Lux Research analyzes the necessary factors for the success of vehicle lightweight and BEV in the next ten years.
In the past few years, lightweight has been a key tool to improve the fuel economy of diesel locomotives. However, with the transition from ICE (internal combustion engine) to BEV (electric), the goals and design of lightweighting have also changed. The main changes include:
cruising range: BEV is more efficient than ICE due to regenerative braking and more efficient motors. The main disadvantage of BEV is the cruising range; most mid-priced electric vehicles have a cruising range between 200 kilometers and 400 kilometers, and the cruising range of light electric vehicles needs to be expanded.
platform design: BEV is designed around a shared rolling frame or platform including batteries, drive systems, and in some cases the structural elements of the car, thereby increasing the importance of platform collaborative design.
Mass distribution: BEV puts the battery in a low and flat container, the center of gravity becomes lower, the mass distribution from front to back is more uniform, and the need for performance-driven lightweight is greatly reduced. In the
report, Lux collected the cruising range and performance data of 64 BEVs in 2019. There are two types of these vehicles: sedans (including hatchbacks and other small cars) and SUVs (including vans and multi-purpose vehicles). The mileage and the ratio of total battery mass to size are compared. The comprehensive data of
shows that as the size of the car bag increases and the quality of the car decreases, the cruising range also increases.
Lux predicts that in the next ten years, the energy density of the battery pack will increase by about 15%, which can keep the battery size unchanged and expand the cruising range, or reduce the cost by reducing the size of the battery pack.
In the analysis, Lux modeled these two situations and calculated a lightweight benchmark. Lux believes that achieving lightweight as an efficient battery solution by 2030 requires a cost of less than US$5 per kilogram of weight. But this benchmark is not the only tool to guide lightweight decisions.
predicts the structure of the vehicle. It is predicted that the structure of the vehicle will provide opportunities for high-strength steel and aluminum, which can reduce weight at a minimum cost; bumpers are expected to be improved by the design of glass fiber, carbon fiber and thermoplastics. However, by 2030, priorities such as sustainability, durability and longevity will take precedence over lightweight.
Lux found that compared with material innovation, the improvement of energy storage technology may greatly exceed the improvement of material innovation.
With the advancement of technology, electric motors, motor controllers and inverters in electric vehicles have become smaller and lighter, and they have been promoted in other fields.
Article source: greencarcongress
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