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The Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest $18 billion in its domestic EV industry by 2030. The funding will be used to increase production and exports and to foster EV-related industries. The Group announced plans to expand its annual EV production in Korea to 1.51 million units and global volume to 3.64 million units by 2030.
To increase domestic EV production, Kia is building a plant to manufacture electric purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), while also expanding existing EV lines to increase production.
Also, the Group will develop a platform for next-generation EVs, expand product lineups, develop core parts and advanced technologies, and establish research facilities. The Group plans to sequentially develop dedicated platforms for each vehicle class under the Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) system, including the eM platform designed for passenger EVs, which will be introduced in 2025.
2023 IONIQ 6 & 2023 IONIQ 5
In 2030, Hyundai Motor Group expects to have a total lineup of 31 EV models, including models from Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Genesis. This year, Kia plans to launch EV9, its three-row electric flagship SUV. Hyundai Motor plans to launch the IONIQ 7 in 2024.
One of the favorite tropes of the anti-EV crowd is that converting all vehicles to EVs will “crash the grid.” Those of us who regularly speak with execs at electric utilities and charging infrastructure providers aren’t too worried about this. However, as they say, the plural of anecdote is not data, so perhaps a mathematical explanation would better allay your fears of electrical apocalypse.
As Chris Harto recently wrote in Consumer Reports, understanding the issue requires looking at some stats and doing a little bit of math.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that Americans drove 2.9 trillion miles in light-duty vehicles in 2019, and predicts that this number will increase by 17% by 2049. If these estimates are correct, Americans will drive around 3.4 trillion miles in 2049.
The efficiency of EVs (how much energy they use to drive a given distance) varies widely, but CR looked at 20 popular EV models, and found that their average efficiency is 3.1 miles per kilowatt-hour.
Based on these figures, we find that, if every passenger vehicle in the US were instantly converted to a battery-electric vehicle, we would need to generate an additional 950 billion kWh of electricity per year—a 22% increase in total electricity generation.
Of course, even the most ardent EV fans don’t expect all of the nations 276 million vehicles to instantly turn into EVs. A recent CR analysis found that, even if EVs made up 100% of new vehicle sales by 2035, it would take until 2050 for almost all vehicles on the road to be electric. Meeting this increased demand for electricity would require generation to increase by about 1% per year, well below the 3.2% average annual growth rate for electricity generation over the past 70 years.
All this is not to minimize the challenges that lie ahead— as those electrical experts we mentioned at the start of this article constantly remind us, the US electrical grid will need to be massively upgraded and modernized to accommodate EVs and renewable energy. But the bugaboo of grid capacity as a deal-killer for vehicle electrification is just that—a grain of truth spun into a misleading meme by folks with an obstructionist agenda.
It’s also worth mentioning that CR’s analysis of the issue apparently didn’t take into account the potential of V2G, an emerging technology that promises to make EVs into an asset for the grid; nor the fact that gas-powered cars also require large amounts of electricity (by one calculation, about half as much electricity per mile as a pure EV).
Consumer Reports is not the only organization that has applied facts and figures to this issue. The US Drive Partnershipconcluded in 2019 that “based on historical growth rates, sufficient energy generation and generation capacity is expected to be available to support a growing EV fleet as it evolves over time, even with high EV market growth.”
The Union of Concerned Scientists, Scientific American, and IEEE Spectrum reached similar conclusions: difficult, but can do. Even the Wall Street Journal, no drinker of electric Kool-Aid, reported: “The consensus is that utilities can generate enough electricity. The problem is going to be getting it to people’s homes and businesses.”
In May 2023, the Rocky Mountain Institute released a detailed analysis of the implications of heavy-duty truck electrification for the grid. People need to realize that electric trucks “will not ‘break the grid’ or ‘destabilize the grid,'” the authors write. “Trucks are just a new source of load growth that bring a few wrinkles that challenge some of our current way of operating. However, utilities can and will figure it out.”
JLR announced that its Halewood plant in the UK will become an all-electric production facility. The company will invest $18.9 billion (£15 billion) over the next five years. Additionally, the company shared that its new medium-size SUV architecture EMA (electrified modular architecture) will now be fully electric.
Adrian Mardell, JLR’s CEO, said: “Today I am proud to announce we are accelerating our electrification path. This investment enables us to be carbon net-zero emissions by 2039.”
JLR also announced that the first of its three new Jaguar models will be a 4-door GT. The company said it will have a range up to 430 miles (700 km), and a starting price of £100,000. Additionally, it will feature its own architecture, which Jaguar has dubbed JEA. The model is expected to go on sale in selected markets in 2024.
Ionic Mineral Technologies, a developer of silicon anode battery materials, has launched Generation 1 Ionisil nano-silicon for lithium-ion cell makers.
EV OEM production labs have independently confirmed that an all-silicon battery using Generation 1 Ionisil can reach a reversible capacity of 2,700 mAh/g and 2,500 mAh/g at a 2,000 mAh fast charging rate in half-cell testing.
The initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of the silicon electrode, made from an aqueous slurry, is 85% without prelithiation. Ionisil-graphite electrodes with 15% Ionisil substitution in a water-based CMC/SBR binder system achieved 91% ICE and 740 mAh/g stable capacity. This 15% Ionisil replacement in graphite is predicted to produce a lithium-ion battery with 20% greater capacity and 20% more miles per charge in commercial applications.
“The Ionisil technology represents a significant advancement in battery materials, offering lithium-ion cell manufacturers a solution that delivers higher energy density and faster charging capabilities,” said Andre Zeitoun, Ionic Mineral Technologies’ CEO.
South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution will invest approximately $5.5 billion to construct a battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, Arizona. The complex will consist of two manufacturing facilities—one for cylindrical batteries for EVs and another for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pouch-type batteries for energy storage systems (ESS).
The company plans to invest $3.2 billion in building the EV battery manufacturing facility, which will have a capacity of 27 GWh and $2.3 billion in the LFP pouch-type battery facility which will have a capacity of 16 GWh. LG plans to break ground on both plants this year.
LG aims to begin mass production at the cylindrical battery plant in 2025 with an initial capacity of 2,170 cells per year, mainly for EV makers in North America. The ESS facility, meanwhile, is slated to start production in 2026.
“Our decision to invest in Arizona demonstrates our strategic initiative to continue expanding our global production network to further advance our products in scale and with speed,” said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution.
DOE will provide $99.5 million in new funding and an additional $87 million for 45 selected projects to develop EV technologies, train the electrified-transportation workforce and ensure equitable deployment of clean transportation in disadvantaged communities.
The projects across 18 states and DC have multiple goals, including improving EV charging infrastructure in underserved communities, developing EV batteries using abundant materials and educating consumers on the benefits of EVs.
The funding is intended to support the administration’s Investing in America agenda that seeks to onshore and reshore domestic manufacturing of technologies and infrastructure critical to the electrification of transportation.
“The selected projects,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, “reflect the Department’s commitment to advancing the clean transportation sector—from expanding convenient charging options to growing the future workforce and developing the key technologies that will lead to our fully electrified transportation future.”
InterBattery, South Korea’s largest and most influential exhibition for batteries, is launching for the first time in Europe as “InterBattery Europe Showcase” at ees Europe from June 14 to 16 in Munich. InterBattery Europe Showcase will be presenting global battery industry leaders like Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution and LS Electric along with other exhibitors from South Korea, China and India, as well as organizing its own conference “The Battery Day Europe Conference” to discuss the latest technologies, insights and forecasts of the world battery industry.
InterBattery is a renowned battery exhibition that first started in 2013 in Seoul, Korea. Since 2013, it has been growing by 30% each year in line with the growth of the world’s rechargeable battery industry to ultimately bring together about 500 exhibitors and 60,000 industry professionals from around the world annually.
In June of 2023, InterBattery is expanding to the European market for the first time and collaborating with ees Europe as “InterBattery Europe Showcase” to provide new exciting opportunities within the entire spectrum of international battery market.
“InterBattery Europe Showcase” is to take place at ees Europe. ees Europe is a parallel exhibition within the Smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest energy industry platform featuring 4 events: ees Europe (Energy storage), Intersolar Europe (Solar energy), Power2Drive Europe (Charging Infrastructure) and EM-Power Europe (Energy Soltuion). While ees Europe has a special focus on the battery up-stream sector (energy storage systems), “InterBattery Europe Showcase” has a focus on the battery down-stream sector (battery cells), offering Europe’s largest industry event covering the entire spectrum of the battery market.
The cooperation between “InterBattery Europe Showcase” and ees Europe is a truly exciting opportunity for the industry as international interest in the European battery market is high with the booming production for electric vehicles and stationary storage, growing 30% from July to October 2022 alone, according to Battery Atlas. Volkswagen Group and its battery subsidiary PowerCo, among others, have announced plans for manufacturing. Large capacities in Europe are also planned by LG Energy Solution (115 gigawatt hours (GWh)), Samsung SDI (40 GWh) and SK Innovation (77 GWh) from South Korea, ProLogium (120 gigawatt hours) from Taiwan, CATL (100 GWh) from China and many other players. According to Battery Atlas, Germany is the top location in Europe – both for planned battery cell production and for module and pack assembly, as well as for equipment suppliers.
At “InterBattery Europe Showcase,” battery industry professionals will be able to make face-to-face connections with the world’s top tier battery companies like Samsung SDI and LG Energy Soltuion and other various international battery companies featuring the newest technologies and products, such as rechargeable batteries, battery materials/ components, battery testing, measuring and manufacturing equipment, waste batteries, and battery solutions/ services.
