We fit our packs, drive trains, chargers and propulsion into your vehicle or boat, then prove them on the bench, on the vehicle and in the field.
Vehicle integration is the engineering path from a customer platform to a validated electric powertrain built on HILMIL products. We start from the real duty cycle, not a datasheet. We size the energy storage and the propulsion for that duty cycle, source and qualify every component, and validate the result at three levels: on the bench, on the complete vehicle or vessel, and in the field. The same discipline applies on the road and on the water, from 48V swappable packs on fishing boats to 800V drive trains in passenger cars and fixed packs on ferries.
The result is a powertrain that behaves as intended across its whole operating envelope, with the evidence to support type approval, classification and warranty. Because we build the packs, chargers, drive trains, propulsion and telematics ourselves, integration decisions and design changes stay inside one engineering team.
Step 1: Size the energy storage
We size the battery from the duty cycle, not from a target number. Inputs are the drive or duty cycle, target range or endurance, voltage class, usable depth of discharge and ambient conditions. Outputs are usable energy, cell configuration, continuous and peak C-rate, and thermal and ageing margins. Cell ratings are usually quoted at room temperature and moderate current, so we design against measured behaviour across the real temperature and current range.
Step 2: Size the e-propulsion system
For road vehicles we size the motor, controller and gearing from tractive effort: rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag, gradient and acceleration. For boats we size from hull resistance, propeller thrust, bollard pull and the speed-power curve of the hull. The result is matched to a HILMIL drive: PMSM with FOC control in axial or radial flux, SRM, belt-driven or two-speed gear trains on the road; long-tail, Z-type or direct-drive propulsion on the water.
Step 3: Source the components
We qualify every part in the powertrain: cells, motors, controllers, BMS, harnesses, connectors and thermal components. Suppliers are audited, parts go through structured approval, and critical items are dual-sourced to protect continuity. Cells are graded on internal resistance, capacity, voltage difference, energy density, power density and cycle life before they enter a pack.
Step 4: Validate on the bench
Before anything reaches a vehicle, subsystems are proven on the bench. Cell and pack cyclers characterise capacity, resistance and cycle life. Motor dynamometers map torque, speed and efficiency. Hardware-in-the-loop rigs test the BMS and controller against a simulated vehicle, and environmental, ingress and vibration tests confirm the hardware survives its service conditions.
Step 5: Develop the test systems
Where a standard rig doesn't exist, we build one. Custom benches, dynamometer rigs and hardware-in-the-loop rigs, with CAN data acquisition and automated test scripts, let us sweep the full operating range and inject faults safely and repeatably. Defects are found where they are cheapest to fix.
Step 6: Validate on the vehicle or vessel
The integrated powertrain is validated on the complete vehicle or boat. Work covers CAN integration, functional tests, range and performance, thermal behaviour, electromagnetic compatibility and functional safety. For boats it runs from harbour acceptance and bollard pull tests through to sea trials that confirm propulsion response, manoeuvrability and control-system integration on the water.
Step 7: Run field trials and analyse the data
A pilot fleet or vessel is instrumented and run in real service. Telematics stream usage, state of health and thermal data for analysis. We track degradation, refine the duty-cycle model against reality and run reliability analysis. The findings feed back into sizing and design.
Every sizing decision starts from how the vehicle or boat will actually be used. That is what keeps the pack and the drive right-sized when they are new, and still adequate when they are aged.
A powertrain is only as reliable as its weakest part. We qualify cells, motors, controllers, BMS, harnesses, connectors and thermal components before they are built into your platform.
Subsystems are tested on their own before they meet the vehicle, where problems are faster and cheaper to find.
When a programme needs a rig that doesn't exist, we design and build it, and it stays useful for production and regression testing.
Once the subsystems pass, the complete powertrain is validated as installed. On the road that means CAN integration, range, performance, thermal and EMC testing on a chassis dynamometer or test track. On the water, boats move from harbour acceptance and bollard pull tests to full sea trials.
| On the bench | On the vehicle or vessel | In the field | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is tested | Cells, packs, motors, controllers and BMS as subsystems | The integrated powertrain, as installed | The powertrain in real service on a pilot fleet or vessel |
| Typical equipment | Cyclers, dynamometers, hardware-in-the-loop rigs, thermal, ingress and vibration test rigs | Chassis dynamometer or test track; harbour tests and sea trials; CAN logging; EMC testing | Onboard telematics, CAN loggers, data dashboards |
| Key checks | Capacity, resistance, cycle life, efficiency maps, control logic, thermal and ingress performance | Integration, range and performance, thermal behaviour, EMC, functional safety, handling on the water | State of health, degradation, duty-cycle accuracy, reliability, energy use |
| Question answered | Does each subsystem meet its specification? | Does the complete system work correctly and safely as installed? | Does it hold up in real use, and what should change next? |
Real service is the final test. A pilot fleet or vessel runs with our telematics fitted, and the data shows how the powertrain actually performs: energy use, state of health, thermal behaviour and degradation over time. We compare it with the original duty-cycle model, run reliability analysis and feed the findings into the next design iteration.
Bring us your platform and your duty cycle. We'll size, source, build and prove the powertrain that fits it.