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As of the summer of 2022, the automotive world is continuing to experience more than a mere rough patch. War, supply chain, the risk of recessions, and climate create operational issues on a weekly basis. In this environment, the long-promised forecasting scenario in which global vehicle production surpasses projected volumes of one hundred million is no longer “just around the corner”. These variables create lasting effects on OEM...

As vehicles become electrified new components including batteries, power electronics, and electric motors are added which present new thermal challenges. Although battery electric vehicles eliminate an internal combustion engine and traditional transmission, their thermal and fluid systems can be even more complex to compensate for lost waste heat. Automakers are making different choices to balance performance and cost challenges to maximize thermal/fluid architecture value.

Tesla sets the benchmark for highly integrated vehicles, including thermal and fluid systems. Other manufacturers are taking different approaches to maximize value based on different assumptions and constraints.

Click below to learn more about how other EV manufacturers such as BMW, BYD, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes, SGMW, and Tesla are choosing thermal/fluid design architectures.

Ford’s Electric Vehicle development shift highlights the importance of fluid management systems for future EV designs.  Changing thermal/fluid system designs are an important part of improving range, charging speed, and passenger comfort as well as reducing mass on the order of 2kg or more and supporting EV cost reductions on the order of $1000.  Furthermore, Ford realizes that it can’t wait for a minor platform refresh date, they must “reengineer the vehicle now” as a running change, as explained by Ford’s CEO Jim Farley.

Click HERE to learn more about Tesla’s thermal/fluid design change benchmarks and how other EV manufacturers like Ford must, and are responding »

Electrified vehicles have significant coolant, refrigerant, and oil system content.  ITB estimates that fluid system market growth will be in the 5-10% range over the next ten years, but individual component sub-segment growth may range from -20% to +20%.  Fluid content and growth rates can vary greatly from one OEM to another as well as […]

When ITB asked OEM Great Wall about improvements in interior ergonomics, Great Wall informed us that the term ergonomics is somewhat outdated. Now, the industry is talking about the experience. “Ergonomics focuses on human comfort, and human comfort is a part of the user experience. Experience may have a more spiritual entertainment (fun) added to the list. […]

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) have higher thermal system content than conventional vehicles; engine and transmission thermal systems are eliminated but thermal systems for the electric drive system, battery, cabin conditioning, and waste heat recovery are introduced. The thermal system for a BEV may exceed $1400 of content. Drive and thermal systems are being integrated to […]

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) charging time is a critical concern for driving long distances.  DC fast charging is an important factor for raising vehicle value and increasing BEV market potential.  For this reason, infrastructure, vehicles, and batteries are being designed to achieve shorter charge times.  One industry objective is the ability to charge vehicles in […]

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) use energy differently, conditioning the cabin accounts for a large portion of energy consumption.  A baseline BEV may use half of its energy consumption to condition the cabin for city driving in cold ambient temperature reducing range by 50%, as shown below.  In practice, improving BEV cabin heating holds more opportunities […]

Source: The ITB Group, Ltd. Automotive HMI product developers are seeking to improve consumer experiences in screens, voice interactions, and touch. For these designers, the automotive HMI benchmark is Apple and remains a clear target. The leading group of today’s BEV buyers are the young generations that have been greatly influenced by Apple products. Therefore, for […]

The ITB Group – the U.S. specialist in business and technical automotive research and consulting, and JFB Consulting – the French mobility expert, entered into a strategic partnership offering comprehensive high-level expertise for the global automotive industry. With an annual global production of 100M vehicles, and a turnover of $1.5T for 56M direct and indirect […]