The demand for efficient micro-electronics for electrified vehicles, as well as for automated and connected ones, is rising.
The EU Commission through the IPCEI ME/CT, which has just been approved and is funded by the participating member states with a total of 8.1 billion euros.
Up to 175 million euros will be made available in Austria – a considerable portion of which will go to AVL.
Therefore, AVL is investing more than 50 million Euros in the test and in the validation of new semiconductor chips, sensors and power electronics for battery-powered vehicles. In the next four years, the company will massively invest in the research and implementation of high-precision development tools based on hardware and software and in validation technologies for chips, sensors and power electronics. âWe focus on the optimization of the interaction of all components of the electric powertrainâ, declared Andreas Klug, Head of R&T of AVL.
AVL invests 50 millions to improve the electric powertrain
Marposs takes over Solarius, strengthens its presence in semiconductor and electronics segment
Since 2000-year, the Bolognese Marposs has started a programme of takeovers of sound and well-structured companies. The last of them is Solarius, located in the Silicon Valley, which provides engineering, applicative and productive competences that cover the whole life cycle, from the design to the installation, the commissioning, the training, the applicative support, the repair and the maintenance of precision systems for the inspection, the measuring, the analysis and the visualization for non-contact surfaces. Its solutions match high-resolution sensors with automated data collection systems and powerful analysis software tools.
The move by Marposs of taking over Solarius is aimed at further enlarging its range of solutions for the optical measurement in other phases of the manufacturing process, including the “back-end” stage.
âWith the purchase of Solarius, we further expand our range of solutions for optical measurement into other phases of the production process including the “back-end” phase. In particular, it offers solutions for customers operating in the consumer electronics, green energy and in the semiconductor sector, an industry that is in constant growth, due to its fundamental role in the digital technological evolution and towards e-mobilityâ, Marposs explained in a press release.
The importance of high-efficiency motors in industry
The energy efficiency issue in industry is more topical than ever and the data recently issued by IEA International Energy Agency, following a report, reveal that industry uses 37% of global energy requirements and produces 24% of total CO2 emissions. In particular, about 70% of electricity consumptions in industry can be associated to electric motors.
They refer to various types of motors, small size ones, equipping household appliances but also automation devices of car windows; average-size ones, which for instance are installed in conditioning systems, machines tools, lifts or in subways, as well as motors used in ships, trains and heavy-duty equipment.
Among the other possible actions to reduce the environmental impact, in the report they underline it is important to use high-efficiency electric motors (starting from IE3, Premium Efficiency according to International Efficiency regulations) and variable-speed drives for the control of motors. The achievable results are noteworthy. In comparison, for instance, with a conventional pumping system that features 28% efficiency, with a high energy efficiency system an 82% percentage is reached. Therefore, if the technology is available, what is expected is a strong signal by Institutions to favour their faster adoption and, at the same time, companies must be convinced that nowadays an enhancement of electric motorsâ efficiency is necessary.
Electric trucks: that is why ElectraMeccanica and Tevva have merged
The two companies ElectraMeccanica, with headquarters in the USA, and the British Tevva have announced their merging to create a market specialist in zero-emission commercial vehicles, focusing first on the United Kingdom, then on Europe and on the United States. Expectations reach $67 Billions in 2030.
Tevvaâs existing 110,000-square-foot EV manufacturing facility in Tilbury, United Kingdom, would be complemented by ElectraMeccanica’s recently-commissioned 235,000-square-foot facility in Mesa, Arizona, which is expected to enable the combined company to scale its production to serve the UK, European and U.S. markets.
Tevva, which is headquartered at Tilbury, in the United Kingdom, has recently started the deliveries of its 7.5-ton electric truck for urban deliveries and is working at a proprietary technology of hydrogen range extender. The manufacturing technology of electric vehicles of Tevva will be integrated by the ElectraMeccanica factory that is under construction at Mesa, in Arizona.
“Collaborating with Tevva, we are offering our shareholders a unique opportunity of taking part in the prospects of growth speeded up and driven by the technology, combined in such ways as to extend and to exploit logically also the existing resources and highlights of ElectraMeccanica”, declared Steven Sanders, president of the Board of Directors of ElectraMeccanica.
David Roberts, current Director of Tevva and anticipated incoming Executive Chairman said, âSince Tevva’s founding more than ten years ago, we have focused our engineering and product development capabilities on developing a portfolio of zero-emission commercial vehicles that have generated significant customer interest. Our vehicles have undertaken more than 300,000 miles of testing and operating experience in real-world conditions by demanding fleet operators. We are excited to merge with ElectraMeccanica and accelerate the growth of the combined companyâ.
In-house whole chain, the Chinese BYD enters the Italian market
The Chinese Byd stands out in the automotive industry for having the whole chain inside the same company, manufacturing the complete system of electric motors, batteries, electrified transmissions, control units and semiconductors. The company has recently presented the two models with which it enters the Italian market. It is BYD Atto 3, a compact SUV powered by a motor featuring 150 kW/204 HP and 310 Nm of torque, able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and with a 60.5 kWh battery and autonomy up to 565 km in the urban cycle. BYD HAN is instead a sedan with two motors that develop a combined power of 380 kW/517 HP. The maximum autonomy is 662 km in the urban cycle. A distinguishing element of BYD is the Blade Battery, made of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), which gives up cobalt.
First field test of 100% electric truck for Fercam
Alto Adige logistic and transport company Fercam has collaborated with Mercedes-Benz Trucks Italia to carry out the first real transport in Italy with the brand-new 100% electric truck. From Bolzano to Innsbruck, transporting goods without any noxious emission, without noise and in full drive comfort: Fercam was the first that tested an international Distribution Service with the electric Actros by Mercedes-Benz. The two companies share the commitment for the implementation of freight transport solutions on road at zero CO2 emissions and therefore they collaborate to speed up the transition.
