AUTOMOTIVE

ENGINEERING ®

Welcome to your Digital Edition of

Automotive Engineering September 2024

Sponsored by
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 AUTOMOTIVE
ENGINEERING ®

Quantum computing
already improving tomorrow’s BMWs
Classiq, NVIDIA help calculate
ideal architecture

Steel still holds answers for Blazer EV

2024 Altair Enlighten Awards winners

Lucid Air review: How much is too much?

September 2024 mobilityengineeringtech.com

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CONTENTS
FEATURES REGULARS
22 BMW, Classiq find better architectures 4 Editorial
through quantum computing COVER STORY No, really, what’s an SDV?
Everything from electric motors to robot arms can be looked at 6 Supplier Eye
through the lens of a powerful algorithm. A new reckoning

24 Blazer EV is a steel-intensive 8 Technology Report

showcase MATERIALS 8 Altair honors innovations in automotive
lightweighting and sustainability | AWARDS
GM elevates the ferrous state-of-art with new body and battery
structures. 12 GM EVs will soon provide V2H backup power
during blackouts | HOME POWER
29 Steel targets EV structures, 15 Supplier technologies could deep-freeze the
battery boxes MATERIALS steering wheel | VEHICLE CONTROLS
The industry fires back at aluminum’s growing ‘gigacasting’ threat. 16 Mazda Motorsports keeps the MX-5 cool with a
new differential plate | PERFORMANCE AFTERMARKET

18 Road Ready
ON THE COVER 18 2025 Lucid Air review: unnecessarily fast,
astonishingly efficient
BMW and Classiq are using quantum computing to improve vehicle
architecture and the actions of factory robots. (Image: BMW) 20 Refreshed 2025 Cadillac Escalade features
55-inch dash display

32 Product Briefs
Spotlight: Testing Tools and Sensors

36 Q&A
VW engineering chief on wireless charging at
Follow us on social media DC speeds

@SAEAutoMag @saeaei SAE Magazines

Automotive Engineering®, September 2024, Volume 11, Number 7. Automotive Engineering

12
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(ISSN 2331-7639 print)
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 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL Midwest/Great Lakes:
IN, MI, WI, IA, IL, MN
Chris Kennedy
Sebastian Blanco
+1.847.498.4520, x3008
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
[email protected]
Midwest/Central Canada:
Chris Clonts
KS, KY, MO, NE, ND, SD, ON, MB
Senior Editor
Bob Casey
No, really, what’s an SDV?
[email protected]
+1.847.223.5225
Ryan Gehm [email protected]
Associate Editor
CA, WA, OR, AZ, NM,
What is an SDV? No, you can’t just say deployed [changes] over the years with [email protected]
Rocky Mountain States:
Tim Powers
“software defined vehicle,” because new vehicles being released.” Matthew Wolfe
Assistant Editor +1.908.892.2838
that’s not precise enough. Software has Neukirchner’s post was an excellent [email protected] [email protected]

been part of modern vehicles for de- counterpart to a panel at the Center for Amanda Hosey
Editor, Custom Content International
cades, but the code didn’t define the Automotive Research’s Management [email protected]
Europe:
car. So, what is an SDV? It’s a question Briefing Seminar in Traverse City, Michigan Contributors Sven Anacker
+49.202.373294.11
worth exploring. What are the compo- in August. The host asked the panelists to Kami Buchholz [email protected]
nents required? What are the depen- collectively explain how they defined Detroit Editor Sabine Schoett
+49.202.373294.13
dencies? What is the tipping point SDVs, including the broader effects SDVs John Kendall [email protected]
Europe Editor
when you can finally call a vehicle are likey to have on the industry. China:
Don Sherman, Paul Weissler Will Chang
“software-defined”? The panelists started with the fact +86.21.6140.8919
[email protected]
One person with an answer is that an SDV separates hardware from
Elektrobit’s Moritz Neukirchner, who I software, and is updatable and upgrad-
DESIGN Japan:
Shigenori Nagatomo
Lois Erlacher +81.3.3661.6138
spoke with last year on this topic and able. So far, so good. SDVs should en- Creative Director [email protected]
have since followed on social media. He hance the user experience, they said. Ray Carlson South Korea:
Associate Art Director
recently posted a proposal to describe Also, SDVs do not necessarily have to Eun-Tae Kim
+82-2-564-3971/2
SDVs using a scale similar to the SAE’s be EVs, since improved software can [email protected]