“The Interbattery Showcase is especially targeted at battery industry professionals, including cell manufacturers, engineers, product developers, policy makers, as well as professionals from related industries, such as automotive, EV and energy,” adds Mr. Dong Ki Lee, CEO of Coex, South Korea’s largest exhibition and convention organizer and one of the three co-organizers of the “InterBattery Europe Showcase” along with Korea Battery Industry Association (KBIA) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
“With our commitment in Munich, we offer our customers a new platform in the German and European battery market,” says Mr. Tae Sung Park, Vice-Chairman at KBIA. Leading battery cell manufacturers such as Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution and SK On, as well as other global battery companies, are expected to present new technologies and products in the “InterBattery Showcase” at ees Europe 2023. “Many South Korean companies have become key players in the international battery industry and have started to expand their business in Europe,” said Mr. Jeoung Yeol Yu, CEO at KOTRA. “We are pleased that they can join us to learn first-hand about the European battery market and connect with buyers and professionals in the German and European markets. To provide targeted support in this regard, we offer a business matching program between exhibitors and visitors at the InterBattery Showcase.”
In addition to the exhibition, unique programs for the battery industry will take place at “InterBattery Europe Showcase”:
The Battery Day Europe Conference where the world’s leading battery industry specialists will discuss the vision and strategy for the future battery industry and identify the latest trends, such as next-generation battery technology, waste battery market and the EV battery market, to provide new opportunities,
Battery Next Showcase where key products and solutions that lead the 2023-2024 industry will be exclusively featured,
InterBattery Networking Night where exhibitors, visitors, and speakers at “InterBattery Europe Showcase” will gather to make deeper connections, and
InterBattery Europe Seminar where exhibitors of “InterBattery Europe Showcase” will introduce their newest launches.
“InterBattery Europe Showcase” will take place at ees Europe from June 14-16, 2023 at Hall C3, Messe Munich, Germany.
Electric aircraft developer Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) has signed a long-term agreement with Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for the production of Joby’s aircraft.
Toyota is Joby’s largest external shareholder, having invested around $400 million in the company, and the automaker has collaborated on a variety of projects to support the production of the Joby aircraft, including advising on the design of Joby’s pilot production line.
The new components, designed by Joby and manufactured by Toyota, will be delivered to Joby’s powertrain and electronics manufacturing facility in San Carlos, California, before the finished assemblies are shipped to its pilot production line in Marina for integration.
Joby is working with Toyota subsidiary Aero Asahi on an air taxi shuttle service for Toyota-related passengers in Japan. Joby has formally applied to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to validate its planned FAA aircraft type certification.
“Our partnership with Toyota continues to be an integral part of Joby’s success, from assisting in the design of our pilot production line in Marina, California, to supplying key components for our aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “Their expertise and knowledge has helped put us on track to deliver, at scale, an aircraft that we believe is truly best-in-class.”
Construction material provider Holcim will deploy up to 1,000 electric trucks from Volvo by 2030. Deliveries will start in the fourth quarter of 2023.
This deal, reportedly the largest commercial order to date for Volvo electric trucks, is part of a wider partnership between Holcim and Volvo Group to deploy electric trucks across Holcim’s operations in Europe between now and 2030.
Both companies are founding members of the First Movers Coalition (FMC), a group of companies that aim to use their purchasing power to create early markets for innovative clean technologies.
Volvo VNR Electric Truck
“The net-zero transition requires deep collaboration across value chains,” said Holcim Chairman and CEO Jan Jenisch. “We are excited to be partnering with Volvo to decarbonize our European operations’ logistics with electric fleets, advancing our goal to reach 30% of zero-emission heavy-duty truck purchases or contracts by 2030.”
24M has received $3.8 million in funding from the USABC (United States Advanced Battery Consortium).
The two-year project, which includes a 50% cost share, is planned to focus on the development of more affordable fast charging EV battery technology. 24M said it will create lithium-metal cells for electric mobility applications that can be charged to 80% in less than 15 minutes for under $75/kWh.
24M CEO Naoki Ota said: “The continued growth of the EV industry requires lower-cost, faster-charging batteries. 24M is uniquely positioned to meet this need because of the SemiSolid cell structure and manufacturing advantages.”
UK-based aerospace company BAE Systems and power management company Eaton have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work on the development of an integrated EV system for the commercial truck market.
Eaton has recently partnered with Charge Enterprises to offer integrated charging infrastructure for fleets.
The companies will initially offer a solution for the medium-duty commercial truck platform market and already have a Class-7 pickup and delivery demonstration vehicle in development.
BAE Systems will integrate its power-dense electric motor and silicon carbide/gallium nitride power electronics suite with Eaton’s MD 4-speed EV transmission to provide an EV system for medium-duty vehicles.
“Our complementary strengths and industry knowledge in providing clean transportation solutions will address a need for new, clean technology options for the global truck market,” said Steve Trichka, VP and GM of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems.
Fastening and assembly systems supplier ARaymond’s thermal management offering for electric and hybrid cars now includes temperature sensors.
