EV automakers will be hard pressed to incorporate EV innovations into design, development, and production while compressing the time from concept to delivery.
In a way, electric vehicle (EV) automakers are blessed in that rapid and revolutionary technology changes are occurring that can help improve the performance, range, and safety of their cars. Unfortunately, the rate at which EV innovation and new technologies are becoming available outpaces traditional development to production timelines.
As a result, there is more pressure than ever on auto manufacturers, in general, and electric vehicle makers, in particular, to reduce development and launch times while still delivering quality, personalized vehicles.
Taking a deeper look at the issue, many EV automakers find that the normal three to five years to go from concept to production must be shrunk to incorporate the latest and greatest technologies that their customers are demanding.
A Glimpse at EV Innovation
Automakers have a long history of incorporating new innovations into their designs as they emerge. Examples include moving to lighter-weight composite body panels to improve driving range, adopting laminated windshields and safety glass, and more.
What sets EVs apart is that the technological developments are coming faster than ever before. And each development potentially requires significant development and production changes. A brief look at EV innovation on the horizon illustrates how large a change the automakers face.
Solar paint
Late last year, Mercedes-Benz announced it was developing a solar paint that would allow electric vehicle owners in places like Arizona, Los Angeles, and other sun-drenched cities to potentially drive without ever plugging the car in to recharge.
A November release highlighting some of the company’s research activities described the innovation:
“Mercedes-Benz is researching a new type of solar module that could be seamlessly applied to the bodywork of electric vehicles – similar to a wafer-thin layer of paste. At 5 micrometers thin, these are significantly thinner than a human hair, weigh just 50 grams per square meter, and are packed full of energy. The active photovoltaic surface can be applied to any substrate. The solar cells have a high efficiency of 20 percent.
An area of 118.4 square feet (equivalent to the surface of a mid-size SUV) could produce energy for up to 7,456 miles per year under ideal conditions. The energy generated by the solar cells is used to drive or feed directly into the high-voltage battery. The photovoltaic system is permanently active and also generates energy when the vehicle is switched off. In the future, this could be a highly effective solution for increased electric range and fewer charging stops.
The amount of energy produced depends on levels of shade, the intensity of the sun, and geographical location. Mercedes-Benz drivers in Stuttgart, Germany, drive an average of 32 miles per day. Around 62 percent of this distance would be covered using solar energy. In Los Angeles, there is even a surplus of solar energy. It could be used for 100 percent of their driving, on average, and the surplus of energy could be fed directly into the home network via bidirectional charging.”
Swappable batteries
EV driving ranges keep getting longer and charging times shorter. But charging still takes time. Industry sources give different amounts of time for charging, all of which depends on many factors including battery charging capacity and type of charger. Some common numbers cited are four to ten hours to fully charge an EV using common home chargers or under an hour to charge an EV to 80% using a direct current fast charger.
One alternative that keeps getting mentioned is that of swappable batteries. Similar to changing a tire, an EV would pull into a station and the car’s drained batter would be removed and replaced with a fully charged battery. That would allow the driver to be on his or her way in minutes.
Unfortunately, there are numerous problems keeping the swappable battery idea from happening. All EVs would need to use the same size battery. The battery would need to be easily accessible so that an automated system could remove it and insert a new battery. Additionally, there would need to be a nation-wide chain of stations that performed this operation for the concept to work.
All of these things would need to happen for success. While that may seem unlikely, stranger things have happened in short time frames.
Road charging
Wireless EV road charging, also known as dynamic wireless charging, is a technology that allows EVs to charge while driving on specially equipped roads. Most systems use inductive charging, where coils embedded in the road generate an electromagnetic field that transfers energy to a receiver in the EV without requiring physical contact. There are multiple pilot projects underway now to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology.
The benefit of wireless road charging is that it eliminates the need for frequent stationary charging stops, extends the driving range of EVs, and reduces battery size requirements, making EVs more efficient and practical for long-distance travel.
A Final Word on the Pace of EV Innovation
Emerging technologies are poised to radically change the EV marketplace. Automakers will need to employ modern manufacturing approaches that include Agile methodologies, digital twins, virtual commissioning, flexible supply chains, and more to be able to incorporate those technologies into their designs and production processes.
