The Future Of Mobility Is Electric - Is That So?

2023 Author: Hannah Pearcy | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

"The advantages of electrically powered vehicles are obvious: They are CO2 and pollutant-free, provided the electricity comes from renewable energies," said Dr. Joachim Reichert in his greeting. He is the deputy head of the Federal Government's Joint Office for Electromobility (GGEMO). He sees electromobility as a useful addition to the energy transition in the sense of a mobility transition. However, neither the purchase premium nor the tax advantages have been able to convince users so far. In 2016 there were 60,000 registered electric vehicles including plug-in hybrid vehicles on German roads. In four years, there should already be a million vehicles. "We cannot be satisfied with this small number," says Reichert, because so far only 6% of the stated goal has been achieved.

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Push battery cell technology forward

Reichert warned against not using the technological basis that one has in Germany. Especially when it comes to battery cell technology, you have to be careful that Germany doesn't lose touch.

Dipl.-Ing. Markus Hackmann from P3 Automotive GmbH mainly sees the high battery prices and a lack of infrastructure for the sluggish sales of electric vehicles. In order to assess the battery costs, P3 has created a cost model for the technical reconstruction of battery cells and unit cost assessment. On the basis of the calculations carried out with various cell and battery concepts, current and future battery costs can be determined and compared with the current trends. By 2025, 40 battery-electric vehicle models and 80 plug-in hybrid models, a combination of an internal combustion engine and a battery, have been announced. So the market is there, now the battery manufacturers have to deliver, says Hackmann. The global Li battery market is not beingbut dominated by Asian manufacturers who can offer their products at competitive prices.

There were a total of 36 lectures on trendsetting and key technologies, on current research results from the E-Motive network and on practical experience in industry with electromobile projects. The organizers of the congress are the Research Associations Drive Technology eV (FVA) and Combustion Engines (FVV) and the VDMA Forum Electromobility: E-Motives.

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Co-existence of fuel cell technology

Some sessions also covered topics related to fuel cell technology, which will probably continue to play a role alongside the plug-in hybrid and the purely battery-electric vehicle.

Dipl.-Ing. Norbert Frisch from the BMW Group was certain: "There will always be a co-existence between e-vehicles and vehicles with fuel cell technology." In what ratio it is not yet possible to answer, but the advantages that fuel cell technology brings are certain: short refueling times of 2 to 3 min. and a reach that meets today's standards. But here, too, costs have to be significantly reduced in order to be accepted by the user. Politicians are asked to expand the infrastructure, according to Frisch.

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Industrial community research should secure the future

Around 200 experts from industry and science, from the mechanical and plant engineering, electrical engineering, supply industry and automotive industries took part in the forum.

The Research Association for Drive Technology (FVA) also used the opportunity to inform about their concept of industrial collaborative research (IGF), which they have been organizing for almost 50 years. The concept is also intended to advance electric drive technology: “For the breakthrough in electromobility, it is crucial that all those involved work together and vigorously to further develop the electric vehicle drive. Joint industrial research can make a valuable contribution to this, as it often provides the basis for cost-reducing standardizations. It also enables knowledge transfer from pre-competitive research to industrial practice. The E-Motive offers a suitable forum for this and will further advance the future topic of electric mobility in Germany”,says Bernhard Hagemann, Head of the VDMA Electromobility Forum: E-Motive and Deputy Managing Director of the FVA.

Dr. At the end of his greeting, Joachim Reichert once again appealed to German industry: "It should be German industry that convinces consumers of the advantages and the quality of the pollutant-free electric vehicle worldwide." (Sh)