Timothy Lau, Associate Director of Automotive, Broadcom Corporation
As electric vehicles gain in popularity with consumers, car-makers have introduced a number of new energy efficient technologies with a significant focus on advanced engine control systems to offer higher fuel efficiency (including hybrid technology) and near zero emissions.
Another means to ensure we get greater mileage and lower emissions than we’re capable of today, is to make the vehicles lighter in weight. Experts suggest that one solution is to make body components of lighter materials like carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) or polymer. Another method for weight reduction is the wiring harness in the car, the third heaviest component after the chassis and the engine.
Automotive cabling can be heavy, which can have a considerable impact on vehicle performance. The BroadR- Reach automotive Ethernet standard has emerged as a way to significantly reduce cabling weight via a single, unshielded twisted pair wire. By eliminating heavy, shielded cabling, automotive manufacturers can reduce cabling weight by up to 30 percent and connectivity costs by up to 80 percent. The standard also simplifies in-car networking allowing allows multiple in-vehicle systems (such as infotainment, on-board diagnostics and automated driver assistance) to simultaneously access information over a single network.
The OPEN Alliance SIG includes more than 200 automotive and tech industry leaders working together to encourage widespread adoption of automotive Ethernet as the connectivity standard in next generation vehicles. The BroadR-Reach automotive Ethernet standard hit the road this year in the BMW X5.
 Ed Fontes, Chief Technology Officer, COMSOL
The Fisker Karma was the first plug-in hybrid car that demonstrated that electric vehicles do not necessarily have boring designs. However, it also stressed one of the challenges for the success of electric cars: the ratio of cost to performance. The process of charging batteries presents a serious limitation for the success of electric vehicles: the length of time it takes to recharge limits their usability. In many cases, we simply cannot wait 20 minutes to recharge 1, especially as this is only enough for a short drive. All-electric cars are substantially more expensive than combustion cars when the total cost is calculated over the car’s life time 4, 5. Norwegians and residents of Silicon Valley have shown that wealthy communities are prepared to pay to drive Tesla2, 3; but are the rest of us satisfied with a tiny and relatively expensive Nissan Leaf on our family’s weekend trip? Most developed countries have the infrastructure and grid capacity to switch to electric cars, at least if recharge takes place at night. However, even for developed countries, a larger all-electric car fleet would require substantial investments in infrastructure for power distribution and production, especially in densely populated areas. Electric cars have a very high efficiency for the conversion of electrical to mechanical energy. However, if the electricity is produced from fossil fuel, then the benefit in efficiency from well to wheel compared to conventional vehicles is small. Countries such as China that have a large fraction of coal-based electricity production have a smaller incentive to replace combustion cars4. Despite these challenges, there are obvious benefits with the use of electric cars. Even if electricity is produced from fossil fuels, centralized production allows for higher efficiency and less pollution from well to wheel than combustion cars. For example, smog would no longer be a problem in larger cities such as Beijing and L.A. In countries where energy production is based on nuclear power, hydroelectric power, and wind power, the benefits also include substantial reductions in fossil fuel dependency and CO2 emissions. |
Randall Restle, Director, Applications Engineering, Digi-key
Having seen Local Motors’ 3D printed car and hearing their vision of open source vehicle design at specialized buildings across America to drive innovation in transportation, I think a big challenge will be for electric power plants to be flexibly geometrically reconfigured to fit the varied chassis designs.