five levels of automated just as easily be used to

SALES &
MARKETING Integrated Media
driving. The list starts with
Level 0, which simply
What is the improve ICE vehicles.
The panelists explained Joe Pramberger Consultants
means “software enabled” tipping point more sides to SDVs.
Publisher
[email protected] Patrick Harvey
+1.973.409.4686
or a vehicle that uses some when you Creating themn means Kaitlyn Sommer
Marketing Director
[email protected]
Todd Holtz
sort of software, and ends OEMs have to put soft-
can finally
[email protected]
+1.973.545.2566
with the Level 5 “innova- ware in the center stage of Martha Tress [email protected]

call a vehicle
Recruitment Sales Manager
Rick Rosenberg
tion platform,” which vehicle development. +1.724.772.7155
+1.973.545.2565
[email protected]
would be a full SDV that Everyone understands
“software-
[email protected]

has the same sort of up- that software is a key part Jason Setti
REGIONAL SALES
grade functionality as a defined”? of new vehicles today, but
North America
+1.973.874.0271
[email protected]
smartphone, where new SDVs ramp that up to ex-
New England/Eastern Canada:
apps can allow the same hardware to do treme levels. The panelist said there’s ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, QC
Brian Hines
things it couldn’t before. an upside here for OEM and supplier +1.647.296.5014
It’s the intervening stages that are software engineers, since SDVs might [email protected]

the most revealing. They require us to allow automakers to reduce the amount CT:
Stan Greenfield
think through what it takes to actually of software they need to develop. Like a +1.203.938.2418
[email protected]
build an SDV. Level 2 on Neukirchner’s smartphone OS, the code in an SDV
Mid-Atlantic/Southeast/TX:
list is “updateable vehicle,” which could last for many years with regular TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, SC,
NC, GA, DC, WV, VA
means an OEM can update the soft- updates. This code – when used in Ray Tompkins
ware, but the feature set is the same. Neukirchner’s Level 4 or 5 SDVs – could +1.281.313.1004
[email protected]
If the code breaks, engineers can put a be applied across model generations NY, NJ, OH:
bit of fixing on it. Level 3, or “upgrade- instead of each model year requiring its Ryan Beckman
+1.973.409.4687
able vehicle,” is where we start getting own software. Finally, the growth of [email protected]
into SDV-like behavior with “dynamic SDVs may happen within a larger eco- PA/DE:
John Murray SUBSCRIPTIONS
functionality on a static target hard- system that includes software-defined +1.973.409.4685 +1.866.354.1125
[email protected] [email protected]
ware.” Level 4, then, is a car that’s re- homes and infrastructure. Perhaps this
ally a “software platform,” which brings us to the real definition of SDVs,
“breaks up the lifecycles of hardware which is just one more example of that
and software” and allows software oft-mentioned situation where some-
updates to target a fleet of vehicles thing is both a difficult challenge and
that can all accept the software even if an opportunity.
the “target hardware onto which it is Sebastian Blanco, Editor-in-Chief

