Automotive IQ: Norman, can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your role at Volkswagen AG?
Norman: I am currently serving as Subproject Lead for Mechanics at Volkswagen Group Components, where I am responsible for a derivative of the inverter modular system within the OneTeam PWR initiative. The OneTeam PWR initiative was established to consolidate inverter development expertise from multiple VW Group brands into a single, cross-functional team, enabling faster decisions and a unified approach to innovation. In addition, I manage the mechanical requirements of the inverter platform within the mechanical development department. My work focuses on the intersection of process optimisation, technical integration, and industrialisation – key aspects in the development of reliable and efficient power electronics systems. This cross-functional perspective enables us to bridge technical innovation and robust industrialisation, ensuring our solutions are both cutting-edge and production-ready.
Automotive IQ: Designing power electronics for higher reliability, efficiency, and scalability is no small task. What are some of the key challenges you face, and how do you prioritise or overcome them to meet all performance goals?
Norman: Designing power electronics that meet the highest standards for reliability, efficiency, and scalability is a multidimensional challenge. Within Volkswagen Group Components and our OneTeam PWR organisation, one of the most critical aspects is balancing thermal management, mechanical integration, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – each of which can significantly influence overall system performance. These factors become even more complex when you consider the need for global platform harmonisation across multiple brands. Another major challenge is achieving high power density without compromising thermal stability and long-term durability. At the same time, we must ensure compliance with increasingly stringent functional safety and cybersecurity requirements, which adds complexity to both hardware and software design. To address these challenges, we embed advanced simulation and modelling tools early in the development process to optimise designs before physical prototypes are built. Our OneTeam PWR approach brings together system, hardware, mechanic, and software experts under one roof, enabling fast decision-making and holistic optimisation. This cross-functional setup is key to balancing efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining process robustness.
Automotive IQ: When it comes to combining different power systems, what are the key considerations? Can you share any best practices or approaches that have worked particularly well in your experience?
Norman: Combining different power systems within the Volkswagen Group environment is a highly complex task, especially when you consider the diversity of brands, platforms, and regional requirements. From a mechanical development perspective, one of the key considerations is ensuring robust thermal management and mechanical integration without compromising packaging constraints or serviceability. Electrical compatibility and EMC compliance are equally critical, as is adherence to group-wide safety and cybersecurity standards.
I help standardise integration approaches and best practices across projects, ensuring lessons learned are systematically applied. What has worked well for us is a strong focus on modular architectures and standardised interfaces, which are defined within our internal platform strategies. This approach allows us to scale solutions efficiently across multiple vehicle platforms while maintaining consistency in quality and performance.
Another best practice is leveraging advanced simulation and virtual validation early in the development process. This enables us to predict thermal and structural behaviour under different operating conditions and optimise designs before physical prototypes are built.
Automotive IQ: What kind of improvements have you seen by integrating different power systems?
Norman: Integrating different power systems has brought clear improvements in multiple dimensions. From a mechanical perspective, integration allows us to optimise packaging and cooling concepts, reducing complexity and improving robustness. Fewer interfaces mean fewer potential failure points, which directly supports system reliability.
Through structured requirement management, we ensure that these integration benefits are systematically captured, scaled, and continuously improved across future projects.
Automotive IQ: How has this impacted overall system reliability, efficiency, and performance?
Norman: Integrating different power systems has had a significant impact on overall system reliability, efficiency, and performance. By harmonising energy flows between high-voltage and low-voltage domains, we’ve been able to reduce conversion losses and improve thermal stability - two factors that directly influence long-term reliability.
This integration also enables advanced energy management strategies, such as predictive load balancing, which improves dynamic performance and supports consistent efficiency across different driving scenarios. For Volkswagen Group Components, these improvements are not just technical - they translate into scalable solutions that can be deployed across multiple brands and platforms. This ensures efficiency gains, robust reliability, and a uniform customer experience, while maintaining flexibility for future technologies.
Automotive IQ: EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) is a crucial factor in power electronics design. How do you approach EMC analysis during the design phase, and what are some common pitfalls to avoid?
Norman: For high-voltage inverter development, EMC is a critical design driver from the very beginning of the concept phase. We integrate EMC analysis early using detailed simulations of switching behavior, PCB layout, and cable harness interactions. This proactive approach allows us to predict emissions and optimise filter design before physical prototypes are built, which saves time and reduces costly redesign loops. From a mechanical perspective, early involvement in layout and shielding concepts is crucial to achieving EMC targets efficiently.
One of the most common pitfalls is underestimating the impact of fast-switching wide-bandgap devices, such as SiC, on conducted and radiated emissions. Another frequent issue is leaving cable routing and grounding strategies too late in the process, which can lead to significant challenges during validation. To avoid these, we apply strict grounding, shielding, and bonding concepts aligned with Volkswagen Group platform standards from day one.
Validation is equally important. We rely on hardware-in-the-loop setups and component-level EMC testing before system integration to ensure compliance and robustness. Within OneTeam PWR, this is supported by close collaboration between mechanical, hardware, and system teams, ensuring a harmonised approach.
Automotive IQ: How are power systems and components best integrated for maximum efficiency and reliability? Can you share any recent developments or innovations in this area?
Norman: Maximising efficiency and reliability in power system integration starts with reducing interfaces and optimising energy flow across domains. For high-voltage inverters, this means looking beyond the inverter itself and considering how DC/DC converters, onboard chargers, and auxiliary systems interact. One trend we see is the move toward more integrated architectures, where multiple functions are combined into a single housing or platform. This reduces conversion losses, minimises packaging complexity, and improves thermal management.
While I can’t share specific project details, the principle is clear: modular, scalable integration supported by advanced simulation and standardised interfaces is key to achieving both efficiency and reliability.
Automotive IQ: What environmental or operating conditions are ideal for the optimal performance of power electronics systems?
Norman: Power electronics perform best under stable and moderate thermal conditions, as both ambient and coolant temperatures have a direct impact on efficiency, switching behavior, and component lifetime. Lower coolant temperatures allow for higher current handling and reduced switching losses, which directly improves overall system performance and reliability. From a mechanical perspective, this also means that cooling concepts and packaging must be optimised to maintain these conditions under varying load profiles.
Automotive IQ: Do these optimal conditions present any specific design or operational challenges? If so, how do you mitigate them?
Norman: The challenge is that these ideal conditions rarely exist in real-world applications, especially when designing for global markets. We have to account for extreme variations - from sub-zero temperatures in Nordic regions to high ambient conditions in hot climates, as well as altitude and humidity effects. These factors influence not only thermal management but also material behavior and sealing concepts.
To mitigate these challenges, we define robust thermal margins and implement advanced cooling strategies, such as optimised coolant routing and heat exchanger design. Early simulation and virtual validation help us predict performance across a wide range of scenarios before physical testing.
Automotive IQ: What advice would you give to engineers or designers looking to push the boundaries of power electronics in future mobility applications?
Norman: My advice is to embrace a system-level mindset from the very beginning. Future mobility challenges can’t be solved by optimising individual components in isolation - power electronics must work seamlessly with thermal systems, software, and the overall vehicle architecture. Invest time in mastering wide-bandgap technologies, digital control strategies, and advanced simulation tools, as these will shape the next generation of designs. Never underestimate the value of cross-functional collaboration: the most impactful innovations happen when all disciplines work together toward a common goal.