Electric Vehicles and their possibilities
The sector’s expectation is that by the next decade at least half of new cars will be electric or hybrid vehicles
According to ANFAVEA (National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) the sale of electric cars in Brazil grew an impressive 257% in 2021, compared to the previous year. In 2020, the national market absorbed 801 units. But last year that number rose to 2860 electric vehicles! The number of hybrid car registrations has also increased. The percentage was smaller, but expressive: 69%. In 2021, there were 32,130 vehicle registrations with mixed technology. And this did not just happen in Brazil. China, the European Union and the United States lead the world market, with 90% of sales of electrified cars (electric and hybrid). In China sales in 2021 reached 3.4 million units. In Europe, 2.3 million vehicles in this category were sold last year.
This growth demonstrates the potential of a sector that tends to occupy a significant share of the market in a short time. The 20 largest manufacturers in the world intend to increase the production of electrified cars to 20 million units by 2030. The sector’s expectation is that by the next decade at least half of new cars will be electric or hybrid vehicles. A scenario that is being created partly by virtue of legislation. In several countries in Europe, from 2030, only cars with zero emission of pollutants will be able to run. And concern for the environment is justifiable. According to the UN, the number of severe weather events is expected to grow by 70% by 2100, putting at risk the sight of 3 billion people around the world, due to global warming.Volklswagen intends to launch 75 models with this energy matrix by 2029.
It’s not just about eco-friendly cars, but also about the technological appeal behind them. Advances that until recently were considered science fiction. Testa leads in this particular segment, but other automakers are reacting quickly. We are talking about autonomous vehicles. In other words, they run on their own. Automation is divided into levels, ranging from 0 to 5. At 0, you command. According to an article published by the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo on June 10, 2021, such levels (from 1 to 5) can be described as follows:
“Level 1 incorporates adaptive cruise control (ACC), an electronic system that maintains the preset speed on the road, increasing driver safety. If the sensor detects that the vehicle in front is slower, the ACC automatically adjusts to prevent a possible collision.
Level 2, in addition to reprogramming the speed according to the car ahead, can divert and even stop the vehicle. He accelerates or brakes evenly with the car in front, but it is still the driver who is in charge of the car.
At level 3, the vehicle begins to ‘understand’ its surroundings, identifying the proximity of pedestrians, cyclists and animals. In it, the cars can perform some operations with limitations, such as going down a road at a certain speed. It is up to the driver to take charge if the car goes out of control, since it is not configured for this type of situation.
Human intervention is much less at level 4 of autonomous driving. The vehicle does everything by itself, but in limited regions, such as in a specific neighborhood. Here, the ‘little robot’ that drives the vehicle is able to interpret street signs.
Level 5 will allow the driver to be a mere passenger, spending time traveling in a work meeting or using the computer. The car will be able to recognize the hole in the street, read the road signs and even pick up the owner at the office, simply programming the destination address on the cell phone. The car will not even need a steering wheel or pedals, which can be replaced by a voice assistant.”
Note that these versions of the near future will be fully connected to the internet. Such technology opens up an endless horizon of possibilities for the business world, particularly in the Logistics sector . Autonomous vans making deliveries could become a reality in a short time. But today, in 2022, what propulsion technology exactly are we talking about? According to an article published by BNDES and written by Luiz Felipe Hupsel Vaz, Daniel Chiari Barros and Bernardo Hauch Ribeiro de Castro, these are currently the types of electrified vehicles available on the market.
“ ELECTRICAL:
BEV – Battery Electric Vehicles – The most frequent type of purely electric model, in which the energy comes from the battery and the recharge is done by connecting to the electrical grid.
FCEV – Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles – Models whose batteries are charged using a fuel cell, usually hydrogen.
RPEV – Road Powered Electric Vehicles – Included in this category are trolleybuses – which, in principle, do not have batteries, being constantly connected to the electrical grid.
HYBRIDS:
HEV – Hybrid Electric Vehicles – Are those that combine an internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors for propulsion. By combining the two types, the motors are smaller than in the full configurations. Generally speaking, the higher the level of hybridization, the larger the electric motor, alternator and battery, and the smaller the combustion engine. HEVs do not have a structure to connect to the electrical grid. There is no cable or connector to recharge the battery directly. The charge comes from the combustion engine itself and from mechanisms such as regenerative braking, which recharge the battery. The user therefore needs to supply the vehicle with fuel.
PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle – Hybrids with a configuration similar to that of the HEV, but with the possibility of recharging directly from the electricity grid. The difference lies in the electrical components (such as the engine, alternator and battery), which are even larger and allow full operation in electric mode, as the battery can be recharged directly from the mains.
HEVs and PHEVs can be up to 40% more efficient than traditional internal combustion models, consequently emitting less gases.”
And what changes is this propulsion alternative causing and will it trigger? Are several. Laws will have to be written to regulate the new devices. Supply structures will have to be created in millions of locations around the world. As the electric motor has a smaller amount of moving parts, millions of mechanics will have to relearn the trade and some will simply lose their jobs, as this equipment has a much greater durability. The estimated life of an electric bus is 30 years. And in a short time, only those with knowledge in automation remain in the business. Streets currently devalued due to noise will regain their residential value, as electric motors are quieter. In search of more efficient batteries, minerals such as niobium will be sought after and new materials used more frequently, as already occurs with graphene. Such batteries will be able to store energy and car owners will be able to trade surplus electricity with the operating system. Oh! While working, car owners will be able to rent their car to run through apps (without the presence of a driver, as the vehicle will be autonomous).