4 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

YOUR OPTICAL FILTER
PARTNER FOR LIDAR

alluxa.com
SUPPLIER EYE
A New Reckoning
As the industry worked through accelerated pro- Ford’s massive Blue Oval Project (now called
duction volumes last decade, there were few TEVC-Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center), capacity
concerns surrounding low capacity utilization in added by Tesla in Texas, VW/Scout in South
our fixed-cost-heavy North American ecosys- Carolina, the now-delayed Vinfast project in North
tem. With the benefit of stronger demand and a Carolina and other capacity expansions by current
rich product mix, the industry was allowed to players. Add to this a market that is grappling
shift attention toward other priorities. Having with the impact of pent-up demand from the last
too much capacity or not properly utilizing it four years essentially being satisfied with little
was not a major concern in a market that aver- inventory build and the affordability of those of-
aged 17 million units from 2016 through 2019. ferings starting to come into question as consum-
The first few years of this decade – with the on- ers face interest rates three times higher than just
set of COVID, low chip availability, growing infla- Michael Robinet a few years ago. Mix in the impact of various new
tion and a host of other supply disruptions Executive Director, China-sourced vehicle tariffs by NA countries and
– provided plenty of reasons not to focus on Consulting, reciprocal ones installed by China, and volume will
emerging utilization issues. S&P Global Mobility face another constraint. Without the Detroit 3’s
Despite last year’s increasing production vol- SAE Foundation safety valve to take capacity offline, we have a
umes, the new UAW and Unifor labor agree- Trustee growing utilization issue which will impact profits
ments (and their no-facility-closure clauses) and the ability to compete in the future.
michael.robinet
place the issue of capacity utilization back at the @spglobal.com The graphic (below left) from the S&P Global
head of the line, this time with the added com- Mobility Light Vehicle Capacity Utilization
plication of an industry grappling with the com- Forecast outlines that straight-time capacity
plexity of integrating battery EV and hybrid vari- Smaller utilization may dip towards 65% later this de-
ant builds into the same plants that have as-
sembled ICE vehicles for decades. The build pro-
suppliers cade. Without the ability to restructure vehicle
sourcing to drive overall corporate efficiency,
cesses, supplier requirements and plant require- may not have one can already anticipate a growing list of
ments are too different to meld into one factory.
Many OEMs have opted to convert ICE facilities
the financial plants to be addressed when labor contracts
expire in 2027-28. OEMs with reduced profitabil-
to BEV – never to return. While efficiencies can flexibility that ity and few strategic options to improve effi-
be gained with a singular build focus (ICE/
Hybrid or BEV), any delay by customers to
OEMs have. ciency while facing strong competition from
China-based OEMs outside of North America
adopt BEVs upends these efforts. Closing or may face a real reckoning.
Other factors will impact overall capacity utili- selling plants Suppliers will not be immune. When OEMs
zation through the end of the decade. Key experience low utilization at one or more plants,
among them will be the addition of incremental may be their odds are that suppliers increased capacity to
plants by current and new OEMs. This includes only option. handle the same lofty volumes. Thus, issues at
the OEM level immediately find their way to the
supply base. Several of these smaller suppliers
may not have the financial flexibility of their
larger OEM customers. Closing or selling plants
may be their only option.
In the end, several moons aligning to drive
utilization downward later this decade will have
severe consequences for an ecosystem still
climbing out of the recent COVID-driven supply
impacts. This new reckoning will not be solved
easily or delicately. It is clear that critical manu-
facturing decisions will be forced upon many
OEMs, their labor unions and associated suppli-
S&P GLOBAL MOBILITY

ers later this decade.

6 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 SPONSORED CONTENT

EV Accelerators
EV Accelerator Interview with CSA Group’s Dana Parmenter
CSA Group is a testing, inspection, and certification provider working to assure safe and accessible operation and charging of
electric vehicles for consumers. In this edition of EV Accelerator sponsored by Keysight, CSA’s vice president of Industrial, Dana
Parmenter, talks about how his company tests EVs and electric vehicle charging equipment.

