New Energy Vehicle Cross-Domain (Electric Drive System and Powertrain Domain) Integration Trend Report,2025-2026

Electric Drive and Powertrain Domain Research: New technologies such as three-motor four-wheel drive, drive-brake integration, and corner modules are being rapidly installed in vehicles.

Electric drive integration is developing towards powertrain domain and cross-domain integration. From a developmental perspective, electric drive systems have evolved from separate, independent mechanical components to three-in-one and X-in-1 physically and functionally integrated products. In the future, they will form powertrain domain solutions, achieving synergy of hardware and software in mechanical, electrical, thermal, and control systems to improve performance and intelligence. Ultimately, they will be integrated with other domain (such as chassis domain) control systems to achieve hardware standardization and software-defined functions, as well as support the implementation of higher-level autonomous driving technologies.

In the future, electric drive will develop around deep integration and modularization, high voltage and high efficiency and SiC devices, advanced materials and processes, scenario-based definition and intelligent decision-making.

In terms of technology, flat wire technology, oil cooling and multi-material hybrid heat dissipation, active NVH suppression of SiC solutions, functional safety improvement, as well as green manufacturing and material recycling technologies will become new arenas.

The product form continues to evolve towards deep integration. X-in-1 systems integrate motors, electric control, thermal management and power modules, greatly reducing size and energy consumption. The trend of intelligence is prominent. AI algorithms are embedded in electric control systems to optimize dynamic efficiency and predict faults, and the software-defined electric drive capability is significantly enhanced. Powertrain domain systems are evolving from a single function to system domain integration. Through scenario-customized power combination, they will eventually achieve the coordinated development of safety + performance + intelligence.

The industrial competition has shifted the focus from hardware and software to self-developed core components + ecosystem collaboration.

Trend 1: Distributed electric drive systems prompt the application of three-motor four-wheel drive, four-motor independent drive and corner module technologies in various scenarios.

The widespread adoption of distributed electric drive systems (which integrate drive motors directly into the wheels or wheel rims) has driven the rapid development of three-motor four-wheel drive, four-motor independent drive, and corner module technologies. Through precise control and flexible layout of power systems, distributed electric drive systems cater to different scenarios and become the core support for the intelligent and electric transformation of future new energy vehicles.

Three-motor four-wheel drive: A layout with a dual-motor front axle and a single-motor rear axle is typically used to balance power performance and cost control; the powertrain domain architecture usually adopts a layout of 1 control unit at the front and 2 at the rear, or 2 control units at the front and 1 at the rear.

Four-motor independent drive: Each wheel is equipped with an independent motor to achieve precise torque vector control; the powertrain domain architecture is based on equipping each wheel with an independent drive motor to achieve precise torque output to each wheel.
Corner module technology: Drive, steering, and suspension functions are integrated into the wheel module, which is highly integrated. The ultimate form of distributed electric drive integrates drive, braking, steering, and suspension into the corner module of the wheel, and realizes omnidirectional control of the four wheels through the X-by-wire system.

At the policy level, China is promoting the formulation of relevant testing standards. In recent years, China has made a number of technological innovations and breakthroughs in the field of hub motor corner modules, and the large-scale application of these technologies has promoted the establishment of test method standards. Domestically, standards such as the Test Methods for Torque Vector Control of Vehicles with Distributed Drive and the Technical Conditions for Corner Modules of Low-Speed ​​Electric Vehicles have been issued to regulate the design, production, and testing of corner modules.

Under the guidance of the China Society of Automotive Engineers, dozens of OEMs, universities, and enterprises and institutions in the testing, inspection, and end-product manufacturing industries participated in the development of a series of standards for Key Test Methods for Automotive Wheel Hub Motor Corner Modules.
T/CSAE 378—2024 Test Methods for Torque Vector Control of Electric Vehicles with Distributed Drive
T/CSAE 377—2024 Impact Test Methods for Automotive Wheel Hub Motor Corner Modules
T/CSAE 376—2024 Road Reliability Test Methods for Electric Vehicles Equipped with Wheel Hub Motor Corner Modules
T/CSAE 375—2024 Durability Test Methods for Shaft Coupling Structure of Automotive Wheel Hub Motor Corner Modules.

