The Rimac C_Two undergoes electromagnetic compatibility testing

At Rimac, precision development and advanced engineering is everything. As part of the rigorous testing procedures for C_Two and to comply with homologation requirements, the engineering team has been collaborating with engineering specialist IAV and testing service provider SLG in Germany. There, the specialists have specifically focused on ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing, which in today's increasingly connected and gadget-focused world has become even more paramount.

The principle behind EMC is the testing of all electrical devices and how they perform in the real world, both in terms of the electromagnetic emissions they give out, as well as how they react when receiving inputs from outside influences.

The EMC testing is crucial when developing electric vehicles, and the task is even more essential when developing one of the most powerful cars to date. Electromagnetic emissions are measured according to an EU Approved standard - ECE R10 - which is critical to comply with for the homologation of the car.

Setting up for the vehicle test, the C_Two is put inside a Semi Anechoic EMC chamber. With hybrid absorbers and ground plane, it is completely sealed off from outside world interference. 

During the tests, the prototype C_Two is driven at certain speeds and subjected to radiation levels of between 20 MHz and 20 GHz. At specific intervals, electrically-based systems such as the air conditioning, lights, and wipers are also turned on to assess whether the car performs as expected and reliably every time.

In keeping with the car's advanced features, the tests also take into account each of the car's specific drive modes, such as Range and Track, to ensure that the car's inverters and power distribution react as predicted.

Once the tests have been completed, the specialist teams disassemble the prototype, assess each of the key components individually, and discuss the results to identify any improvement areas. The car is then reassembled, put back into the EMC chamber and the process is conducted once again to ensure that the results are consistent.

This test procedure was to understand the overall vehicle behaviour and map out the biggest influencing factors. Even though the test did outperform some of Rimac's expectations, there is still much more refinement work needed to be done. The next steps will include compliance chamber tests on the system level for the powertrain and further loops of improvement investigations before the C_Two begins production.