 Manoj Karwa, Senior Director of EVSE Programs for Leviton’s Commercial and Industrial Business Unit
The biggest challenge for electric vehicles is providing a payback for mainstream consumers. Early adopters have purchased electric vehicles for a wide range of reasons – savings on fuel, access to car pool lanes, lowering our dependence on foreign oil, improving the environment or just to make a statement. To be able to move the adoption of electric vehicles from less than one percent to 10 percent or more will require a better return on investment. To maximize the return on investment of electric vehicles, consumers need to have more places to charge their vehicles. The more readily available electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSEs) or charging stations will in effect extend the range of the electric vehicle. For example, if you had a 100 mile range all electric vehicle that you could charge at home, work and on-the-go, you would be able to more than double your range. That would enable you to maximize the savings you would capture in fuel, maintenance costs and repairs versus a fossil fuel based vehicle. The other benefit of having more charging stations is that electric vehicle costs can be optimized. Automakers could keep EV range to 100 to 125 miles and meet the needs of a wider range of consumers. The most expensive part of an EV is the batteries and battery management system. By shifting the EV range to the electric vehicle infrastructure, the automaker can keep EVs costs lower. We need to aggressively make EVSE standards across residential, workplace and public locations. Charging stations should be no different than having an GFCI in your kitchen. The more stations equal more vehicles which in turn equals longer range. The longer the range the greater impact electric vehicles can have on our economy and the environment. |
Yuji Nakanishi, Strategic Marketing Manager, Murata Americas
There are still several key challenges for electric vehicles (EVs): overall cost, shorter driving distances, longer charging times, and an infrastructure that still needs building out with ubiquitous charging stations. Our perspective is that Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) are at the heart of the matter.
The biggest LIB issue that we have to surmount is energy density, which is very low when compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts. Simply put, if the battery can hold more energy, the driving distance will increase. If the driving distance increases, there is less of a need to recharge when someone is on the road. By alleviating that driver anxiety and also decreasing charging times, we are overcoming a significant EV acceptance barrier.
Given all this, developing a more efficient battery at a lower price point is the key. That way, the savings will ultimately get passed down to the end user. When – and not if – we achieve this, we will then work with automotive engineers to determine the best approach for mounting multiple batteries in a car to improve the driving range issue.
We also need to consider the best ways to maximize energy efficiency. One thought is to combine LIB variations, like an energy type with a power type. The power type would be ideal for start-stop systems, since a car in this mode requires a lot of energy over a short time. Additionally, it can contribute to the efficiency of regenerative braking.
So while these challenges exist, there are many more opportunities that have been presented. The EV market represents the culmination of numerous technology achievements. From a design engineering standpoint, consumer adoption and demand for these vehicles will continue to spur advancements and help enable the industry to reach its potential.
 Wilson Lee, Director of Product Marketing, Newark element14
The biggest electric vehicle design challenges include efficiency, battery life and the ability to operate in harsh environments. First, we need to consider the efficiency with which batteries or capacitors deliver power to the electric vehicle. The average efficiency of a typical combustible engine is 25 percent, but an electric vehicle must operate at at least 70 percent efficiency. Charge and discharge time, as well as current leakage or possible wasted energy in both the intake and delivery stages, are key. Super capacitors typically have charge/discharge efficiencies of over 95%. Regarding battery life, a typical battery found in engine-driven vehicles has an average shelf life of just five years. Fortunately, there are product lines available today that can extend the battery life of electric vehicles. For example, super or ultra-capacitors function as a hybrid between conventional capacitors and batteries, with an average shelf life of 8-14 years. Super capacitors also have a tremendous advantage in use life, measured in cycles. As reference, a super capacitor can run approximately 1 million cycles – much greater than a typical battery. New products to consider include a strong array of super capacitors from suppliers such as Cornell Dublier, Panasonic, AVX and Vishay, that offer products with capacitance range up to 3K farads, and wide temperature range ( -40 to +85C). Complimenting these super capacitors would be a new range of higher voltage, IPMs (Intelligent Power Modules) and IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) from supplier such as Powerex, Semikron, On Semi, and Infineon. Lastly, automotive grade microprocessors – designed for both automotive and non-automotive applications – are now available. Freescale’s KEA series of microprocessors provide 32bit M0+ processing power that can handle the vigor of automotive electronics, that are AECQ 100 qualified (-40c to +125C), and are priced competitively for mainstream industrial electronic applications. In sum, it is an exciting time in Electric Vehicle market, and addressing the topics above will help with design considerations and results. |
Ben Black, Ph.D, Market Development Manager – Real-Time Test, NI
As a controls engineer, I recognize that control systems and complex algorithms in electric vehicles often represent the biggest risk and challenge for the industry. The powertrain control system in an electric vehicle converts chemical energy into electrical energy in the form of ground reaction forces, an amazing task. To accomplish this, the controller must perform this conversion consistently and independent of battery charge, driving conditions or ambient temperature. This means the vehicle needs to produce the same response from the day it’s driven off the lot until it’s time for an upgrade. In addition, it must meet safety standards when faced with a variety of traction conditions and potential sensor failures. As you can imagine, the “Check Engine” light in an electric vehicle represents an entirely new set of information than the one a traditional vehicle.
