AEM is on a mission to simplify EV conversions, offering key components to make electric motor swaps an easy bolt-in process for a wide range of different vehicles. For that mission, the company focuses heavily on the vehicle control unit – an EV’s central “brain,” which controls all the major drivetrain functions for the whole vehicle. Unlike rival systems in the EV market, AEM has blended multiple control functions into one compact VCU, to connect the disparate parts of an EV powertrain into a seamless, effective whole.

“A lot of the conversions are doing what we like to call the alphabet soup, where you’ve got 10 different controllers doing 10 different things,” says Sam Chaysavang of AEM EV. “One is controlling the motor, one is controlling the battery, one is controlling pumps. We came in with our VCU products and changed the game and offered a full true standalone product for EV controls.”

Those who are more familiar with internal-combustion technology might compare a VCU’s essential functions to those of an engine control unit (ECU) on a gas or diesel engine. The comparison is somewhat valid, but the functions of an EV’s VCU are much more all-encompassing, explains Chaysavang. “At its core, the VCU is a central data processing and logic hub for electric vehicles. It’s what we like to refer to as ‘The Adult in the Room.’ It’s in charge of managing all vehicle subsystems including the drive system/motors, thermal management system, high-voltage battery systems, and charge systems. Even brake lamps are controlled by the VCU.”

Within an EV, all these subsystems have to work together. The AEM VCU allows users to unify all of them under one controller and one tuning software. One example of this is the VCU’s integration with the vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS). Batteries and their capabilities are a constant moving target, with fluctuations in temperature as well as their state of charge percentage. The VCU takes the High Voltage Battery Pack’s constantly changing capabilities into consideration when controlling the drive system, by communicating with the vehicle’s third-party BMS.

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The VCU275 can also function as a BMS as well, when paired with an AEM BMS18 system. The VCU works with the BMS to unlock the vehicle’s true performance capabilities by adhering to a calculated DCL or Discharge Current Limit that’s calculated live and in real-time as the battery goes through various operational states. The VCU works with the BMS to always deliver 100% of the high-voltage battery’s maximum performance capabilities, while keeping a close eye on all critical vitals in the high voltage pack and ensuring ultimate safety.

“The AEM VCU is the first of its kind and it allows users to build and tune their own custom EVs at home,” says Chaysavang. “Users can pick and choose from a multitude of available components, including OEM and aftermarket motors and inverters, third-party battery management systems, and more. It lets you map your torque and power curve at any pedal angle all while the VCU keeps a watchful eye on everything to ensure both safety for the driver and vehicle systems.”

AEM’s new VCU275 marks the latest advancement in that lineup, succeeding the company’s VCU 200 for custom high-performance EV conversions. Retaining all the exceptional features and competitive pricing of its predecessor, the VCU275 introduces support for dual-motor applications and extends compatibility to accommodate battery systems of up to 1,200 volts. The VCU275 can manage up to two inverter/motor systems, communicate with three independent CAN bus networks, and it can be used on direct-drive and indirect-drive EV setups.

The VCU275 is built on OEM hardware and features OEM quality-control strategies for the highest level of reliability and, more importantly, safety for both the programmer and end-user. At the same time, the VCU275 allows users to precisely tailor their system for their exact component combination and overall performance expectations. “Just like our previous VCU200 and 300 products, the new 275 allows calibrators to create customized torque management strategies that maximize performance, as well as other strategies for thermal management, battery management, charge control, and much more. It’s all done through a full featured modern and intuitive tuning software, AEMCal.”

With many innovative and useful advancements, the AEM VCU275 offers enhanced versatility and performance for a wide range of EV applications. It’s all part of AEM’s mission to integrate and empower your EV conversion plans. With AEM’s help and some basic wrenching skills, the EV conversion you’ve been dreaming of can become reality. So what are you waiting for?

Shop AEM VCU275 now

Shop AEM VCU275 now