In recent years, with the rapid development of the global new energy vehicle industry, drive motor technology, as one of the core components, is undergoing unprecedented transformation and innovation. From permanent magnet synchronous motors to hub motors, from material innovation to intelligent control, drive motor technology is rapidly developing towards higher efficiency, lighter weight, integration, and intelligence, providing strong support for the performance improvement and cost control of new energy vehicles.
Under the backdrop of energy conservation and emission reduction, the high efficiency of drive motors has become an industry consensus. Permanent magnet synchronous motors, due to their high power density and high efficiency, currently dominate the market. According to industry data, in 2024, the installed capacity of permanent magnet synchronous motors in China accounted for over 90%, with a maximum efficiency exceeding 97%. However, price fluctuations and supply security issues of rare earth permanent magnet materials have prompted companies to accelerate the research and development of alternative solutions. The permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance motor (PMa-SRM) technology used in the Tesla Model 3 reduces the amount of rare earth elements by optimizing the magnetic circuit design, thus reducing costs while maintaining high efficiency. Domestic companies such as BYD and Jingjin Electric are also developing low-heavy rare-earth or rare-earth-free permanent magnet motors. BYD's "eight-in-one" electric drive system, for example, increases motor efficiency to 96.5%, with an average efficiency of 89% under NEDC conditions.
The application of silicon carbide (SiC) power devices has further driven improvements in motor system efficiency. Compared to traditional IGBTs, SiC devices can reduce electrical control losses by more than 50% and increase operating frequency by 3-5 times. Huawei's DriveONE electric drive system uses all SiC modules, achieving a maximum system efficiency of 92%, 3 percentage points higher than the industry average. It is projected that by 2026, more than 30% of high-end electric vehicles will adopt SiC electric drive systems.
As a crucial driving force for modern industrial production equipment, electric servo systems are an indispensable foundational technology for factory automation. With the rapid development of modern industry, increasingly higher demands are being placed on modern electric servo systems. This paper briefly analyzes the development process and trends of electric servo systems, highlighting the significance of developing high-performance permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) servo systems and outlining several pressing issues. It also reviews the current research status of high-performance PMSM servo systems and discusses their application prospects.