Institution news
Michael will be sharing his expertise at the IMechE's upcoming Noise, Vibration, and Harshness of EVs event, for further details and to join the discussions visit the event website.
Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Michael Bottomley (MB): I am responsible for ensuring Bentley's first battery electric vehicle has the same level of comfort, luxury and character in respect to NVH as Bentley is world renowned for. The traditional 12 cylinder and V8 engines have defined the character of the car. With a new battery electric powertrain ways must be found to improve on this tradition and ensure Bentley launches a sector defining first BEV.
What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
MB: The transition from internal combustion engines to hybrid and electric powertrains has been a huge challenge. From an NVH perspective, the electric motor changes the balance of sounds in the car and create new customer use cases that need to be considered and designed for. Learning these use cases and understanding what the customer wants has been key to success.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
MB: The key topic that I am excited to discuss is how to manage the less desirable noises that e-motors produce.
What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
MB: Sound addition is a key development in the sector. This is where additional sounds are added, typically by the audio system, to supplement the sounds the vehicle is making. This gives huge opportunity where any sound can be created, but this must also be balanced about the authenticity of the vehicle.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
MB: I look forward to hearing about the work Stephanos Theodossiades has been doing on e-motor whistles and transmission whines.
Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
MB: It is a great opportunity for engineers to come together to discuss common problems and opportunities that are affecting the whole industry.
The Noise, Vibration and Harshness of Electric Powertrains (NVH) event will take place on 21 October as part of the IMechE's Advancing Automotive Engineering summit to inform and support engineers across the sector.
Bringing together specialist engineers, this is a key forum to address the specific challenges involved in the design, measurement and analysis of noise, vibration and harshness in electric powertrains.
Join to hear technical updates from Michael at Bentley Motors alongside engineers from Ferrari, AVL, Jaguar Land Rover, YASA, Valeo Power Division and many more; for the full agenda and to book your place, please visit the event website.