Thermal management systems require additional cooling system sensors for accurate electric powertrain temperature control. According to the company, ARaymond creates a lightweight, sensitive plastic-enclosed temperature sensor for thermal applications in contrast to traditional metal-enclosed heavy sensors. ARaymond also sells its temperature sensors with or without Quick Connectors for fluid lines.
“We have created a sensor solution for our customers that will enhance their overall assembly experience,” said Florent Paviot, Business Developer at ARaymond. “Sensor technology will play an essential role as automakers continue to develop EV technology.”
The move from traditional engine vehicles to Electric Vehicles is driving a need for engineered equipment and infrastructure to support the transformation. The arrival of advanced technologies and the exponential growth predicted for electric vehicle charging is inviting industrial designers to consider a new mix of design challenges.
As more EV Charging Stations are deployed, there is a need for well-designed and secure enclosures to protect the equipment. These enclosures must be effectively and seamlessly integrated into existing urban environments, and they must be regularly accessed by both technical personnel and the general public. That access needs to be highly secure and well managed, yet at the same time easy to use and cleanly integrated into the built environment.
There are a range of best practices that can be followed for adding engineered access hardware to EV Charging infrastructure, including the role that usability, security and longevity of this equipment plays in the design process. Selecting the right hardware can enhance this equipment, as well as the competitive value of enclosure technologies.
Nevertheless, industrial designers need to be equally aware of ways to incorporate access systems cleanly into enclosures so that they seamlessly merge into our built cityscapes, through the use of hidden hinges and elegantly designed latches that complement industrial design.
EV Chargers: new fixtures for the smart city
EV charging stations will eventually become as ubiquitous as the gasoline station, with much of the same requirement: the ability for the EV driver to access the charger, connect it to their vehicle and “pay at the pump”. As well as appearing next to the traditional gas pump at gas stations, EV charging stations will find their way into parking lots, convenience stores and streetscapes.
That creates a security risk: EV charging stations contain expensive electrical equipment and have direct links to communications networks, making them targets for thieves and hackers. Since they are in unsupervised locations, EV charging station designers must carefully consider incorporating the same level of secure access hardware, including top-level electronic access solutions with audit trail capabilities, to provide the same level of protection that 5G enclosures require.
There is a clear trend toward designing EV charging stations to incorporate branding elements and distinctive visual designs so that EV vehicle operators can easily spot them. Electronic access solutions providers can help support this industrial design challenge with concealed locking mechanisms and hardware that help achieve marketing design goals.
Help selecting the right access hardware
The smart city is not going to be built out in an empty field — in almost all cases the technology to make a city “smarter” will need to be retrofitted into our existing cityscapes. This is one of the most critical challenges design engineers face when creating enclosure designs and selecting access hardware to secure them.
A key source of support and creative solutions for these challenges is a proven access hardware supplier with extensive experience addressing both functional and aesthetic challenges. They can often draw on existing portfolios and design concepts to help solve these critical engineering and design challenges.
Choosing a proven supplier can be the “smart” move to ensuring that the technology infrastructure enabling the benefits of the smart city is well protected, easily accessed and intelligently woven into existing urban environments.
Regular Charged readers are familiar with demand charges—fees that utilities charge commercial customers when power draws exceed a certain level. These charges can be shockingly high, and they hit operators of DC fast charging stations very hard indeed.
Lindsey Stegall, Manager of Market Development and Public Policy at charging operator EVgo, writes in a recent blog post that the cost of electricity is by far the largest operating cost for a DC fast charging station, and that energy costs, especially the dreaded demand charges, represent “one of the most significant obstacles to the widespread deployment of charging infrastructure.”
As a national charge point operator, EVgo has extensive experience in rate design proceedings across the country. Stegall and her colleagues have developed a set of seven principles that they suggest utilities and regulators consider when creating alternative rate designs for EV charging.
Make alternative rates optional. There are many different EV charging use cases, and allowing customers to choose from multiple rate options increases competition.
Minimize demand charges, and instead use time-varying volumetric rates. Volumetric rates that vary based on the time of day, season, and other factors could help address the issue of high demand charges and help encourage EV charging at times that provide the greatest benefits to the grid.
Expand existing rates designed for industry-specific load shapes. Many utilities have existing rates designed to accommodate “spiky” loads that are similar to those at EV charging facilities, for example loads from agricultural activities, houses of worship and sports facilities.
Apply rates to new and existing customers. To encourage investment in EV charging infrastructure, commercial rates should be available to all EV charging customers.
Offer different rates for different use cases. All commercial charging customers should have access to the same EV rates, but it may be appropriate to consider different rates for different usage scenarios, including workplace, public and fleet charging.
Provide certainty with long-duration rates (e.g. 10 years). This enables EV charging operators to plan for the future and make informed investment decisions.
Limit the use of subscription charges. Requiring customers to pay for fixed blocks of demand in advance can create significant barriers to entry for EV charging operators.
