Las Vegas is where car tech goes to show off. At CES 2024, auto supplier Magna rolled in with a new electric drive unit that’s basically a flex: an 800-volt “eDrive” motor setup that’s smaller, lighter, and stingier with energy than the last one.
And yes, this stuff matters. The EV world is learning the hard way that range isn’t only about bigger batteries—it’s about wasting less power, shedding weight, and keeping heat under control.
Smaller package, easier fit—because space is money
Magna says the new eDrive is about 20% shorter in height than its previous-generation unit. That’s not a vanity metric. Under the skin of an EV, packaging is a knife fight: every inch you save makes it easier to fit the motor where you want it—front, rear, or both—without redesigning half the vehicle.
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The company pegs the unit’s weight at about 165 pounds (75 kg). Light for an integrated drive unit, and light is the closest thing EV engineers have to a cheat code.
The tech stack: silicon carbide, smarter cooling, and a motor that can rotate
The headline engineering move here is an 800-volt architecture paired with a high-voltage silicon-carbide (SiC) power module. SiC is the pricier, higher-efficiency cousin of traditional silicon—better at handling heat and switching power with fewer losses. Magna also says its module uses fewer parts and interfaces, which usually means fewer things to break and less energy wasted.
Then there’s cooling—because EV performance lives and dies by temperature management. Magna’s using what it calls an Active Fluid Control (AFC) system: a reversible electric pump designed for “100% active” fluid management. Translation: it can push coolant and lubricant where it’s needed, when it’s needed, instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all flow.
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On top of that, Magna layers in software it calls “Magna Thermal Operational Strategy,” which meters cooling and lubrication oil to both mechanical and electrical components based on demand. That’s the unsexy stuff that keeps efficiency high on the highway and prevents the slow fade that drivers feel after repeated hard pulls.
One more clever packaging trick: Magna says the eDrive can rotate 90 degrees around the drive axis. That’s an engineer’s way of saying, “We can make this fit more vehicles without you rebuilding the whole platform.”
Efficiency over 93% in real driving—where EVs actually win or lose
Magna claims more than 93% efficiency in real-world driving conditions, including the WLTC cycle and highway use. Efficiency numbers can get abstract fast, but the point is simple: the less energy you burn as heat and loss, the more miles you squeeze out of the same battery.
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The company also points to an optimized gearbox for better speed and flexibility. And for automakers who want extra tricks, Magna says the unit can be configured with electronic decoupling and a parking lock—features that can help with multi-motor setups, coasting strategies, and driveline control.
Durability and the dirty secret of “green” manufacturing
Magna is also pitching durability and sustainability, and here’s where the EV industry gets uncomfortable: building EV components can be carbon-heavy, especially when you lean hard on aluminum and rare-earth materials.
Magna says it reduced its reliance on aluminum and “heavy rare earths,” and that the changes cut production CO₂ emissions by about 20% compared with its previous eDrive generation. That’s a real number, and it’s the kind of behind-the-scenes improvement that matters if automakers are serious about cleaning up the full lifecycle—not just tailpipes (which EVs don’t have).
Who it’s for: mainstream cars, not science projects
Magna positions the new eDrive as a primary or secondary drive option for C-, D-, and E-segment vehicles—think everything from compact cars to midsize sedans and larger models, roughly the heart of what Americans actually buy when they buy cars.
Specs: up to 250 kW of power (about 335 horsepower) and up to 5,000 Nm of torque at the shaft. That torque figure is at the shaft, not necessarily what hits the wheels, but it signals the unit is built for serious shove.
One caution: the source material tosses around multiple weights—75 kg in one place, then “only 25 kg” later. A full eDrive (motor + inverter + gearbox) at 55 pounds would be eyebrow-raising. The safer read is that 75 kg is the complete unit, and the smaller number refers to a component or configuration. Either way, Magna’s core pitch is clear: more efficiency, less bulk, and easier integration for automakers trying to crank out 800-volt EVs at scale.
