How to make E-Cars Drive

It is shortly after 7:00 a.m. and, after a final sip of your morning coffee, you take your fully charged smartphone off the docking station and make your way out to the garage, where you pull the charging cable plug out of your electric car, coil it up, and hang it on the wall. Through the open garage door, you suddenly see your neighbor across the street getting straight into his car and driving off. This is because he simply charges his state-of-the-art electric car inductively—using the corresponding charging pad on the floor of his garage. Think that’s all still a long way off? In the rapidly developing world of electromobility, this morning routine could soon become the norm.

Why a functioning infrastructure is the basis for market success

Everyone is talking about e-mobility. Regardless of which newspaper you open or online news you read, we are inundated with new developments and applications on an almost daily basis, from the production of new electric cars by big automotive manufacturers and the emergence of new startups in the automotive industry to joint smart city projects by energy producers and municipalities, such as the set-up of smart street lamps that also serve as charging stations for electric cars¹.

However, things that sound impressively futuristic for laypersons are now possible because companies such as LANXESS have already developed suitable materials for these well in advance. Such background expertise—as well as the courage and creativity to think outside the box—lays the foundations for automotive manufacturers to develop their electric vehicles. And not least to create a suitable worldwide charging infrastructure that presents an important prerequisite for the success of electromobility.

Charging infrastructure as main criterion

Current surveys and studies such as those by Forsa and the Zukunftsinstitut² [Future Institute] show that, for up to 90 percent of those surveyed, a well-developed charging infrastructure represents a major prerequisite for the transition to an electric car. After this come criteria such as range and costs. The comprehensive expansion of this infrastructure—and therefore the establishment of charging options for public, commercial and private places—should thus be top priority in the industry, academia and politics, and not only in Germany, but worldwide. This works better in some countries than others. However, the fact is that an efficient charging infrastructure will have a major influence on the development and market success of e-mobility.
Infrastructure expansion comprises a broad field that results in development potential and task fields for various companies and services. And this begins much earlier than for the electric car seen on the road—because, of course, it has to make it there first, and it also has to be supplied with electricity. The philosophy here revolves around thinking ahead and generating momentum.“ For instance, the stresses on plugs or charging cables for electric cars are considerably higher than is generally assumed,” cited Julian Haspel, head of the e-Powertrain team at the LANXESS High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit. High-performance plastics from LANXESS are therefore also used in manufacturing plugs, switches and cable coating for charging stations and housings for wall-mounted charging stations. “The specific material properties of Durethan® and Pocan® with respect to temperature behavior, dimensional stability, warpage, stiffness and load capacity provide manufacturers with every opportunity to develop and produce innovative products,” explained Haspel. The same applies to the exciting field of “inductive charging.”

Charging by induction

We have been familiar with inductive charging for some time now, for instance with electric toothbrushes and smartphones. However, the principle is (still) yet to establish itself for electric cars—although the technical complexity here is even greater. Inductive charging involves the contactless charging of the car battery. Two coils are required for this purpose—one on the floor, one on the vehicle. Energy transfer takes place when these are correctly positioned on top of one another. This can take place while stationary (such as at parking lots and garages) or mobile (such as while driving). However, there are already some functioning practical examples; for instance, since 2015, four electric buses have been transporting passengers—very successfully and to the satisfaction of transportation companies and those on board—from A to B in Braunschweig thanks to inductive charging.

“Inductive charging therefore offers LANXESS exciting opportunities to integrate its high-performance plastics in new projects and play a crucial role in developing this technology.”

Jan BenderHead of Marketing EMEA at LANXESS

“When it comes to reduced weight, simultaneously combined with low warpage, high resistance against heat and chemicals to surrounding media, these engineering plastics offer the ideal solution.”

Julian HaspelHead of the e-Powertrain team at LANXESS

However, the wider automotive market has not yet managed to replicate the project-based success of commercial vehicles such as these buses. There is still pioneering work to be done here in many cases—innovative and functional solutions are required.

Various Durethan® types and thermoplastic composite materials such as Tepex® are available for use in manufacturing charging pads, ground assembly covers and frames for cars, as well as entire charging systems.
In the development of new, cost-effective solutions—as is generally the case in the area of electromobility and its infrastructure expansion—it is vital to take a fresh approach and create models for cooperation that may seem unusual at first, and, of course, correspond to multiple sectors and manufacturers.

Coopetition—the new magic word

Interfaces and cooperation between sectors are becoming a key factor for success. “Coopetition” is the new keyword here because in order to become established on the e-mobility market, large and small companies are increasingly entering into “cooperation competition” to develop sustainable concepts and innovative technologies together and, at the same time, turn a profit from this. Many services will emerge based on the topic of electromobility and the provision and use of an intelligent charging infrastructure—including corresponding billing models. The Zukunftsinstitut also emphasizes this in its article “E-Mobility mischt den Markt auf” [“E-mobility is shaking up the market”]. Joint research into effective charging infrastructures, new drive technologies, lightweight construction and batteries are massively opening up the sector. Partnerships between automotive manufacturers and other “mobility companies” are becoming the norm since this is the only way to bring services, interfaces and businesses to fruition. “The design for access to the market will be the deciding factor in its success. It should be as simple and standardized as possible,” added Jan Bender from LANXESS. For example, anyone expecting the user to own several different electricity fuel cards to actually be able to fully charge their electric car won’t get very far on the mobility market. Openness, cooperations and the resulting added value for the user will have the greatest relevance.

