POWERTRAIN
Thermal simulation of airfl ow, body temperature and perspiration in the cabin helps designers improve climate control and comfort
frequent: the Porsche Taycan, for example, shares the same cooling circuit between the battery and the motors, and the battery can act as a heat sink for the motor. Also, the battery benefi ts because it gets warmed by the motor in the optimal working range (20-30º Celsius). Use of advanced materials is also
interesting, especially when they can be shaped in complex forms that would otherwise require multiple parts to be then connected during the assembly phase. Composite materials are another
important part of trying to make EVs lighter and therefore improve their range. For this to be eff ective, it’s important that data is eff ectively managed so that vital information on materials is not lost following testing between the various teams, and that the materials engineering process is eff ectively co-ordinated with the rest of the design and production and does not operate as a silo.
Q
WHAT ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUELS ARE THERE?
There is no clear path to
electrifi cation, and there are still many hurdles we are yet to face –
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the largest of which is infrastructure. For example, how will we produce all the electricity needed to power electric vehicles, and how will we ensure consumers will be able to access charging stations across the world? For global adoption, electric vehicles
must be better than conventional ones in every single way. Infrastructure is only one barrier we need to address – others include safety, manufacturing, quality inspection and many others. While consumer demand grows, OEMs not only have to deal with these demands during development, but also the confl icting needs of increasing profi ts while reducing prices. In this regard, Computer Aided
Engineering and virtual manufacturing software is driving this eff ort to deliver more eff icient and consumer-friendly vehicles. Through digital integration of R&D and manufacturing, Hexagon is working alongside automotive OEMs and their suppliers to develop and test new approaches and components from a system point of view. EVs really demand a system or ‘global’ optimisation approach and rely extensively on multi-disciplinary engineers and new skills to achieve huge progress so quickly.
It’s challenging, to say the least, to
maintain ICE innovation and supply chains while simultaneously investing in new EV challenges. Biofuels are seen as an alternative option, but it may well be too late for widespread implementation. Governments are already investing in electrifi cation, which is seen as the step beyond. With low oil prices and no subsidisation, biofuels will not be able to take off . Until full electrifi cation, internal combustion engines will act as our safety net, and it will take time before we are able to confi dently stop relying on them.
Q
CAN QUALITY BE IMPROVED ACROSS THE BOARD?
Quality has to become part of the design process because ultimately, it is the outcome of a robust design. Quality means designing a system that works as expected in reality, not just in theory. To achieve that, we have to stop thinking that quality is just a measure of how good the production stage is. Instead, production measures and consumer usage have to circle back to the designer so they can apply real-life conditions from the beginning. ●
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