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The Future of Automotive Technology

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Technology is changing so much in our daily lives, including in how we get around. The electrification of vehicles, autonomous vehicles and connected systems within cities are no longer far off dreams, these technologies and a more connected automotive ecosystem are more of a reality in Australia than ever before. In the early 2000s, electronics accounted for less than 20% of the total cost of a vehicle. In 2020 it was up to 40% and we expect electronics to account for about half of the price of a new car by 2030. We are also expecting to see 300 million electric vehicles (EVs) on global roads by 2030. So, how do we ensure we are ready? How do private companies, cities and the people building the infrastructure to support this transformation come together to make this a reality? This blog will look to answer some of these questions.

Vehicles of the Future

There are many ways technology has improved how we get around, the efficiency in which we do so and the safety of our cars. These are exciting advancements and they are changing and improving transportation globally in the following ways: –

  • Eliminating the need for a human driver – To maintain a competitive edge, many companies are looking toward driverless vehicles to cut costs and increase efficiency. With autonomous capabilities, we will see material transport and rideshare services operating with nobody in the driver’s seat.
  • Battery Optimization – Similar to how AI learns your phone use, patterns and behaviours and charges your phone accordingly to best utilize your battery and increase its longevity, this is expected to be possible with car batteries in the future. Electric vehicles are creating new opportunities and batteries are expensive, and an important factor that dictates the lifespan of a car, and these advancements will help keep EVs on the road for longer.
  • Predictive maintenance – This is the ability to estimate, or predict, when maintenance should be performed on a vehicle. There are already sensors within cars and trucks, and it can be expected to leverage pipe fabrication while monitoring the different parts of a vehicle – like the engine, brakes, and any other moving component. If problems can be detected early and repairs can be made, this avoids costlier, and often time-consuming, catastrophic failures down the line.
  • IoT and Cars – With the rise of automation and intelligent integration, IoT is poised to make a significant impact in the automobile industry. When you bring your car to a mechanic, they will be able to connect to it via their phone, getting a full rundown of what is going on before ever opening the hood of the car. They can start diagnosing problems faster and more efficiently.

Fully Connected Automotive Ecosystem

The ability for vehicles to connect not just with each other, but also with mobile devices and smart ecosystems (smart cities, smart infrastructure, etc.) is an exciting prospect. Rather than rely solely on machine vision systems to perceive what is around them, key objects within communication range can provide feedback to reduce computational burden and increase confidence in what the vehicle “sees”. These objects could include smartphones to identify pedestrians, traffic lights to manage traffic flow at intersections, and road signs to enforce traffic laws. Furthermore, smart infrastructure has the potential to streamline how autonomous vehicles navigate from point A to point B. Beacons staggered along roads and streets can broadcast location data for vehicles to utilize when GPS signals are weak or lost entirely (e.g., when driving through tunnels or amongst tall buildings). Smart parking meters can charge vehicle owners directly, based precisely on how long the space was occupied. Streetlights can increase their brightness as vehicles approach them to increase visibility and decrease their brightness the remainder of the time, to conserve energy. The possibilities are truly endless.

Conclusion

It can be observed that there is immense potential for automotive technology to develop going forward. With the rise of EVs and a fast-growing automotive ecosystem as tailwinds, automotive technology led by heavy steel fabrication companies looks poised to take great strides. It is time to embrace this technology globally – especially in countries where battery vehicles are already prevalent in large numbers.

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Concept Metals Invests USD 15.5 Million to Diversify into EV space

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A West Michigan metal fabricator is making significant investments to bolster its presence in the electric vehicle battery production sector. Concept Metals Group invested $15.5 million in a facility purchased two years ago as well as state-of-the-art production equipment for its three existing plants in Spring Lake and Comstock Park. The company also added 25 employees over the past year to meet the growing demands of EV battery production, especially in the wake of foreign steel being approved for American EV charging stations. The company grew its footprint roughly two years ago when it purchased a former office furniture plant at 17237 Van Wagoner Road in Spring Lake. The 120,000-square-foot facility underwent extensive renovations to now accommodate 22 roll form lines, 51 presses and a new five-axis laser. Roll forming is the process of forming metal from sheet, strip, or coil stock into a desired cross-section shape.

Company leaders say the new capabilities create strong growth potential, as production for EV battery trays requires the use of roll form technology, unlike other types of automotive components. “Electric vehicles will provide new opportunities for fabricators, and we have taken steps to diversify and enhance our capabilities,” Bill Beland, vice president of engineering at Concept Metals Group, said in a news release. “This expansion has allowed us to develop new skill sets and expand the types of products we make. We now have capacity to establish new partnerships and provide additional manufacturing support for West Michigan companies.” Concept Metals Group’s move into the EV battery production space started around two years ago through a partnership with an undisclosed automotive manufacturing company. Company leadership soon recognized the need for more capacity. “We quickly realized that the scope of the project was so large that we needed a new facility in order to really kick it off and grow,” Kevin Mesler, vice president and general manager of Concept Metals Group, told the Business Journal. “We moved the new production line into the facility and had been working very closely with our customer to get to a launch position for the EV market.”