EV Accelerator: What is CSA Group’s relation- CSA play to assure reliability and safety in
ship to electric vehicle technology? this standard?
Dana Parmenter: We are a testing, inspection Parmenter: As an SDO, we help create consen-
and certification (TIC) provider and a standards sus-based standards. Additonally, participating
development organization (SDO). The TIC por- with the likes of SAE, IEC or ISO, we adapt and
tion of our group operates labs around the address new capabilities, including J3400. Our
world that test and certify EV technology, in- standards set minimum performance require-
cluding batteries, charging infrastructure and ments and consider compatibility require-
components. Much of our testing focuses on ments. Are they communicating properly? Are
batteries and includes electrical and mechanical they operating properly? The heart of our busi-
stress tests for events such as overcharge, over ness is to stay current with the latest technolo-
discharge and thermal or fire events, and how gies and assure our labs are equipped to eval-
these relate to the battery, its functionality and uate, test and certify them regardless of the
Dana Parmenter, CSA’s vice
safety. We also test charging infrastructure, and protocol. The greater adoption and standard-
president for industrial operations.
EV components such as electric motors, wiring ization of any protocol, the greater the impact
and other electrical and mechanical parts for on reducing charge anxiety with consumers
potential environmental and safety impacts. As an SDO, CSA fa- worrying less about the inability to successfully recharge.
cilitates the creation of important consensus-based safety and
performance standards to address the needs of emerging technol- EV Accelerator: How does CSA contribute to the reduction or
ogy while also working with other SDO’s such as the International elimination of fire risks?
Standard Organization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Parmenter: We test for flammability and thermal runaway, in
Commission (IEC) to create and develop new standards. which we force a battery into an internal fire condition. We
also test for how the battery reacts to an external fire. We
EV Accelerator: As a TIC provider, how can CSA contribute to work with manufacturers on how to mitigate those dangers
better consumer acceptance of EVs? and reduce catastrophic events and how to safely handle a
Parmenter: We test and certify EVs to meet predefined safety battery if one of these rare events occurs.
protocol. This alone introduces an inherent level of safety support-
ing consumer confidence. Additionally, we utilize performance- EV Accelerator: What about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technol-
related standards to consider reliability and output performance ogy? What requirements must an EV meet to supply power
for EV chargers. We constantly create and update test methods back into the grid?
and adopt the latest standards to assure they are state-of-the-art. Parmenter: We test an EV and its charging equipment for how it
We consider best practices to make sure EV products keep con- supports vehicle-to-grid functions. The EV must be capable of
sumers safe as they operate at maximum output and uptime. bi-directional power flow and needs to be approved to interface
with the grid. This means designing onboard inverters that meet
EV Accelerator: How does CSA address charging anxiety and appropriate standards for bi-directional function for the applica-
charger reliability? tions they’re using, including SAE standards. We also evaluate
Parmenter: We address hardware failures with tests that place the power exported and the correct communication protocol.
stress on electrical, mechanical and environmental compo- On the charging side, manufacturers need to design their prod-
nents. We simulate such conditions as cable abuse and ex- ucts to support V2G from the beginning. These products need
treme temperatures to help manufacturers mitigate real world to be tested and certified for grid connection and support of the
issues and allow them to build more robust and reliable prod- intercommunication requirements for the grid to ensure the
ucts. We test for communication and interoperability to en- right voltage is passed at the right frequency and power factor.
sure various chargers are compatible with a vehicle or a Failure to address those can cause damage to grid infrastructure
broader network. When EVs and EV chargers use the same or other attached equipment. As V2G becomes more promi-
communication protocol, there’s less risk of incompatibility. nent, testing requirements and complexity likely will increase.
Our Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) tests use the
latest, most adopted communication standards to make sure For more on CSA’s EV testing, go to www.csagroup.org.
a charger can operate with the greatest number of EVs.

EV Accelerator: Most major EV manufacturers are switching Watch the full interview with Dana.
CSA

to Tesla’s NACS (SAE J3400) configuration. What part does

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 7

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AWARDS SAE INTERNATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Altair honors innovations in automotive lightweighting
and sustainability Carla Bailo
President
Robert Ireland
2025 President
Todd Zarfos
2023 President
Christopher Payne
Vice President – Aerospace
Daniel Nicholson
Vice President – Automotive
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette
E-Ray’s hybrid powertrain features a battery structure Audley Brown
comprised entirely of high-performance polymeric materials. Vice President –
Commercial Vehicle