As a consumer I have many questions about the long-term viability and value of an electric vehicle. For example, when I purchase a car it’s with the intention of driving it for five years or more. After two years, the battery in my phone seems incapable of holding a charge, so I wonder if my car would face the same outcome. Because almost every high-technology device that I’ve purchased has been nearly obsolete in 3-5 years, it’s concerning an electric car would present the same challenge. What if it doesn’t start? Would I need to schedule time for a specialized mechanic to debug and troubleshoot?
As the control engineer part of my brain kicks back in, I’m reminded that better battery management ensures longer quality battery life. In addition, better embedded software validation leads to fewer bugs and mysterious issues. Even more, better testing of corner-case events leads to improved fault codes that make it possible for mechanics to diagnose problems quickly. Ultimately, control systems and their validation process will help solve some of these key challenges within the electric vehicle industry.
 Michael Harris, Product Manager, Ocular
I believe that the biggest barrier to more widespread adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) stems fundamentally from an uninformed public. Automakers have been cautious about investing in the production capacity and marketing of EVs because most market research indicates few early adopters until EV ranges increase significantly and up-front costs come down. However, this data comes from surveying a public that seems to have given little thought to the EV paradigm and how much sense it makes for a subset of the [roughly] 60% of US households with two or more cars. For those who are interested in EV technology, or possibly owning one, there is plenty of information to be found, but it’s important to realize that many people have never even thought about the simple fact that you can conveniently charge an EV daily. As a culture, we are stuck in the status quo mindset of driving several hundred miles, then re-fueling at a gas station, so it’s natural to dismiss something with a 60 mile range as impractical. As soon as we abandon the idea that an EV has to be JUST like a conventional vehicle, and evaluate it on its merits, which can include a lower lifetime cost of ownership even at current prices, it suddenly becomes an attractive 2nd car option for many households. Until automakers market EV’s in such a way as to both inform the public about EVs and promote their benefits, a large potential market remains untapped. Unfortunately there isn’t enough production capacity at present to meet that demand if it were realized, and with the California Air Resources Board shifting Zero Electric Vehicle credits in favor of natural gas over electric, EV sales may be forced to cool off just as they are heating up since many compliance EVs will be abandoned. |
David Maliniak, Technical Marketing Communications Specialist, Teledyne LeCroy
Hybrid/electric vehicles use variable-frequency motor drives with complex embedded control systems to manage motor operation in the vehicle. This poses a challenge for design and debugging of the motor-drive power electronics and embedded control systems in these vehicles.
Mixed-signal oscilloscopes with four analog input channels and 16 digital input channels provide enough channels for debugging and validation of the embedded control portion of such vehicles. However, the three-phase-drive power electronics sections require more than four analog input channels, as users must acquire three voltages and three current inputs or output signals (plus other signals). Eight-channel oscilloscopes permit simultaneous debugging and validation of the control and power electronics sections, which is very helpful for validation of the entire system as opposed to its two primary subsystems individually. However, a power analyzer would still be required for three-phase drive power and efficiency measurements.
For such applications, an absolute minimum of six analog input channels is required (three voltage and three current). Having more than six channels would permit simultaneous viewing of signals from control lines, serial data, and/or sensors. The core applications, though are a) looking at the three-phase output (three voltages/three currents/other signals) and b) looking at the power semiconductor devices (VGS and VDS on as many devices as possible simultaneously to ensure proper switching operation). Thus, the more channels, the better.
By making power measurements in a single instrument with enough channels to handle the voltages and currents for all three phases, users would have all the relevant data in one place, correlated properly, and ready for further analysis.