Note

Smartphone manufacturers who have long since failed to agree a uniform standard for charging cables and plugs should be cited here as an example of what not to do. A voluntary agreement in principle was signed only as a result of the major political pressure placed on the manufacturers Apple, Google, Lenovo, LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony by the EU in March 2018. This involved a commitment to sell only new smartphone models that have a charger cable in accordance with the USB-C standard in the EU from 2021 at the latest³. Manufacturers handled this better when it came to inductive charging. From the outset , only the proprietary standard Qi has been used by manufacturers in the inductive charging of smartphones. It is supported by Apple as well as manufacturers of Android smartphones. What can e-mobility learn from this? Capitalize on the advantages of uniform standards from the beginning and do not thwart one another—this can play a decisive role in forcing the pace to market success.

Shift in expertise

A major factor behind the emergence of cross-company cooperations is the fact that expertise is on the move. While automotive manufacturers’ expertise is at 60 percent for combustion engines, when it comes to the development of electric motors, they are down to under 15 percent. Other sectors, particularly electronics and chemistry, are up to two decades ahead when it comes to development and already have adequate products in their portfolio. “With its high-performance plastics, LANXESS is the best example here and has for years offered product properties that also make these the ideal materials for use in electromobility,” said Jan Bender. “With our materials, we offer e-mobility manufacturers a crucial competitive advantage and open up market access.”

“With our materials, we offer e-mobility manufacturers a crucial competitive advantage and open up market access.”

Jan BenderHead of Marketing EMEA at LANXESS

There are some successful cooperations with leading automotive manufacturers. For example Daimler is cooperating with Chinese company BYD, Volkswagen with Varta Microbattery, Audi with Voith Partner. Tesla remains a pioneer in the sector. And most recently, Volkswagen announced that the group could gain E.Go as its first partner for the Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB). In the future, E.Go wants to develop a new vehicle based on this toolkit together with Volkswagen. “The aim is to establish MEB as the standard in e-mobility,” said VW CEO Herbert Diess, shortly before the opening of this year’s International Motor Show in Geneva.⁴

Supply and demand—creating and optimizing potential

However, the new technologies and developments must be made trustworthy in order to reach and convince the masses. Well-known brands are again in demand for this purpose because long-established quality will continue to represent a deciding factor. “Ease of use” also plays a major role here. Consulting agency Oliver Wyman has also commented on this, having performed a study on the future of mobility in Germany, France, Great Britain, Shanghai and Singapore. According to this, the players do not necessarily have to cover all areas of mobility to establish themselves on the market—but they should (still) position themselves as important contacts in the mobility chain⁵. As a seasoned expert in the area of high-performance plastics and established on the market, LANXESS has decades of experience in technical plastics and it continues to grow.

“For automotive sector customers around the world, LANXESS has not only been a strong partner for many years, but also a driving force and innovator behind the development of novel solutions. This is even increasingly the case in the promotion of electromobility and the expansion of its infrastructure.”

Michael ZobelHead of HPM business unit at LANXESS

This is because plastics from LANXESS make charging systems lighter, sturdier, more resistant to heat and – when required – more conductive or stronger at electromagnetic shielding.

Creative concepts as a driving force

There are differing and highly creative approaches around the world to promote the expansion of the charging infrastructure. Projects such as the conversion of old telephone booths in Austria to charging stations for electric cars encourage innovation and thinking outside the box. Large, international hotel and restaurant chains such as Radisson Blu and Skylark in Japan offer guests complementary charging stations for electric cars. And last but not least, the car-sharing concept provides excellent opportunities for manufacturers to take part in the expansion of this infrastructure and position themselves as experts. This is because electric vehicles will play an increasingly important role, particularly in the world’s dynamic megacities—they are quiet, environmentally friendly and perfect for short-haul routes. An increasing number of car-sharing fleets are battery powered. This goes for both private users and companies, entailing growth potential as well as the need to develop sufficient charging options for these fleets. Global requirements call for global partners. Not only does LANXESS have a global site and production network, but it is also in close proximity to the markets and e-mobility hotspots. It enjoys close cooperation with the established market leaders—but also with innovative startup companies, such as the lateral thinkers represented at the startup show SLUSH in Helsinki.

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Energy transition and smart grid

Last but not least is the topic of energy transition. This provides a global boost to the expansion of smart grids. Where previously central power stations covered the electricity demands of entire cities, today’s network of energy suppliers increasingly consists of a number of (very) small providers: photovoltaic systems on private houses, farmers with their own biogas plants and wind turbines. This is all connected as much as possible, with these connections, of course, being smart. The smart grid is becoming a part of electromobility; “vehicle-to-grid” are the keywords here. The concept consists of using car batteries as buffers for excess capacities from the electricity grid—returning the electricity to the grid at peak times. This enables the efficient and, above all, sustainable use of capacities.
However, sufficient storage space in which to connect the electric cars to the electricity grid over the course of several hours presents a pre-requisite for the comprehensive embedding of the “vehicle-to-grid” concept.

Note

From Norderstedt to Asia, vehicle-to-grid development is booming. This is why there are firm plans for electromobility in a model settlement complete with energy-plus houses in tranquil Norderstedt, Hamburg—with the purchase of an electric car essential to complete sale of the house. At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Japanese automotive manufacturer Mitsubishi showcased a wallbox that is designed to enable bidirectional charging (V2H) with a DC charging capacity of up to 10 kW via CHAdeMO. BP and the manufacturer alliance of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are investing in China’s e-mobility provider PowerShare. This provides an online platform that connects the drivers of electric cars, charging station operators and electricity suppliers, and is already in use in cities such as Shanghai.

Source references

¹https://iam.innogy.com
²Forsa study commissioned by the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster; www.zukunftsinstitut.de
³https://t3n.de
⁴www.heise.de/newsticker
⁵www.oliverwyman.de

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