“Rate design is a complicated and delicate challenge, but the good news is that utilities across the country have begun implementing commercial EV rates to help accelerate transportation electrification,” writes Ms. Stegall. “These efforts are likely to continue, given language within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that requires each state to consider measures to promote greater electrification of the transportation sector, including establishing rates that accelerate third-party investment in EV charging.”
EVgo offers more details about rate design options in a white paper.
UK-based Metis Engineering has launched Cell Guard, a battery safety sensor, to detect lithium-ion battery cell venting and monitor battery health in EVs and energy storage systems.
Cell Guard monitors volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pressure change, humidity, dew point, shock duration and shock loads (up to 24 G), unlike other battery cell monitoring systems (BMS), that only monitor temperature and voltage. This data can be compared to cell temperatures and pressure spikes to detect cell venting and alert the driver within minutes.
The sensor sends data to a control unit like the vehicle’s ECU through a customizable CAN interface, which can also interrupt the battery pack’s circuit to prevent thermal runaway. Cell Guard monitors the battery pack dew point and provides an alert before condensation falls on the battery contacts, which can cause shorting and thermal events. There is also a threshold-triggered programmable pin to control relays. If a threshold is achieved, the sensor transmits warnings via CAN and wakes the vehicle if a problem is identified.
“As cells age, the chance of one in a pack of hundreds or thousands having a fault increases significantly. The early detection of cell venting is vital to the safety of the vehicle’s passengers and everything in proximity,” said Metis Engineering’s MD Joe Holdsworth. “Cell Guard provides consumers with valuable and detailed information on used EV battery condition.”
Volvo has invested in bidirectional EV charging startup dcbel. The automaker’s venture capital firm, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, will support dcbel’s R&D and commercialization efforts for its home energy system.
dcbel’s r16 Home Energy Station will be a “renewable energy ecosystem” that features bidirectional EV charging capabilities and a smart home energy management system. The system can be integrated with rooftop photovoltaic panels, and supports charging two EVs simultaneously.
Energy from an EV’s battery can be used to power a home during an outage, to save on utility costs during peak hours, or (theoretically) to earn money from the local utility for providing grid services.
dcbel’s operating system, Orchestrate OS, “synchronizes with a home’s solar power generation and stationary battery storage, and calculates the best ways to use, store or sell home energy every five minutes. Homeowners maintain complete visibility and control over their energy through their smartphone and other connected devices.”
“Home energy management systems will play a vital role as we move towards bi-directionality of electric vehicles,” said Alexander Petrofski, CEO of Volvo Cars Tech Fund. “Rising energy prices coupled with frequent blackouts are challenges faced by consumers today, and our investment in dcbel and their technology can help alleviate those challenges for our customers.”
Volvo has said that its upcoming EX90 will be the brand’s first EV with bidirectional charging capability.
EV charger supplier EvoCharge has partnered with Finland-based EV charger manufacturer Kempower to introduce a line of DC fast charging systems for servicing automotive as well as medium- and heavy-duty and commercial applications in North America.
“It is estimated that 80% of automotive charging will occur at home using Level 2 AC chargers,” said EvoCharge President Tom Moser. “Beyond this, DC fast charging is essential to support high-power charging needs.”
The line offers power capacities ranging from 50 kW to 600 kW and up to 240 kW of continuous power output per port.
Temperature control is a critical factor during stress and load testing in the development of batteries, materials and other vehicle components. The heat transfer fluid (HTF) used in testing is often a water-ethylene glycol mixture.
To address these applications, thermoregulation specialist Huber has expanded its portfolio to include temperature control systems designed and tested specifically for use with water-ethylene glycol over the temperature range of -45° to 95° C for the automotive industry.
Based on Huber’s Unistat technology, which the company developed by over 40-years ago, these systems operate with a very low volume of HTF, and feature plate heat exchangers and a sealed fluid system. Huber says this results in very short “time to temperature” times, as well as extremely responsive, stable, accurate and repeatable temperature control.
The Unimotive series comprises five units with up to 35 kW cooling capacity and 24 kW heating capacity. Each model is fitted with a magnetically coupled, speed-controlled pump with a maximum flow of 145 l/min and pressure up to 5.5 Bar.
Unimotive devices can be individually configured and adapted to various test situations, or integrated into existing test benches. Various sensors, expansion vessels, pumps and data interfaces are available as accessories.
Huber can build custom-designed solutions for demanding applications, for example those requiring high pressures or aggressive fluids.
All Unimotive models are operated using a touchscreen controller that supports the most common data communication protocols (including Profibus, Modbus, TCP, Ethernet, OPC-UA, RS232 and USB), enabling easy integration into automated industrial environments.
Automakers face pressure to develop energy-efficient and powerful EV batteries, electric drivetrains, and charging infrastructure as the global automotive market ramps up EV production to meet net zero emission goals.
