Automotive Engineering - August 2023 - 22

Reducing the
battery materials
supply risk
Four approaches
to reduce
materials supplychain
risk.
in a charging infrastructure that is readily available at
all times, offers a variety of charging methods and creates
a pleasant user experience - all simultaneously
enhancing their brand.
If these needs truly can be met, it could be possible
to market BEVs with 200 miles (322 km) of range. This
would make the vehicles more affordable to purchase
and operate because they would be lighter and cost
less to recharge. Because the materials related to
EVSE charging infrastructure do not generate the
same issues as battery materials, this paradigm shift
would significantly ease national-security and environmental
concerns and reduce automaker vulnerability
to battery materials scarcity, especially as one considers
2035 EV sales projections, where 10 times as much
battery material may be required per year. The potential
for reducing international conflict and creating
more business certainty should be embraced by national
governments and the automotive industry, but
mechanisms need to be created for assigning a monetary
value or government incentive.
Some BEVs, such as Ford's Lightning ProPower,
have bi-directional charging capability that can power
an entire home and California has recently introduced
a bill requiring all BEVs to have V2G bidirectional capability
starting in 2027. Bidirectional charging and a
common communications protocol could let vehicles
directly charge each other. Because there will be
many more BEVs than public charging stations, this
should increase the ubiquity of charging, and help to
alleviate range anxiety, particularly for apartment
dwellers who might not have access to " home " charging.
Recharging another vehicle generates revenue for
the owner when the vehicle is parked, but persistent
22 August 2023
The properties of three primary lithium-battery chemistries can inform their
most-efficient application according to duty cycle.
bi-directional charging could reduce battery life.
For now, BEV owners tend to be affluent and have another vehicle
with >300-mile range; 200-mile BEVs can be used for local driving,
and for occasional longer trips, the household's ICEV can be used.
However, as BEVs become more affordable, they may become the
household's only vehicle. The third approach to reducing range anxiety
may require some kind mobility subscription service. Several
Premium OEMs currently offer subscription packages that allow customers
access to many vehicles - but not on the daily or weekly basis
that could make this a practical solution for single-BEV owners.
New options exist for commercial fleetsTires are optimized for a
variety of parameters, but there still can be a justification for winter
tires that have a special formulation to assist traction on icy roads. A
similar strategy for batteries might extend battery life if ambientAUTOMOTIVE
ENGINEERING
FROM TOP: McKINSEY & CO.; EVAGE
Automotive Engineering - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - August 2023
