ITB’s Blog

China’s electric vehicle market is pushing the boundaries of thermal and battery system integration. In parallel, Chinese companies are leading development of new solutions such as natural refrigerant thermal systems. This progress isn't just about innovation - it’s about strategic simplification and […]

Battery pack design (outside the cells) will increasingly contribute to improving vehicle cost and performance. Battery pack systems may be complex but can and will be simplified over the next decade. Rather than emphasizing improved individual components, battery architecture changes will be a priority. A key to improving battery pack systems is working […]

In the dynamic landscape of the automotive industry, we delve into pivotal trends and transformative advancements. Today, our focus centers on a concise analysis of automotive interior developments in 2023, spanning sustainability, the evolution of displays and infotainment systems, and groundbreaking elements such as […]

Picture Source: Manufacturers and The ITB Group, Ltd.

Thermal management is an important factor influencing electric vehicle battery charge rates and cost. The latest BEV battery packs from Tesla, BYD, and Geely are simpler and scalable with lower cost and mass through cell-to-pack (CTP) and cell-to-chassis architectures. In parallel, thermal systems are evolving toward greater battery pack integration. A recent CATL CTP battery pack, with integrated thermal design, reduces complexity by  […]

Picture Source: The ITB Group, Ltd.

Electrification offers significant life-cycle benefits for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Transitioning to alternative fuel systems such as e-fuels and hydrogen can accelerate this reduction. Appropriately developed e-fuels can reduce emissions from the current parc and not only rely on a transition to a vehicle technology that relies solely on […]

Picture Source: Volkswagen

Volkswagen is developing a new in-house designed R744 heat pump refrigerant and coolant thermal module. This new optional heat pump module shows that VW is making major value improvement through cost reduction.  […]

Hydrogen systems for transport have the potential to revolutionize the way we power vehicles, offering a clean, efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Advanced onboard hydrogen storage systems can offer acceptable vehicle ranges while refueling times are  […]

Data Sources:  VW, Mahle, Valeo, Chosun Univ., The ITB Group

Reports indicate that Volkswagen temporarily discontinued offering the heat pump system on its MEB platform electric vehicles (ID.4, Q4 e-tron, etc.). Although Volkswagen states that this is “due to the ongoing shortage of semi-conductors”, other factors are likely to have affected this decision. These include the fundamental value of  […]

The potential to have interior driver and occupant monitoring is creating a variety of opinions in the industry. The range of opinions include […]

To explore these ideas to create premium value in a cabin, The ITB Group posed an economic problem to OEM engineers. It encouraged them to brainstorm where a supplier could potentially create new value in an automotive cabin. We asked OEM engineers […]