The transport activity carried out during the test week had as reference place in Austria the local head office of Fercamâs partner for the Distribution on Extra-Italy European territory. The load amounted to about 6 tons of goods for each leg, and Heinz Lambacher, Fercam driver for over 16 years, was behind the truck wheel. For the journey, it was sufficient to recharge batteries at the time of loading goods and at the arrival, no intermediate stop was necessary.
Clepaâs vision about the EU taxonomy regulation
Clepa, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, commented The EU taxonomy regulation â the classification on EU scale for sustainable activities â declaring that this regulation aims at directing investments towards sustainable commercial activities. This means that, over the incoming years, the sustainability level of each business activity will influence its access to funding.
The European Commission has presented new proposals for delegated acts that amend and complement the classification scheme for sustainable business activities. «CLEPA welcomes this initiative and sees the delegated acts as a step forward in the acknowledgment of automotive suppliersâ contribution to a sustainable economy and their role in the advancement of green mobility in the EU. Originally, the taxonomy regulation did not recognise the economic activities related to the production of e-mobility components as âsustainableâ, while the assembly of electric vehicles was considered as such. The proposed amendment to the Climate Delegated Act incorporates the production of powertrain components including e-motors, power electronics, thermal management and braking systems in its definition of sustainable economic activities. The circularity chapter of the Delegated Act on non-climate environmental objectives gives much-needed recognition to the sustainability contribution of some aftermarket-related activities, but so far excludes the design for circularity and remains ambiguous on remanufacturing actions by automotive suppliers. As a result, critical activities by automotive suppliers remain at risk of being overlooked by capital markets and could suffer from underinvestment. The use of low carbon/recovered materials, lightweighting, and product robustness should be considered in future revisions of the taxonomy».
Hence, the reflection that many automotive supply companies continue to face competition with OEMs, who can claim eligibility for the revenue generated by a sold vehicle whose value is generated by all components, while the manufacturing activities of a large share of these components remains non-eligible.
Rare earths, crackdown on exports from China?
The latest rumours from the market suggest that China is considering â to safeguard the ânational safetyâ â to forbid the export of the rare earths used to manufacture high-performance magnets used for the production of electric motors and wind-turbine motors.
The Serbian expert Goran Janjic, Sustainability and Business Strategist explained: âWith the global trend toward decarbonization driving a shift toward the use of electric motors, China is believed to be seeking to seize control of the magnet supply chain and establish dominance in the burgeoning environment sectorâ.
Beijing is currently in the process of revising its Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export, a list of manufacturing and other industrial technologies subjected to export controls, and released a draft of the revised catalogue for public comment in December.
âChina is estimated to hold an about 84% share of the global market in neodymium magnets and an over 90% interest in samarium cobalt magnets. Japan, meanwhile, has about 15% of the neodymium magnet market and a less-than-10% share of that for samarium cobalt. If China bans the export of such technologies, it would be difficult for the United States and Europe, which do not traditionally manufacture rare earth magnets, to newly enter the market, thus making those countries totally dependent on China, according to a European sourceâ.
Stellantis, the gigafactory for ACC batteries inaugurated in France
Together with TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis has recently inaugurated the gigafactory of Automotive Cells Company (ACC) for the manufacturing of batteries headquartered at Billy-Berclau Douvrin, France.
It is the first of the three planned in Europe and it has a starting manufacturing capacity of 13 gigawatts/hour, scheduled to increase up to 40 GWh by 2030. The plant will manufacture high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a minimum CO2 footprint.
The gigafactory will share in Stellantis goal of reaching a production capacity of 250 GWh in Europe within 2030 and will allow the Company to carry on its mission, to offer a complete range of battery technologies able to satisfy the requirements of customers in the whole Stellantis brandâs portfolio. The Company is operating to assure a capacity of around 400 GWh by 2030 thanks to five gigafactories located in Europe and North America and to other supply contracts.
Considering that the chemistry of batteries is in constant evolution, Stellantis is exploring all available technologies to satisfy the diversified requirements of its broad base of customers and to grant a green, safe and accessible mobility. Innovative solutions like the technology of solid-state batteries by Factorial and lithium-sulphur batteries by Lyten allow improving vehiclesâ performances and the customer experience, enabling a more sustainable mobility offer for all.
âAt the time of the establishment of this partnership, in 2020, we agreed an ambitious programme for the development of electric vehiclesâ batteries, to carry out our plan of mobility electrificationâ declared Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis.
One of the largest high-speed charging networks in Europe is incoming
Be Charge, company fully controlled by Plenitude, which is in its turn a branch of Eni Group, will receive from the European Commission and the Italian Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) over 100 million Euros for the implementation by 2025 of one of the largest high-speed charging networks in Europe. In the specific case, CDP, as national promotion institute, has granted a funding worth 50 millions, with the addition of other 50.4 millions as non-refundable grant awarded by the European Commission.
The goal of this operation is favouring the development of the infrastructures dedicated to the electric mobility and speeding up the energy transition towards the implementation of a network with over 2,000 âultra-fastâ charge points, with a minimum power of 150 kW, along the main European transport corridors of eight Countries: Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and Greece.
âThis operation is framed in the programme of the company, which today counts more than 15,000 charging points, and has the goal of developing a high-power European infrastructure for electric vehicles and of doubling its network by 2026, reaching 30,000 pointsâ, stated Stefano Goberti, Managing Director of Plenitude.
Adina VÄlean, European Commissioner for Transport, declared: âWith the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, we are going to support the fast introduction of recharge infrastructures. In this way, we will permit the diffusion on the market of zero- and low-emission vehicles and, finally, to transform our climatic goals into realityâ.