Concept Metals Group now builds components for EV battery trays for a host of GM vehicles, including the Hummer, Silverado, Escalade, Suburban and Tahoe. The $15.5 million investment coincided with adding 25 employees at the new facility, including a recently added third shift for structural steel fabrication. Mesler said the company has been “very fortunate” to find qualified employees from various industries to help support the growing EV-related venture. “We’re well staffed and well trained at this point in order to take on the new capabilities that we had to undergo in order to support this new technology,” Mesler said. Mesler also said Concept Metals Group sales for all three of its affiliates — Concept Metal Products, Concept Metal Fabrication and Concept Metal Machining — are expected to grow a by a combined 100 percent in 2023, with forecasts to double again in 2024. He said it’s been exciting for the heavy steel fabrication company to join in the increasing number of projects and initiatives state-wide that are contributing to Michigan’s EV production potential. “We’re very happy and very excited about where EV is going to take us … and I think we’re all being pushed that way,” Mesler said. “The federal government is very focused on the EV market, and it is one of those ‘you better get on while you can get on’ situations. I think this is an opportunity for all of us.”

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Battery Electric Vehicles and New Opportunities for Fabricators

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Elon Musk, and by association Tesla, are well-known across the world. But do you know what is the major product developed by Tesla which has made Musk one of the richest people in the world? It’s batteries for energy vehicles (EVs), the demand for which is expected to increase exponentially as awareness about climate and ESG risks enable governments and people to move towards a clean-air future. This industry is also offering new and exciting opportunities for heavy steel fabrication companies and stamping manufacturers to produce quality, lightweight components. As battery electric vehicles (BEVs) gain market share, manufacturers will need to address issues with mineral supply chains and vehicle curb weight.

Considerations with regard to BEVs

BEVs

  • Adequate Range – As BEVs migrate from novel vehicles to niche vehicles, the industry needs to ensure the BEVs have adequate range, especially since BEV charging infrastructure is in its infancy. Currently, BEV manufacturers are using lightweight materials, but the batteries are heavy.
  • Battery Capacity – Production improvements over the past 10 years have led to a dramatic reduction in the cost per kilowatt-hour for lithium-ion batteries. This enables manufacturers to add greater battery capacity without negatively influencing vehicle costs.
  • Bloated weight – Adding battery capacity can’t fully compensate for bloated weight. Battery researchers agree that future improvements in battery technologies will lead to marginal cost improvements. To achieve acceptable range, manufacturers need to work on reducing the curb weight of current BEVs by leveraging fabrication types such as pipe fabrication. For instance, GM’s Hummer three-motor version has an estimated curb weight of 10,000 to 14,000 lbs. Its 200-kwH battery capacity is twice that of Tesla’s, but with lesser range. Reducing curb weight to gain acceptable range will need to be an aggressive effort by OEMs, especially given the weight of batteries, safety equipment, and consumer demand for entertainment and comfort amenities.
  • Minerals cost – As BEV sales become a more significant market segment, costs of essential minerals will increase both because of supply and demand and because increased demand will further expose issues in the mineral supply chain.
Demand drivers for light-weight components

Lithium mining

The issues that will drive a push for even lighter weight components include the following: –

  1. Lithium mining environmental impact – Steel fabrication has many applications in mining and lithium mining uses tremendous amounts of water—an estimated 500,000 gallons per ton of lithium. In Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, where half the world’s lithium reserves are estimated to be located, the water usage is negatively affecting the nearby agricultural industry. Also, poisons leach off from the evaporation ponds and are known to kill downstream fish populations.
  2. Human rights issues in cobalt and element extraction – Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is known for abusive labor practices and child labor.
  3. Political relationships – Energy is a strong economic and political motivator. As minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel become major drivers in transportation energy, unstable political relationships will have an effect. China is dominant in both global mineral extraction and lithium-ion battery production. The U.S. political relationship with an increasingly aggressive Chinese government may lead to market instability.
  4. Vulnerable supply chains – As energy supply chains change in their basic character, the structural steel fabrication industry must act to ensure that supply and transportation are robust enough to support a growing market.
Final Remarks

Firms pertaining to stamping and supply of sheet metal components have been presented with an opportunity to address BEV range by replacing with lightweight components. Companies need to start thinking beyond the design of traditional gasoline-run vehicles and look to make BEVs light and fast by making full use of sheet metal fabrication techniques and products. As discussed above, there are many considerations and issues in this regard, however BEV companies need to strike the iron when it’s hot!

© K999 Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. 2023