Global markets (such as Europe and North America) are pushing for the implementation of corner module regulations (such as UN R79.06) to support the commercialization of steer-by-wire and four-wheel independent steering. The Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles with Regard to

Steering Equipment in UN Regulation No. 79 (UN R79) specifies the technical performance and test methods for advanced steering systems to verify the compliance of functional technologies. Automated steering systems include: Automatically Commanded Steering Function (ACSF), Corrective Steering Function (CSF), Emergency Steering Function (ESF), and Risk Mitigation Function (RMF), etc.

The intelligent corner module is not a single device, but a highly integrated wheel-level subsystem. Usually it contains:
Steer-by-Wire
Brake-by-wire (EHB/EMB)
Drive-by-wire (independent motor) / Distributed drive
Vibration damping/air suspension module
Sensor cluster:
Steering angle sensor, brake feedback, wheel speed, temperature, NVH sensor
Edge computing ECU / small controller

Trend 2: New products such as 14-in-1 highly integrated electric drive systems, 1000V voltage platforms, and 30,000 RPM ultra-high-speed motors are entering mass production.

The core of an integrated electric drive system is to reduce system complexity, weight and volume, and improve energy utilization efficiency through deep integration of multiple components. BYD, Geely, CRRC and other companies have launched 3+3+X (motor + motor controller + reducer + BMS + OBC + DC-DC converter + optional module) electric drive systems. Integration not only reduces the number of hardware components and the complexity of wiring harnesses, but also optimizes the collaboration of various components, improving system efficiency to over 92%. The powertrain domain is no longer limited to the traditional battery, motor and electric control systems, but extends to domains such as chassis and thermal management.

Chinese OEMs are developing their own X-in-1 electric drive systems, which have higher integration levels and are being installed in vehicles ahead of those from third-party electric drive suppliers: for higher system power density, there has been a significant increase in X-in-1 (up to 14-in-1) solutions that integrate electric drive systems, PDUs, OBCs, DC/DC converters, and thermal/other functional controllers. Compared with parts suppliers, OEMs' self-developed systems have taken the lead in achieving mass production on the vehicle models of their own brands.

In March 2025, Dongfeng Nissan released the e-POWER Architecture and its first battery-electric vehicle, the Dongfeng Nissan N7. This architecture supports battery-electric, range-extended, and plug-in hybrid powertrains and adopts the world's first 14-in-1 electric drive system to develop various models such as sedans and SUVs.
The motor, inverter, reducer, OBC, thermal management system and other 14 core components are integrated into a single module;
The power density has been increased to 4.5kW/kg, far exceeding the industry average.
The system weighs only 85kg, yet it can output a peak power of 200kW;
The 14-in-1 intelligent electric drive is only325mm high, smaller than Tesla's rear-wheel drive 3-in-1 electric drive.
With a motor speed of 25,100 RPM, it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h within 3 seconds.
Through the highly integrated design, the system reduces the number of connectors by 68.
High efficiency relies on flat wire motors and SiC technology. The electromagnetic efficiency tracking optimization technology and system efficiency optimization control algorithm are original creations. The overall efficiency exceeds 92.5%.
This system uses” Arrow Rain self-spraying oil technology,which can reduce the motor's maximum temperature by 45°C and increase continuous power by 54%.

On March 17, 2025, BYD officially released the Super e-Platform (the world's first mass-produced passenger car full-domain 1000V high-voltage architecture), which fully upgraded core components such as batteries, motors, power supplies, and air conditioning to 1000V, marking the entry of passenger car powertrain domain into the 1000V stage. The core technologies of this platform include:

1000V full-domain high-voltage architecture: Battery (flash-charging battery, 1000V/1000A charging), motor (30,000 RPM high-speed motor), power supply (1500V automotive-grade silicon carbide chip) and thermal management system (seven-in-one multi-heat source coupling), with a system overall efficiency of over 95% (industry average of about 88%).
Megawatt-level flash charging technology: A maximum charging power of 1000kW (2 kilometers per second), and a range of 400 kilometers after 5 minutes of charging, same for fuel and electric vehicles;
30,000 RPM motor: The world's first mass-produced 30,000 RPM motor (peak power: 580kW) breaks the 300km/h limit, with a 30% increase in power density.