General Motors engineers opted for a battery Syensqo’s 45% glass-reinforced Amodel PPA for David Andrea
Treasurer
structure comprised entirely of high-perfor- 45 repeated spacers that eliminated the need for
mance polymeric materials for the 2024 compression limiters and isolation countermea- Gregory L. Bradley, Esq.
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray’s hybrid powertrain. sures. The design includes a unique cell-lock fea- Secretary
The thermoplastic battery module, which deliv- ture that stabilizes battery cells.
ers a 37% weight reduction and a 25% cost sav- “We started this project off with a metal-plas- Judy Curran
ings compared to traditional aluminum, took tic combined module,” GM’s Compton said. “But Mary Lee Gambone
the top spot for the Module Lightweighting the Corvette vehicle team really challenged us
category in this year’s Altair Enlighten Awards. to remove as much weight as possible from this Joan Wills
Five other category winners, along with run- module. We had a great supporting cast with
ners-up and one honorable mention, were also RTP and Syensqo – we asked a lot from the res- Susan Ying, Ph.D
honored during an awards ceremony at the 2024 ins that we selected.” The team even targeted
CAR Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) in the fasteners used in the module, selecting alu-
August. They demonstrate how automotive and minum instead of steel, “trying to get grams
off-highway companies are applying advanced wherever we could out of this module,” he said.
technologies and computational intelligence to Runner-up: Toyota worked with supplier SAE International Sections
SAE International Sections are local
create a more sustainable future for the industry. partners US Farathane and BASF to develop units comprised of 100 or more SAE
Collaboration throughout the supply chain the second-row composite seat structure in the International Members in a defined
technical or geographic area. The purpose
was paramount in driving innovation, according 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The seat structure fea- of local Sections is to meet the technical,
to Nick Compton, global battery plastics and tures 30% less mass than the previous genera- developmental, and personal needs of the
SAE Members in a given area. For more
composites technical specialist at GM. “We’re tion of steel seats and 20% less mass than the information, please visit sae.org/sections
or contact SAE Member Relations Specialist
working hand in hand with our suppliers. current resin seats in the 2022 Toyota Tundra. Abby Hartman at [email protected].
There’s a bigger input especially in the materi- The new structure also consolidated more than
als space and injection molding or whatever 55 parts into just four components.
the process is,” he said at the MBS conference. SAE International
Collegiate Chapters
“In the past, it was ‘okay, we have this resin Enabling Technology Collegiate Chapters are a way for SAE
that we’ve used in engines for 20 years,’ you Winner: CompositeEdge GmbH won for its International Student Members to get
together on their campus and develop
just specify it and that’s the end of it. We don’t EcoFiber AFP (automated fiber placement) skills in a student-run and -elected
have that luxury” with hybrid and EV batteries. high-performance structures that utilize natural environment. Student Members are vital
to the continued success and future of
fiber composites – such as flax and hemp fiber SAE. While your course work teaches
Module Lightweighting – blended with plastic to support the auto- you the engineering knowledge you
need, participation in your SAE Collegiate
Winner: Engineers at General Motors worked mated manufacture of body panels, interior Chapter can develop or enhance other
important skills, including leadership,
closely with counterparts at RTP and Syensqo to trims, chassis and suspension parts without time management, project management,
develop the thermoplastic battery module for the additional adhesives. The thermoplastic matri- communications, organization, planning,
delegation, budgeting, and finance. For
CHEVROLET

hybrid E-Ray. Designed to fit the ICE Corvette’s ces reportedly maintain the integrity and recy- more information, please visit students.
tunnel, the hybrid battery structure uses RTP’s clability of the composite structures better sae.org/chapters/collegiate/ or contact
SAE Member Relations Specialist Abby
PARA material for the two side plates and than bio-resins, which can degrade. The use of Hartman at [email protected].

8 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY REPORT

natural fiber composites significantly Module

reduces carbon emissions and energy Lightweighting:
consumption compared to synthetic General Motors and
materials, according to CompositeEdge. Syensqo designed a
Runner-up: Teijin Automotive thermoplastic battery
Technologies’ fully automated preform- module structure
that’s 37% lighter and
ing process enables the mass produc-
25% less expensive
tion of carbon fiber preforms to be used than traditional
in automotive components – in this aluminum.
case, a vehicle door. The precision of
the automated process optimizes the
amount of material used and recycles a
small amount of offal (waste). The new
process reduces required labor by 20%.
Honorable mention: Bemis
Manufacturing and BASF developed
large hydraulic tanks for compact exca-
vators using BASF’s polyamide, which
delivered reductions in lifecycle costs
and CO2 emissions. By combining injec-
SAE/RYAN GEHM

tion molding and vibration welding, the Future of Lightweighting tice-reinforced polypropylene sheet
approach resulted in 5% mass savings Winner: WEAV3D, Braskem and the suitable for vehicle body structures.
and 20% lower costs compared to tradi- Clemson Composites Center collab- Manufactured with a highly automated
tional roto-molding. oratively developed a composite lat- forming cycle that produces more parts

YURA in EV Era
We are moving the frontier of electric vehicle Technology.