This scenario will arrive sooner in more industrialized countries and with better road infrastructure. However, even in these places there are still some problems that must be overcome.
First, prices need to come down. Today electric cars are really expensive, depending on the automaker. In Brazil, values range from 150,000 to 500,000 reais, approximately. The fall in prices should occur first in hybrid models. Thinking about it, many countries give tax incentives for those who buy vehicles with this new technology. When production increases these vehicles should be more competitively priced.
The battery needs to be perfected. Today most of them are made based on lithium ions. Graphene batteries are already available and niobium has shown excellent results. Electric cars have a range ranging from 200 to 400 kilometers. Some models reach a thousand kilometers. The problem is when refueling. It takes too long. From 3 to 12 hours, depending on the power grid configuration. The most agile systems do this in 20 minutes. That’s why the current owners use the car during the day and leave it charging at night.
For specialists consulted by the State of São Paulo, in a previously mentioned matter, “The main solution for this issue is induction charging while the car is in motion. The idea is that lanes in cities and highways allow battery regeneration while the car is driving over them. ‘Using copper wires, magnetic currents are installed under the asphalt, which are transformed into electrical energy’, explains Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi, who has been acting as a world ambassador for electrification. ‘The induction depends on the position of the vehicle in relation to the ground.’ Di Grassi believes that, when the lanes that allow induction charging are ready, the cars will have a system that lowers only the point that needs to receive electromagnetic current. According to the coordinator of SAE’s electric and hybrid vehicle commission, Wanderlei Marinho, there are already several automakers studying charging by induction in motion. ‘In addition, there are companies solving the problem of energy losses from induction charging’, he explains. Rogério Montagner, a specialist in mobility and electrification at Mercedes-Benz, points out the obstacles to the functioning of the system. ‘Today, a lot of energy is lost with induction. At 10 kW, the car only carries 4 kW or 5 kW’, he says. There is also the issue of costs to set up the necessary infrastructure for the process. For this reason, Marinho believes that moving induction should start in connected and smart cities, which have been studied and developed by several automakers and systemists. ‘The arrival of this technology in cities that already exist should take a long time’.” there are companies solving the problem of energy losses from induction charging’, he explains. Rogério Montagner, a specialist in mobility and electrification at Mercedes-Benz, points out the obstacles to the functioning of the system. ‘Today, a lot of energy is lost with induction. At 10 kW, the car only carries 4 kW or 5 kW’, he says. There is also the issue of costs to set up the necessary infrastructure for the process. For this reason, Marinho believes that moving induction should start in connected and smart cities, which have been studied and developed by several automakers and systemists. ‘The arrival of this technology in cities that already exist should take a long time’.” there are companies solving the problem of energy losses from induction charging’, he explains. Rogério Montagner, a specialist in mobility and electrification at Mercedes-Benz, points out the obstacles to the functioning of the system. ‘Today, a lot of energy is lost with induction. At 10 kW, the car only carries 4 kW or 5 kW’, he says. There is also the issue of costs to set up the necessary infrastructure for the process. For this reason, Marinho believes that moving induction should start in connected and smart cities, which have been studied and developed by several automakers and systemists. ‘The arrival of this technology in cities that already exist should take a long time’.” ‘Today, a lot of energy is lost with induction. At 10 kW, the car only carries 4 kW or 5 kW’, he says. There is also the issue of costs to set up the necessary infrastructure for the process. For this reason, Marinho believes that moving induction should start in connected and smart cities, which have been studied and developed by several automakers and systemists. ‘The arrival of this technology in cities that already exist should take a long time’.” ‘Today, a lot of energy is lost with induction. At 10 kW, the car only carries 4 kW or 5 kW’, he says. There is also the issue of costs to set up the necessary infrastructure for the process. For this reason, Marinho believes that moving induction should start in connected and smart cities, which have been studied and developed by several automakers and systemists. ‘The arrival of this technology in cities that already exist should take a long time’.”
Thinking about the charging speed of electric cars, homes may have outlets with industrial voltage, 380 volts. In addition, the number of electroposts needs to increase. Many automakers, such as Volvo and BMW, have recharging points spread across Brazil (which today has approximately 800 refueling locations), as well as in other countries.
Of course, so much demand for electricity is expected to increase world demand by 8% by 2040. That’s just for electric cars. In numbers, it is equivalent to 2.7 TWh. The information was provided by Angus McCrone and Michael Liebreich , both from Bloomberg New Energy Finance . The search for renewable and clean sources, such as solar energy, wind energy and the movement of the seas, should increase considerably.
In fact, electrification should not be restricted to cars, being also used by other means of transport. In China alone there are already 200 million electric bicycles. Vans with the same propulsion is a natural trend. Tesla and Mercedes Benz are already developing electric trucks. Ferries with the same technology can already be found. Finally, it is worth remembering that planes powered by solar energy already exist, in the form of prototypes.
In warehouses, in the Intralogistics sector , we already have electric vehicles. They are forklift trucks that perform very well in everyday life. We, from Águia Sistemas, hope that you liked the article. We are the best in the country in Intralogistics and we believe in new technologies overcoming everyday challenges. Chat with us .
( The text above was written using information from the websites epbr.com.br, seudinheiro.com, insideevs.uol.com.br, novacana.com, uol.com.br, bndes.gov.br, mobilidad.estadao.com.br and exame.com).