BYD is increasing the speed of its electric motors from 7,500 RPM in the first generation to 30,000+ RPM in the fifth generation, achieving the world's first mass-produced 30,000 RPM electric drive assembly. As a core component of the Super e-Platform, the motor uses innovative materials such as 1,000MPa high-strength silicon steel sheets and aerospace aluminum end plates. Combined with an AI-optimized 6-pole 72-slot short-pitch winding design, it achieves a power density of 16.4kW/kg and a single-motor power of 580kW, surpassing the performance of traditional V12 engines.

In October 2025, Leapmotor officially unveiled its first vehicle model based on the LEAP 4.0 - the D19.

Battery-electric version:
Equipped with a 1000V platform, it can increase the range by more than 350 kilometers after 15 minutes of charging. It uses CATL's super hybrid cells with a battery pack capacity of 115kWh and a CLTC range of 720 kilometers.
The battery-electric version is also equipped with triple-motor technology, with a combined power of 540 kilowatts and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 seconds;
In terms of chassis, the Leapmotor D19 features a double-wishbone and five-link suspension structure, a dual-chamber closed air suspension system, and CDC.
It is equipped with MKC2 brake-by-wire and Bosch R-EPS;
It is equipped with the LMC 2.0, which supports active pre-emption control, dual-wheel tire blowout control, and 3.6-meter compass turns.

Range-extended version:
The range-extended version is equipped with an 80.3kWh battery pack, providing a battery-electric range of over 500km. It uses a 1.5T range extender and a dual-motor system with a combined power of 400kW, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds.
It supports 800V fast charging. According to the official statement, it can charge from 30% to 80% in 15 minutes.
The Leapmotor D19 also pioneered the range-extending CTC technology and is equipped with an innovative door sill exhaust integrated system, making the most of the chassis space for the battery, and has a fuel tank capacity of 40L.

Trend 3: Range-extended passenger car solutions continue to iterate, with 1.5T range extenders becoming the industry's mainstream.

With the rapid development of electric vehicles, range-extended electric vehicles have gradually become a new favorite in the market due to their unique advantages. Range-extended electric vehicles add an extra power supply device to battery-electric vehicles to increase the range. This design typically uses a range extender consisting of an engine and a generator to power the powertrain system, while the engine itself does not participate in driving, thus simplifying the overall structure, improving reliability, and reducing manufacturing costs.

Shanghai Electric Drive's second-generation range extender has undergone a comprehensive upgrade based on the first generation, with a major breakthrough in core technologies.
Compared to the first-generation range extender with a 12-pole 72-slot stator and rotor, round wire water-cooled motor, controller stacked above the generator, and separate controller and generator design, the second-generation range extender adopts a 24-pole 72-slot stator and rotor, as well as flat wire oil-cooled motor technology.
The controller layout has also been optimized, changing from the original layered arrangement above the generator to axial arrangement behind the generator, achieving deep integration between the controller and the generator.
These improvements in the second-generation range extender reduce the motor core stack length by 38% while increasing rated power by 83%, reducing volume by 15%, and lightening weight by 18%.

As the core component of a range-extended electric vehicle, a range extender usually refers to a combination system of an engine and a generator. It generates electricity when the battery is low, thereby extending the vehicle's range. In terms of technology, extended-range passenger cars are shifting from the traditional small batteries + large range extenders to large batteries + small range extenders, enhancing battery-electric range by increasing battery capacity. Meanwhile, range extenders are also being continuously optimized, with significantly improved thermal efficiency, a more reasonable operating range, and greatly improved NVH performance. 800V high-voltage architectures enable range-extended vehicles to be charged as fast as battery-electric vehicles.


Please Note: PDF E-mail from Publisher purchase option allows up to 10 users and does not allow printing or editing. This functionality will require a Global Site License. Show more