VIEWPOINT | VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION AND MOBILITY

Vehicle electrification is here, but its technological base continues to evolve, often at a revolutionary pace. Although interest is very high, uncertainty about the primary market

drivers of electrification government regulation and consumer demand abounds. To keep abreast of the technical and regulatory developments in the field today, engineers need almost daily updates, says Andrew Smart, director of industry relations and business development for SAE International. SAE's new Global Technology Library aims to help developers gain the knowledge they need to make effective decisions worldwide. Smart comments on this new resource and SAE's role in the vehicle electrification process.

Where does vehicle electrification stand?

First of all, there are levels of electrification. You can start with simply replacing mechanically driven engine auxiliaries such as water pumps with more efficient electric-powered versions. At the other end is a full electric vehicle. Interest in the technology is often driven directly or indirectly by the regulatory environment, especially with future global fuel consumption and greenhouse gas reduction requirements.

The speed of change in technology in this area is huge right now. How quickly and broadly electrification is adapted will be based on appropriateness and consumer acceptance, and much of that hinges upon consumer education.

Consumer interest is very dependent upon whether you're talking about an EV or hybrid. With a hybrid, you have no range issues because there is a built-in backup in the form of direct IC drive or an onboard generator that can replenish the vehicle's battery on the fly. Consumers perceive hybrid technology as a close substitute for a traditional IC-powered vehicle.

An EV is a very different story. With all-electric vehicles, there's an infrastructure concern: Where are the charging stations and how long will it take to charge?

It's also difficult for consumers to understand the real costs of electrification. They know the price of gasoline and the size of their monthly electric utility bill. But they don't know how to relate that data to an EV. How much does a kilowatt-hour cost, and how much would you use in an EV?

What about the cost of electrification technology?

There are always early adopters who like new technology and aren't so concerned about the cost. But we're at certain price points for alternative vehicles, and those prices aren't generally accepted by consumers.

Global platforms are a key to economies of scale for EVs, just as they are for conventional vehicles. It's a big trend in the industry, but right now it isn't happening with EVs. You can source a vehicle's body globally, and there is a lot of activity around batteries and power electronics. But we're not there yet in terms of standardizing the technologies involved that would give producers the economies typical for traditionally powered vehicles.

Are certain technologies emerging as favorites?

There's no one silver bullet, but there's plenty of silver shrapnel. You have to have a holistic view of the vehicle and the transportation objectives of its user. It's the challenge of optimizing the compromises for the overall vehicle attributes.

For example, the lighter the vehicle, the less power you need to move it around regardless of power source. But you also need to maintain durability. And you must meet crash standards and consumer seating and comfort expectations.

Similarly, you'd like lower-rolling-resistance tires to help improve fuel economy. But you don't want to sacrifice good dry and wet performance.

Breakthroughs are coming all the time in electrification. Yet, at the end of the day, the technology must link to the infrastructure to become broadly successful. This is an important domain of standards.

What is SAE's role in setting standards for electrification?

We've achieved significant milestones, but it's a journey. SAE is technology-agnostic, and we make consensus standards. But when the technology is evolving so quickly, agreeing on standards becomes more difficult.

SAE's success is due to the 29 active EV standards committees in electrification with almost 800 committee members who are actively looking at everything from connectors and performance to communication protocols and interoperability. Our battery standards committee alone represents 150 organizations. There are a total of 64 existing or in-development standards in the EV space.

Everyone knows that standardization will aid the viability of electrification. And everyone knows that emerging technology changes what a standard should be. It's a very dynamic process, but it's also something we at SAE have been doing for more than one hundred years.

What does SAE's Global Technology Library offer to developers?

The Global Technology Library is a resource whose mission is to provide knowledge about electrification and other advanced technologies. We've taken content of our own, including research papers, and from external sources such as government regulations, books, private and government research, market forecasts and industry reports.

The library also offers subscribers customizable daily alerts about worldwide issues and automotive technologies.

SAE is offering free two-week access to the Global Technology Library so engineers can try out this resource for themselves. Details can be obtained by clicking HERE or visiting www.saeGTL.org/ev.