Emulation technology is emerging as a vital tool that reduces design verification time and cost across this e-mobility ecosystem. Designers fine-tune prototypes for EV cells, modules, packs, and battery management systems with emulators before mass production. Emulators can also assume the roles of EVs, charging stations, and power supplies to validate products for interoperability and conformance to global industry standards.
Canadian automotive parts supplier Magna has been awarded a contract to manufacture the INEOS Automotive off-road EV—expected to start production in Graz, Austria, in 2026.
Magna started working with INEOS Automotive in 2018, providing complete vehicle engineering services ahead of the launch of the company’s first off-roader, the Grenadier.
“As a global contract manufacturer with a strong infrastructure and a qualified workforce, Magna is ideally positioned to support automakers like INEOS Automotive in turning their mobility vision into reality,” said Roland Prettner, Interim President of Magna Complete Vehicles.
ABM, a provider of facility services, infrastructure solutions, and parking management, has installed close to 30,000 EV charging stations to date, and now aims to be “a single-source solution provider across the entire EV ecosystem,” offering comprehensive engineering, design, installation and maintenance services.
To this end, the company plans to centralize its e-mobility, resiliency and electrical infrastructure operations at an expanded multiuse facility. The ABM Electrification Center will be in Cumming, Georgia, co-located with the existing operations center of ABM’s RavenVolt, which provides turnkey microgrid systems.
Construction on the 114,000-square-foot facility is to begin in July.
The Electrification Center will include an on-site training and demonstration facility for ABM and its partners, and a technology hub for testing and developing EV infrastructure solutions. Some 43,000 square feet will be dedicated to hosting dozens of EV chargers, enabling vehicle manufacturers and other clients to test interoperability on new vehicle products, and giving ABM trainees, partners and clients the opportunity to access the most popular chargers for hands-on training.
“As the country continues to embrace vehicle electrification at unprecedented rates, it’s critical for companies to establish the necessary infrastructure and interoperability of new technologies,” said ABM CEO Scott Salmirs. “Our investment in ABM’s new state-of-the-art Electrification Center is a reflection of our commitment to help future-proof the e-mobility landscape across industries.”
“Our expertise uniquely situates ABM at the epicenter of the EV ecosystem and allows us to provide the physical infrastructure needed for the future of transportation,” said Mark Hawkinson, ABM President of Technical Solutions. “The ABM Electrification Center will help our partners navigate this EV evolution and enable us to provide seamless service with up-to-the-minute knowledge for our clients from the initial planning period through implementation and maintenance.”
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded British aerospace, defense and nuclear engineering company Babcock International a one-year contract to assist the British Army in assessing the application of electric propulsion to its military vehicles through Project LURCHER.
Babcock, in collaboration with British electric conversion company Electrogenic, will convert four military Land Rovers, two protected vehicles and two general service vehicles from diesel to electric using drop-in kits and modified battery systems.
The army’s Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) will then evaluate the vehicles’ performance with respect to a variety of challenging military conditions and tasks, including steep terrain, wading and towing and varying climatic parameters.
“ATDU is supporting Defence to fully realize the strengths and weaknesses of EV technology,” said ATDU’s Corporal Bryan Munce. “Mobility performance, exportable power, signature and cost reduction are just some of the considerations we will explore.”
Cabot Corporation has developed a new ENTERA aerogel particles portfolio with three aerogel products that formulators can incorporate into thermal barrier blankets, pads, sheets, films, foams and coatings.
ENTERA aerogel particles are thermal insulation additives that provide “ultra-thin” thermal barriers for lithium-ion EV batteries. Cabot ENTERA aerogel particles comply with EV safety regulations such as UN GTR No. 20 and China’s GB 38031-2020. The EV5200, EV5400 and EV5800 products range in size from microns to millimeters. ENTERA aerogel has over 90% air volume and is 20 times lighter than traditional thermal barrier insulation additives, the company said.
“The expansion of our aerogel capabilities for use in thermal barriers for batteries supports the growth of the battery market,” stated Jeff Zhu, President of Cabot’s Performance Chemicals sector and the Asia Pacific region. “Our new ENTERA aerogel particles provide strong formulation flexibility and play an important role in improving passenger safety, energy efficiency and extended range for EVs.”
Motiv Power Systems, a manufacturer of medium-duty electric trucks and buses, has unveiled a pilot of a fully integrated electric refrigerated truck featuring Carrier Transicold’s Pulsor eCool unit, a new refrigeration solution for electric vehicles.
Pulsor eCool technology will be fully integrated with Motiv’s drive system, creating “the ideal solution for last-mile delivery and temperature-controlled electrification.”
Motiv says its e-truck is capable of all-day delivery of refrigerated goods. It will be deployed in the US as part of a summer pilot program.
