still in service, Toyota's sensors log about 140,000,000 miles every couple of days. And they work REALLY well. And they're REALLY affordable.
Posted by: Herman | 22 May 2014 at 07:29 AM
Who said that BYD (Chinese manufacturers) cannot build high quality components, i.e. often a lot better than our locally built lemons from our Big 3?
Herman's selective comparison may be true today but with China's auto factories ramping up towards 30+ million units a year in the near future, it may not hold up for too long.
I and my extended family are happy Toyota HEV users today but we may have to switch to extended range affordable BYD BEVs or PHEVs soon.
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 May 2014 at 08:10 AM
Whoa, Harvey: read my post again...
"Who said BYD cannot build high-quality components"
I didn't. But there's a reason why BYD delayed competing head-to-head in global auto markets and, like Wanxiang, elected to go after the bus market instead for awhile. Consumer choice of middle- and upper-class Chinese buyers continues to be skewed toward non-Chinese brands. Read the 8 Apr NYT article "China’s Embrace of Foreign Cars" to see how strong established Western brands perform amongst the most rational consumers in the world. Quality just isn't there yet.
Oh, and as for Big 3 lemons? The recent 1.46M GM car recall for a fuel pump bracket was driven by defective parts manufactured in the PRC.
I am a big follower of the China auto manufacturing base and like you I expect many great things -- I recommend subscribing to autonoewschina.com for a reasonably unbiased perspective with a pretty optimistic view of China manufacturers.
Now, I meant it when I said "good for you, BYD". Making an accurate, rugged, affordable sensor for automotive motor applications is hard. REALLY hard. So yay for them: a great start.
"Herman's selective comparison"
BYD was the one making a very specific press release about hall effect sensor quality -- not another word about the quality of their integrated automotive product. So I'm not the selective one. And when you flash REALLY BIG numbers ("130,000,000 miles" with all those impressive zeros) it is entirely reasonable to compare other industrial participants doing the same thing.
BYD's own press release: 130Mmi total, 400kmi per vehicle. That's 325 vehicles.
Toyota (and their extensive supplier/partner base) builds that many in a single shift.
Also remember that the Prius (and associated applications of the Hybrid Synergy Drive) has been tested worldwide in pretty much every possible climate and endurance challenge as well as service-related issues. So it's entirely reasonable that the BYD accomplishment be examined against a current global standard.
Posted by: Herman | 22 May 2014 at 11:24 AM
I agree with you that Toyota's HEVs are the most mature products in that specific field. That's why our extended family is equipped at 80% with them.
That being said, it does not mean that other manufacturers (including many Chinese manufacturers) cannot or will not make very similar units with equivalent quality in the near future.
That's is also true of computers (my Lenovo A-730 is a top quality product), tablets, phones, TVs, car parts, utensils, appliances, tools, batteries, tires, lights, fixtures, cables, clothing, tractors, trucks, locomotives, etc.
As in USA and EU, lower quality, lower cost Chinese products exist. Most buyers know that you normally get what you paid for.
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 May 2014 at 12:36 PM
BYD has the queer habit of adding up to grand totals like the mileage logged by a fleet of electric buses, which means very little in terms of performance but sounds bombastic statistically. They should follow what other manufacturers are doing and use per vehicle basis.
Posted by: Peace Hugger | 22 May 2014 at 04:08 PM