With confidence and dynamism to perfect battery control.

Mr Sinram, you lead the software development for high-voltage systems at Mercedes-AMG. What does it depend on?

In short, that the car does what the driver expects. The battery management system is a good example. Just to make an electric vehicle ready to drive, countless processes run in the background. Precision is the key here: that the battery closes the contactors at the right time so that the right signals are sent to the drive components. In addition, the system must constantly monitor the voltage and temperature of the individual battery cells and react accordingly. We create the prerequisite that the vehicles can drive off the assembly line after production - and later offer their full performance on the road.

How do you go about developing these software components?

We work closely with our complete vehicle developers and our suppliers who provide the control units for our systems. We often test our applications directly in the vehicles. We are among the first to be allowed to drive the prototypes.

That must be a great feeling ...

Definitely - and often it's also exciting. Prototypes are not always perfect - but that is what makes our job so appealing. We also test our systems in the cold chamber, for example. When the cold start of the drive system succeeds at minus 30 degrees Celsius on the first try, the engineer's heart beats faster (laughs).

And how can we picture your team?

We are something like the interface between software and hardware. That is why most of the people in my team have knowledge of programming as well as classical engineering, such as electrical or mechanical engineering. A little passion for tinkering with the vehicle is definitely also part of our job (laughs). In terms of fields, we cover several areas: Some colleagues are specialists in high-voltage energy management, others in inverters, battery management or diagnostics.

How do you manage the team with such a broad range of topics?

First and foremost, this includes trust. Each and every one is a specialist in the respective field. As a leader, I see myself more as a coach. I can't get into all the issues in detail, but it is central that we all have the same goal. Along the way, everyone in the team has a lot of freedom.

Can you explain that in a little more detail?

Electric mobility and digitalisation are central components of our corporate strategy. With MB.OS, we massively expanded our competences in software development. But change also requires entirely new forms of cooperation. I always experience this during our test drives. These are important not only because we test our vehicles in extreme situations, but also because of the mindset. We are on the road with quite mixed teams: from engine application to chassis and complete vehicle testing. We exchange ideas, and technical topics are also discussed in the coffee area. This often results in unusual solutions.

Now you have to tell us, how did you actually come to Mercedes-Benz?

I have always been a car enthusiast, I am sure I got that from my grandad.Then, by chance, I found out about the opportunity to do a dual mechatronics course at Mercedes-Benz. This immediately appealed to me because with mechanical engineering, electronics and information technology, it is a combination of three important future technologies. That is how I started as a dual student. Another advantage was, of course, that I was already largely financially independent during my studies.

What happened after you graduated?

I held various positions in the development of energy management systems for hybrid vehicles and in the development of electronic components for combustion engines at Mercedes-Benz. And then in 2016, a colleague asked me if I would like to join AMG in the development of the AMG Drive Unit. Of course, the development of high-performance vehicles offers engineers completely different opportunities - when AMG calls, you come (laughs). And since 2019, I have been team leader in the Electric Drive functional development at AMG.

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