“The Carrier Transicold Pulsor eCool unit integrates perfectly with the size of delivery vehicles Motiv specializes in,” said Motiv founder and CTO Jim Castelaz. “With the full vehicle battery integrated for both cooling and driving all day, this EV enables businesses to reliably deliver refrigerated goods like food, flowers and pharmaceutical products on daily routes.”
The Pulsor eCool unit uses Carrier Transicold’s E-Drive technology—first developed for its Vector trailer refrigeration units—allowing for rapid temperature pull-down and high refrigeration capacity through electric power.
“Offering exceptional efficiency for its class, the Pulsor eCool unit is designed to use a light- or medium-duty electric vehicle’s battery system without requiring its own power pack,” said Scott Parker, Product Manager, Trailer Products, Carrier Transicold. “It’s an ideal fit for companies that are considering battery-powered vehicles to deliver refrigerated products in urban areas.”
Meanwhile, Motiv has announced a new vehicle order from business service provider Cintas, for 30 additional electric delivery vans. Cintas successfully piloted 7 Motiv-powered vehicles across three states in 2022. Cintas will deploy the new e-trucks on existing routes.
Cintas’s electric delivery vehicles are built on Motiv’s EPIC5 platform, which uses a proprietary hardware and software EV platform.
“We’re proud to support Cintas in every area of the relationship, whether it’s procuring funding for vehicles, meeting with the field team for ongoing training and program improvements, driving operational cost savings and ultimately freeing their fleet from fossil fuels,” said Tim Krauskopf, CEO of Motiv Power Systems.
GM’s investment arm GM Ventures is leading a $50-million Series B financing round in Energy Exploration Technologies (EnergyX) and will develop the company’s lithium extraction and refinery technology.
EnergyX’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology can make lithium metal directly from brine, potentially in anode-ready form for EV batteries—enabling cost-effective and sustainable lithium recovery. This could help create a lithium supply chain in North America that may otherwise be unviable, the company said.
In 2022, EnergyX designed, built and commissioned an in-field pilot plant in the Lithium Triangle in South America, which encompasses over 65% of the world’s known global lithium reserves. The company says its LiTAS technology increases lithium recovery rates to over 90% from the current industry standard of 30-40% using ponds, and hit 94% during its field trials.
After a successful five-month pilot program proving the efficacy of the LiTAS lithium refinery process, EnergyX will scale those systems to more robust market demonstration plants located at five regional test beds in North and South America, followed by full-scale commercialization.
This new round of financing, provided by GM and other investors, will enable the company to broaden its research and development efforts for pure lithium metal anodes and its solid-state lithium metal battery program, SoLiS. The agreement with GM includes a technology development program and will give the carmaker access to lithium supply from EnergyX for its EV production.
“The EnergyX team of scientists and engineers have worked for five years, developing DLE technology to solve the bottlenecks that have limited global lithium production and supply chain,” said Teague Egan, CEO of EnergyX. “We aim to unlock lithium supply in the US, a pivotal move in expanding the EV industry.”
The current supply chain situation of semiconductors and also many other, much simpler components shows how important the local production actually is. Not only car manufacturers but also suppliers, which after relocating production sites abroad or even continental relocation, are now experiencing delivery difficulties, some of them considerable. Companies like Tesla, which have already selected the production sites well-considered in advance and they have chosen in addition to the USA an assembly plant in the Netherlands and a production plant in Germany. Nordson is one of them and they are currently very fortunate to have production sites on all continents for almost all product lines.
Challenges need to be overcome – tests are important
As the automotive market increasingly focuses on the e-mobility sector, it is not only the supply chain issues that need to be taken into account, but also the fact that suppliers and equipment manufacturers are focusing on this new sector and further challenges need to be overcome. Nordson, as an application equipment manufacturer for a wide range of sectors, is confronted with many new applications and materials every day. This topic requires a lot of testing of the systems in order to meet the performance requirements of the customer or to incorporate the corresponding optimizations. Using the example of 2-component FIP (Foam-In-Place) applications with Pro-Meter, Nordson has shown how important it is not only to master flow rates and robot adaptation, but also to deliver the overall bead application pattern, including start and stop controls, in a customer-oriented manner through software optimization. A wide variety of philosophies are pursued in the field of application, and new challenges are also constantly arising. For example, dispensing volumes and flow rates resulting from the cycle times with materials such as gap fillers or TIM (thermal interface materials), which are basically already well-known materials, but the above-mentioned combination places completely new tasks on the systems. A progressive cavity pump, for example, can apply smaller volumes very precisely without damaging the material, provided that higher pressures are not required. Volumetric piston metering systems like Micro-Meter or Pro-Meter S based on the positive rod displacement principle can be the better solution if, for example, large quantities have to be applied in a short time.
Nordson offers both technologies and has successfully used both for these applications and applies them according to the customer’s requirements.
“Thinking out of the box” is a common phrase, but more relevant than ever: many companies that were previously strong in the powertrain sector are struggling to find new projects and have to reorient themselves due to the advancing e-mobility. Here, it is indeed necessary to leave existing paths and to establish acquired competences, partly from scratch. Having strong partners at your side and trusting them is one way to successfully exploit new opportunities.
