Motor controller cost breakdown

[Vaibhi]

Hello good people,
I am new to the world of EVs and I want to learn more about them.
I have been reading controller manuals to understand what an electric 2 wheeler motor controller is made of and I am trying to do a cost breakdown, like what part contributes most to a controllers total cost.
Do you guys have any ideas on how to do it?
Greetings,
Vaibhi

 

[calab]

https://www.embeddedadvisor.com/vendors/top-pcb-design-and-engineering-solution-companies.html
PCBWay I think I have heard of before, quickly punch in your B.O.M. and get your estimate for that aspect, but the design and layout of pcb by them is an unknown factor.

Since you posted in E-Vehicles General, we can only assume that you want a motor controller for a car or truck of some sort, talking hundreds of amps in discharge amps, but how many volts. There are just so many unanswered questions like what features, sine, square, foc, regen, pedal assist, do you want it to be programmable?, how resistant do you want it?
- Just simple basic features, skipped over.

Mosfets are like $4-5 each, an ebike controller can have 18 mosfets, that $90 just in mosfets, unless you go with something cheaper, then there is the micro-controler, maybe $30???? who knows.Check it out for yourself at mouser.com.

 

[DogDipstick]

Mosfets are like $4-5 each, an ebike controller can have 18 mosfets, that $90 just in mosfets, unless you go with something cheaper, then there is the micro-controler, maybe $30???? who knows.Check it out for yourself at mouser.com.


Thats my effort.

A controller can have any multiple of six for a three phase. So that means 6, 12, 18, 24, ect. A pair is minimum for every phase. Paralleled for more current handling. You need at least two for each bridge, minimum. For the switching.

I need two more of these. For a custom controller I want to build. 300A/1200v. They are 194$ each. ( 1200$ total)... If I want to meet 480A @ 1200v, that increased to 370$ ea.. now.. and I pay.....2,200$ for those 6. Controller will need need $ worth of IGB Transistor. Fast acting freewheeling diode with a 1.5kW dissipate rating each. Hellyeah. 1.5kW per, x6, so 9kw, just to get the heat out of the controller under this theoretical Ifull load I have to dissipate 9 kW of bTu energy.

So yea they cut corners on this part, for it is expensive. Even at 5$ ea you are paying 90$ for 18 of them yeah. So cheap controller builders really skimp on the transistors usually.

https://www.radwell.com/Shop?source=GoogleShopping&IgnoreRedirect=true&ItemSingleId=99689069&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp99689069&sc_intid=99689069&gclid=Cj0KCQjwma6TBhDIARIsAOKuANyLQqAhM92qQU6m1W0X4rBY0QdusZYQWzklI5GrjfYmfSHtzBzDNhEaArhjEALw_wcB
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Infineon-Technologies/BSM150GB120DN2?qs=MiMjeza5s%252BStCNCaULatRw%3D%3D

I have here: Ebike controllers.
A very cheap 55A 120v ZLmotor Sine controller. 75$.
A med. priced Kelly, 250$, 3.3kW, and a higher priced Kelly. 350$. 4.5kW.
A Lyen 4115 134v 70A that some people have peaked past 400 phase amps with. Cost 449$ like seven, eight years ago.
A junkyard Curtis. cannot use it. Need an expensive programming dongle. it was 2$.
I am ( trying to) buying another soon. A 14kW. Gonna be expensive. You see the spread of quality component.

You see the Sevcons. ...you see the controllers that use the IGBT for the bridges.... Car movers... MC controllers... Real controllers. Not the bank of MOS field effect transistor thingys.

They get expensive. Under 100$ is bottom line, bargain bin electronics.

 

[Vaibhi]

https://www.embeddedadvisor.com/vendors/top-pcb-design-and-engineering-solution-companies.html
PCBWay I think I have heard of before, quickly punch in your B.O.M. and get your estimate for that aspect, but the design and layout of pcb by them is an unknown factor.

Since you posted in E-Vehicles General, we can only assume that you want a motor controller for a car or truck of some sort, talking hundreds of amps in discharge amps, but how many volts. There are just so many unanswered questions like what features, sine, square, foc, regen, pedal assist, do you want it to be programmable?, how resistant do you want it?
- Just simple basic features, skipped over.

Mosfets are like $4-5 each, an ebike controller can have 18 mosfets, that $90 just in mosfets, unless you go with something cheaper, then there is the micro-controler, maybe $30???? who knows.Check it out for yourself at mouser.com.


Thats my effort.

Hallo Calab,
thanks for the reply. I am conducting sort of a market study to understand the e scooter scenario in Germany and in south Asia. A part of this study also has understanding controllers in it. When I ask for a cost breakdown of a controller, I was sort of wanting to understand what which parts of the controller contribute how much to it's cost.
I have been reading for couple of hours now and I would break the controller down as follows:
1. the mechanical housing and heat sink for keeping the electronics safe and maintaining temperatures.
2. the electronics. this would include the driver circuit, the MOSFET or IGBT and communication module.
3. the SW part which includes the control algorithm (trap, sinusoidal, FOC) and the GUI a company might offer with the controller.

After reading for sometime, I guess my updated question about the breakdown should be, is my component breakdown for the controller allright or do I still miss something?

What do you think?

Thanks for your help.
Vaibhi

 

[amberwolf]

For that kind of breakdown, you're going to have to ask the actual controller manufacturers.

 

[Vaibhi]

For that kind of breakdown, you're going to have to ask the actual controller manufacturers.

Hallo amberwolf,
thanks for your reply. But what do you think about the component breakdown that I did for the controller? Am i missing some stuff in there still? I guess protection circuits could be added.
If you think the component breakdown is complete, I can try estimating prices from there.

Also have another question. For some Kelly controllers the standard eRPM is 40K. Could you tell me why is this quantity (eRPM) important? What can we do with it?

Thanks for your help.
Greetings.
Vaibhi