Formula E shows the way for the industry to the electric vehicles of the future

// insights

A small and light vehicle whizzes across the narrow country road, the driver has just let the speed drop to take a curve safely. The regulation in the vehicle registers the safe handling and then gives the driver an advantage for the next suitable time to get an increased power in the form of acceleration, faster charging or stronger engine brake.

A vision of a near future electric car perhaps, but in practice, a Formula E driver’s driving style in a safe cornering on the outer line can unlock extra boost power in the next straight (Attack mode).

I have since the first time I became aware of the possibility of using regenerative power in an energy storage been completely fascinated by electric vehicles. Even then, I realized that e-mobility would be a revolution. When you look ahead and see how far we have come today the with technology, the electrical systems have become superior. It was clear early on that collaboration is the key and that racing had taken the leading position for what was to come.

Advanced Regulation
The control is found in all modern electric powertrains and can be implemented in a similar way in an ordinary vehicle, a heavy mining vehicles, construction equipment or any machine with a regenerative energy source. Formula E shows the way through energy efficiency and the development of compact electrical units with collaborative development.
“The lessons learned using automotive technology on the track results in faster and more robust implementation in road cars. Examples include better understanding of cell aging, improved mechanical robustness, and control at the edge of the normal operating window. ” -Anthony Law, Head of Motorsport Batteries, McLaren Applied Technologies

“In the future, the components do not have one, but several tasks”
The lack of space in the vehicle challenges the engineers in such way that the design must be based on new ways of performing the drive system design. In purely practical terms, this means that the hardware on the vehicle, which provides the functions, must be combined so that a unit provides several functions. A Traction inverter thus carries several functions, such as a charging function and control of additional power consumers when the main function is not used. A Traction inverter can be used to control more units than just propulsion, i.e. at those times when the unit is not used for just, propulsion. An electric motor is a generator at positive speed and negative torque. This gives a great advantage and perhaps is one of the keys to electric vehicles, in the same way as regenerative energy regulation in the battery. For example, a transformer has an associated filter function and to avoid bulky, expensive, and heavy electrical cabinets[1]in connection with on-board charging these functions could be combined on a construction machine. In the future, the components will not have one, but several tasks.

New conditions, future opportunities
The fact that the BMS control in combination with the main control system (Battery Management System) creates new conditions for controlling power and energy consumption in an optimal way creates completely new possibilities than before. The main control system in the vehicle can now regulate and activate devices that provide new ways of using the vehicle. For example, by having several e-motors individually connected to the power consumers and thus being able to eliminate parasite loads. In the future, each power consumer will have a control unit that communicates with the main control system. These can then be activated or deactivated, parasite loads will then decrease, and the energy efficiency will thus increase.

“OEM now sells a vehicle with a range and performance”
I thought from the start that it seemed challenging that OEMs would have to carry the battery, which in turn has a limited specific energy capacity. The benefits of this technology are great, as are the expectations for future technological advances. What the vehicle manufacturer then must do in my opinion is to make energy usage more efficient and ensure that every kW is counted for in the operating cycle. The energy density of the battery is a relentless limitation and the own realization that the performance and range are owned by them creates a great advantage at an early stage. The customer and the user of the electric vehicle can no longer top up with the fuel as quickly as before.

A function should only activate the consumers absolutely necessary for the duty point to save energy in the battery pack. Previously in ICE operation (Internal Combustion Engine), the user could go to a gas station and quickly refuel, or have a spare can in the tailgate, so the manufacturer of the vehicle did not have to stand for range. OEM now sells a vehicle with a range and a performance. This challenges the engineers, in the same way that lack of space means that they must think through all the system designs. But now also in terms of energy storage and efficiency. The energy efficiency of the system in the electrical machines can also be useful for traditional ICE installations. For example can studies of reduced air resistance in an aerodynamic body or rolling resistance against the road surface share the energy savings among the fleet. This is required to save battery power and which even then saves fuel for ICE. Another example is hydraulics carried by a large construction machine. These hydraulic systems often have large energy parasites that need to be improved and regardless of which energy source drives it, they benefit from the improvements. A promising observation is that the installed components in an electric driveline are similar today and probably will be for some time to come. But how they are used, regulated, controlled via the software will make the difference. The hardware has an upcoming physical limitation.

Formula E shows the way
Formula E[2] shows the way for the industry and for the electric vehicles of the future, where safety and performance are developed jointly by the actors involved. A clear example is the regulations in Formula E, where all cars in the series must use the same battery and e-motor unit. Mclaren Applied[3] has developed the Generation2 Battery (800V DC 54kWh) and the motor unit (400V AC 250kW) for formula E. All cars use this and therefore everyone will share in the development of safety function, performance, software and hardware modules. That is the key to the future of joint development towards a standard. Today, technology is spreading in terms of battery voltage, charging sockets and battery cell technology. Many manufacturers create their own batteries and do not share the benefit of the collaboration. Imagine what it would be like if today’s ICE car manufacturers had their own brand-specific fuels and tank nozzles. Everyone should be able to use the same system, without being forced, to give as small environmental footprint as possible.

Continuous functional growth and development
I think a hardware that is installed will remain largely untouched on a vehicle. Instead, you upgrade the vehicle using the software. A new function will be delivered that controls the installed power consumers and components in the vehicle. A restart in the same way as in your Smart Phone gives the vehicle new opportunities and a new life. Possibly a new characteristic from the energy storage, a new regulation of the e-motor or a program that provides increased energy efficiency. The imagination sets the limits here and I also believe that we must be able to visualize the vehicles of the future and opportunities in order to make it real.

Cooperation and good news
All the benefits created in this technical challenge and collaboration, can benefit the entire industry, whether it is the construction machine of the future or racing track vehicles. Instead of inventing the wheel repeatedly, they could jointly focus on safe green technology. The good news is that the collaboration exists! In Sweden, we have good conditions for creating the electric vehicles of the future that exceed the high expectations that a user has for an electric vehicle. Swedish industry has many forums such as the SEC[4]  and others.

Swedish Electromobility Center is a collaboration within Swedish industry that was developed via the Swedish Energy Agency. There, relevant companies, and universities can gather researchers and experts together with engineers who can enable the visions. I take the opportunity to recommend the SEC Newsletter, which you can register for via emobilitycenter.se
There are high expectations for this new e-mobility technology, and it will force us to think new. Formula E shows the way.

Andréas has a master’s degree in engineering and has studied at universities in Sweden and in the USA. All new technology is fascinating and making the journey and discovering the unknown is his driving force. He has worked at R&D at Atlas Copco and Epiroc since 2012. The focus and areas of responsibility have been installations of traditional engines and drivelines as well as Electric Powertrain. Andréas works as an engineer within e-mobility at Knightec and has a burning interest in electrification and smart systems. Electrification began for him in 2014 with feasibility studies for what would be the next generation of mining equipment and vehicles. In 2017, the situation became sharp and the design phase of the electric powertrains was initiated. It’s an exciting time to be an engineer now! Andreas is now continuing his journey in e-mobility at Knightec.

 

[1] https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/electric/formula-e-powertrain/

[2] https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/discover/cars-and-technology

[3] https://www.mclaren.com/applied/case-study/formula-e-battery/

[4] https://emobilitycentre.se/

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