Trust your partner
As more automotive manufacturers enter the electric vehicle market trust Nordson, your industry expert. Rely on teams who will deliver the best solution for you and your customer. Let’s pave the way to innovative, high quality EV battery manufacturing. Connect with a Nordson representative for your next project: ContactUs
Fleet customers represent a lucrative line of business for General Motors. This year, the company reported that GM Fleet achieved its best first quarter of commercial fleet sales since 2006.
In order to better address the rapidly-changing fleet market, GM has now brought all of its fleet products and services under a new brand called GM Envolve. The new business unit will be headed by VP of Commercial Growth Strategies and Operations Steve Hill.
GM Envolve is “a one-stop customer experience, designed with input from customers and dealers, to make it easier to tap into all the products and services GM has to offer.” GM Envolve will offer “a full program of tailored solutions, providing high-tech management for both ICE and EV commercial fleet operations,” and “give business customers more ways to reduce their environmental impact, streamline fleet operations and increase driver safety.”
Each large fleet customer will be assigned a dedicated account executive to offer coordination and recommendations, “backed by a team of experts to help identify and curate a package of GM’s technologies and innovative solutions for each customer’s business.” A digital platform for customer use is in the pipeline.
GM Envolve is designed to give fleets “efficient, uncluttered access” to various GM business units, including BrightDrop, GM Genuine Parts, OnStar Business Solutions (tracking and data analysis), and energy management for EV fleets. Consultants will be available to help with upgrading from ICEs to EVs, including such services as telematics, route planning and EV charging.
Among the first GM Envolve customers are Domino’s, which ordered 800 Chevy Bolt EVs last year, and AutoZone, which plans to order 60 Chevy Bolt EUVs this summer.
“GM Envolve will leverage the complete power of General Motors to offer the best solutions to customers and further reinforce why we’ve increased our fleet sales for five consecutive quarters,” said GM Executive VP Steve Carlisle. “We will bring our customers in to create tailored solutions to meet their unique business challenges.”
The market for heavy-duty electric trucks is heating up—long-established OEMs and startups alike are moving on from the pilot stage, and filling substantial orders from customers. During a recent conversation with Rustam Kocher, once Charging Infrastructure Lead at Daimler Trucks North America and now a consultant (watch for the full interview in the next print issue of Charged), I asked which truck manufacturers he thinks are the most likely to lead in the electric brave new world.
Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 truckDaimler TruckFreightliner eCascadiasd
However, it’s another newcomer to the heavy-duty vehicle market that really stands out. “Tesla, obviously, they’ve got a great product,” said Rustam. “We talk about gen two, gen three with the OEMs right now, and maybe PACCAR and Navistar are on gen one, gen two. Tesla is on gen five because they built that truck from the ground up to be electric, which none of the major OEMs have yet. They’ll get there, but honestly Tesla is that many more jumps ahead.”
Kocher sees Tesla’s shift to LFP battery chemistries as a positive development for the whole industry. “You’re already seeing different batteries on the Tesla Semi (LFP), which is interesting. Now they think maybe they don’t need a 500-mile range, maybe they can get by with 300. Well, that helps the OEMs out there that can just barely reach 300. There’s a lot of use cases for 300-mile trucks out there, so let’s do that with LFP batteries. Iron phosphate batteries are great because they’re durable, they’re cheap. They’re a little heavy and they’re not quite as energy-dense as some of the other chemistries, but they’re a good fit for commercial use because of their durability.”
Tesla SemiTesla SemiTesla Semi
However, technical superiority alone may not translate to market leadership. An unfortunate truism in the commercial EV space is that fleet operators tend to insist on years-long pilots before they commit to going electric at scale. Vehicle OEMs have likewise tended to take their time developing new models, but regulation may soon force them to shorten their timeframes, and this could favor established brands.
Rustam Kocher told me that the electric truck product cycle will be “artificially constricted” by the Advanced Clean Transportation regulations. Fleet operators “won’t have any choice, so they’ll choose OEMs that they trust and move forward. Whether that’s Volvo, Freightliner, PACCAR or Navistar, they have relationships with those OEMs and so they’re going to trust them to build a vehicle that will perform under the conditions that they need it to perform. Tesla’s going to have trouble breaking into the market.”
I’ve never worked with smarter people. I’ve never worked with a more agile company than when I was working with Tesla on the Megawatt Charging System.
Will Tesla be able to earn the respect that established OEMs have built over decades? “Whether or not they can keep their truck intact, maintain it and build the trust within the industry is a good question,” Rustam told me. “I hope they can. I’ve never worked with smarter people. I’ve never worked with a more agile company than when I was working with Tesla on the Megawatt Charging System.”
, a new cloud-enabled HMI product addition to the Rockwell Automation visualization portfolio.
