Aston Martin appoints Integral Powertrain to Valkyrie roster
Aston Martin has appointed Integral Powertrain to its technical roster of partners for its latest hypercar – Valkyrie.
Integral e-Drive, the electric drives division of Integral Powertrain, will work on the project, where the first prototype of the hypercar is in development.
Aston Martin has drafted in Cosworth to help develop the hybrid powertrain. The British outfit has been tasked with building the engine, a naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12, which will be augmented by a ‘lightweight hybrid battery system’ from Rimac. The electric element is to be configured in a KERS-style boost system akin to those equipped in Formula 1 cars and will be provided by leading e-Drive technology partner Integral Powertrain.
With its high-power, high-downforce, low-weight philosophy the Aston Martin Valkyrie promises to redefine the limits of road car performance.
There will be 99 Aston Martin Valkyries produced and a further 24 of those even more extreme track-only editions with deliveries starting in 2019.
Collaboration on this project builds upon the well-established and continually growing reputation of Integral e-Drive to design, validate and manufacture some of the world’s most technically advanced, high performance e-Drives for both Automotive and Motorsport sectors.
Focussed on high performance electric motor technology, the proprietary core technology is configured to deliver world class leading e-Drives exactly matched to the performance and package requirements of the project.
The heart of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s powertrain is its clean sheet Cosworth-built 65° naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine. Evoking the spine-tingling, ultra-high-revving F1 TM engines of the 1990s, but benefitting from two decades of progress in design, material and manufacturing expertise, it sets exceptional new standards for maximum rpm and weight.
With a certified peak power output of 1,000bhp (or 153.8 bhp-per-litre) at 10,500rpm, it can continue on to a maximum 11,100rpm. This is a world first for a naturally-aspirated, emissions-compliant road car. Peak torque is 740Nm at 7,000rpm. These peak outputs are purely delivered by the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), with a further performance boost delivered by the battery hybrid system.
When describing the powertrain of a traditional road car, or even a conventional hybrid road car, it is easy to separate the main components and describe their individual roles. In the Aston Martin Valkyrie, where the design and engineering of each and every part has been approached with the meticulous ethos of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, out of their Formula One. DNA for maximum efficiency and ultimate performance, many key components do more than one job.
Using the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s powertrain as an example, both the V12 engine and gearbox casing act as stressed members of the vehicle structure. The latter provides rear suspension mounting points, while also helping provide even greater structural rigidity and eliminating the weight of an additional rear subframe.
The battery pack integrates all relevant sub-systems and serves as the carrier for the vehicle’s power electronics, while in addition to its Power Boost and Energy Recovery System functions, the E-Motor aids the mechanical performance of the gearbox. Aston Martin Valkyrie exemplifies intelligent engineering wherever you look.
A KERS-style boost system akin to those fitted to F1 TM cars, the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s hybrid system has been developed by two main technical partners; Integral Powertrain Ltd, who supplied the bespoke electric motor, and Rimac for the lightweight hybrid battery system.
As a result, the full hybrid system contributes an additional 160bhp of power and a further 280Nm of available torque with the certified max power output of Aston Martin Valkyrie standing at a stunning 1,160bhp @10,500rpm. Equally, with the full hybrid system, peak torque will stand at 900Nm @ 6,000rpm.
A strong reputation has seen Integral Powertrain become a key partner for many global brands and the business has seen rapid growth in the sector over the past few years. The company has increased to over 175 employees and is scaling up the production of its key components and technologies with a £6M investment in new facilities and additional engineers; thus enabling further growth into a full electrification partner for global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
Luke Barker, Technical Director of Integral Powertrain said: “We at Integral Powertrain have always pushed the boundaries of e-drive technology working with clients to find the best solution to meet their exact requirements.
“This project with Aston Martin will draw on the extensive motor and EV experience gained over the past 20 years working with major OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in automotive and motorsport sectors. We are extremely pleased to be supporting this prestigious British company with their latest creation”.