POWERTRAIN
Optical inspection of laminations helps ensure effi ciency and consistent torque
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exagon’s manufacturing division has some 8,000 employees spread across 32 countries. The
company is involved in all aspects of vehicle development. Here Dr Luca Castignani, global automotive industry director, answers our questions.
ARE THERE ENOUGH RAW MATERIALS?
Material shortage is a large factor impacting vehicle production and manufacturing – not only is there a lack of raw materials, but there are many concerns over the economic and social cost of sourcing enough for use. Shortages of nickel and cobalt, for example, could delay production and lead to overexploitation of natural resources in the developing world.
The future of electric vehicle
battery production needs to meet the demands of environmentally conscious consumers – whether that is through enhanced traceability over materials, or the commercialisation of new battery technology with R&D that reduces dependency on exotic materials.
Q
WHAT ABOUT BATTERY RECYCLING?
Battery recycling will defi nitely be a part of the journey towards more sustainable electric vehicles. Amongst OEMs, there has been a lot of talk about how this could take place. For example, Renault is proposing to reuse batteries for non-automotive purposes. After a battery is no longer running eff iciently enough for a car,
it still holds a lot of value for storing energy for domestic use, such as when generated from solar power. The key to battery recycling is
for batteries to be optimised for recyclability at the design stage, which requires processes such as design, engineering and manufacturing to be ‘joined up’ and virtualised. Linking together fragmented manufacturing processes enables car makers to see how even micromaterials can be optimised for recyclability before the fi rst prototype rolls off the production line.
Q
WHAT ABOUT SUPER- CAPACITORS?
Super-capacitors are great at delivering high power for a short amount of time (hence they can store
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