Electro-Mobility
SPOTLIGH ON ''ELECTRO-MOBILITY''
ELECTRO-MOBILITY: MARGINAL TRANSITION OR MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION
ELECTRO-MOBILITY PROGRAMME:
Wednesday, October 14th – 14:30 to 16:30
Presentation on Electro-mobility: Transition or technological disruption.
To open the forum this debate will gather representatives of carmakers, component manufacturers, public and political authorities, and will discuss the conclusions of the working groups on infrastructure and coordination methods set up under government aegis, as well as government incentive schemes.
After a presentation of the environmental, economic and societal context, the debate will review the ambitions and stakes of the major technological proposals for electro-mobility. It will in particular cover the prospects offered by the new and future generations of energy storage. It will analyze the players' strategies in all development directions (commercial vehicles, private cars and new architectures) under all city and touring use aspects. Lastly, the debate will attempt to gain insight into the impacts and opportunities for the auto manufacturing and related industries.
Speakers (in alphabetical order): Michel ALBRAND (Electruckcity), Joseph BERETTA (PSA Peugeot Citroën), Claude CHAM (President of the Plateforme de la Filière Automobile, PFA (automotive industry platform) & President of FIEV), Christophe CHEVRETON (Alliance Renault- Nissan) Thierry FAUGERAS (FIEV CO2 Committee, PFA Clean Engine Working Group), Jean-Louis LEGRAND (Inter-ministry coordinator for decarbonated vehicles), Daniel MOULENE (Lumeneo-Smera), Louis NÈGRE (Senator, in charge of coordinating trade associations and industry players for the French minister of environment, Jean Louis BORLOO), Patrick OLIVA (Michelin), John SEARLE(European Consortium for Electric Vehicle).
Facilitator: Denis ASTAGNEAU, journalist on France Inter
Thursday, October 15th - 10:00 to 11:00
Panel discussion « Batteries and energy storage: The different technologies and recharging solutions »
Energy storage is the key to success for electro-mobility as it encompasses three major parameters of the electric vehicle competitiveness, i.e. travel range, quick recharging, and … price.
The high economic stakes involved have therefore triggered intensive R&D efforts. While lithium now seems unchallenged, a great number of potential developments are already emerging, varying with the electrodes, electrolytes and technologies: lithium ion, prismatic lithium ion, lithium ion superpolymer, lithium metal polymer, lithium sulfide, lithium titanate batteries … not to mention the additional storage capability offered by supercondensers. To predict 2020 or 2025, as this is sometimes peremptorily asserted in some studies, it is necessary to anticipate battery developments (energy capacity, fast-charging capability, and the effect of economies of scale on market prices).
How fast research progresses is not only a major conditon for the vehicles' commercial success, but it also has an impact on the geographical density of recharging or replacement facilities, the installed power, as well as the relevance of "transitional" solutions like plug-in hybrids or Range Extender engines.
Thursday, October 15th - 11:30 to 12:30
Panel discussion « Architecture and Design »
There is no general agreement about the pace of electro-mobility development, especially due to the uncertainties about the performance potential of batteries. Therefore, should development progress at a more cautious pace and should the electric range of hybrid vehicles be increased progressively (these then become plug-in hybrids, but keep their hybrid architecture)? Should vehicles designed on the basis of an electric architecture be additionally fitted with a range-extender (a kind of advanced generating set which would limit the weight and cost of batteries)? Should we bank right now on the performance of a battery of the future which would provide a range exceeding 300km and would be quickly recharged without any problem … thus offering a virtually usual operating availability.
Whatever the architecture chosen for the drive unit, it has a considerable impact on the overall architecture of the vehicle and all the equipment fitted on it.
Take the example of an electrically driven vehicle with wheel motors: The drive system, the road holding system, and the braking system have to be reconsidered. The storage, weight, management system and cooling of batteries require that the whole chassis architecture is reconsidered. Lastly, design is free of a lot of constraints (although it has to take a more impacting weight constraint into account).
Thursday, October 15th – 15:00 – 16:00
Panel discussion « Maintenance and service problems »
The arrival of these new technologies is obviously of concern to all aftermarket, maintenance and service sectors. As the fleet is still very limited, we are in a transition rather than a disruption situation since the arrival of electro-mobility, even on the assumption that it would come very fast, would not eliminate the one billion ICE vehicles that are on the road all over the world and that will still need to be maintained and repaired. However electro-mobility, even with transitional developments, will foster new technologies that will require expertise and skills, equipment and training investments. The automotive industry will need to include new auto part manufacturers. Those already present will change their business scope – likewise for carmakers -, and this will have an overall effect on the market structure. It's never too early to think about it, keep updated and seize opportunities.
In addition to the ELECTRO–MOBILITY programme, EQUIP AUTO proposes an Electric Vehicle demo (LV, LCV and two-wheelers) organized by GNESA with the network FESA.