With our leading-edge technology in electrical, electronic

distribution system of automobiles, we are now leading
the development of core parts for electric vehicles.

We work for new possibilities

and prepare a better tomorrow for our partners.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 9

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Future of Lightweighting: WEAV3D, Braskem and Clemson Composites

Center developed a composite lattice-reinforced polypropylene sheet that
reduces cost by 50% and weight by 23% compared to CFPA6 organosheet.

Runner-up: Carsolia Composites introduced a patent-pend-

ing composite coil spring that’s 50% lighter than steel. The
carbon fiber composite material also has 50% less CO2 equiv-
Enabling Technology: CompositeEdge’s EcoFiber AFP structures utilize alent per kilogram vs. steel, resulting in a 75% overall reduc-
natural fiber composites blended with plastic for body panels, interior
tion of CO2 emissions. Carsolia claims it can incorporate vari-
trims, chassis and suspension parts.
able thicknesses for tuned spring rates during compression
range and that its production process can support high-vol-
using less energy, the new sheet reduces cost by 50% and ume vehicle production.
weight by 23% compared to CFPA6 organosheet (nylon 6)
and weighs between 60-70% less than steel. The process also Sustainable Product
results in a 62% reduction in trim scrap by weight. Compared Winner: DuPont BETAMATE broad bake adhesive technology
to steel, the polypropylene sheet reportedly displays better helps reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions dur-
energy absorption and shape recovery. ing vehicle body manufacturing by allowing adhesives to cure
“Our line of sight to first production is likely model year 2026, at about 25°C lower temperatures, thus saving energy via re-
production [commencing] at the end of next year,” Lewis Motion, duced e-coat oven temperatures and shorter oven cycle
founder and CEO of WEAV3D, said at the MBS conference. “The times. The technology also eliminates the need for cold stor-

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COMPOSITEEDGE: SAE/RYAN GEHM; SAE/RYAN GEHM

more we can get people to design with the approach that we age thanks to a special formulation that extends shelf life.
have, the more beneficial it can be used throughout the vehicle – Runner-up: Bridgestone Americas manufactures the Turanza
not just as closures but even things like the battery box.” EV grand touring tire with 50% renewable and recycled materi-
als – one of the highest per-
centages among commer-
cially available replacement
tires – and features
Bridgestone ENLITEN tech-
nology to optimize perfor-
mance and improve life span.
Bridgestone is aiming for all
its tires to be composed of
100% renewable and recycled
materials by 2050.

Sustainable Process
Winner: BMW M GmbH
along with partners AMC
GmbH, Bcomp Ltd., Gradel
The Altair Enlighten Awards were presented at the 2024 CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan. Lightweight Sàrl, and Lasso

10 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

One year in the Arizona sun.

Just a few weeks in here.

Bring the real world into your lab with Atlas. Configurable to
precisely simulate environmental conditions, our accelerated
weathering instruments set the standard for accuracy and
reliability. It’s no wonder that Atlas is the durability testing
platform of choice for the automotive industry.

See the widest range of weathering

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facilities at atlas-mts.com.
TECHNOLOGY REPORT

HOME POWER
Ingenieurgesellschaft designed the
BMW M Visionary Materials Seat that GM EVs will soon provide V2H backup power
focuses on circular design principles.
The seat features a monomaterial
during blackouts
lightweight design that uses sustain-
able, renewable materials such as re-
cycled polyester textile, flaxfiber
BioComposite, and biogene leather
alternatives. The composite can be
made from carbon, basalt, glass fiber
or natural fibers as needed.
Runner-up: Toyota Motor
Manufacturing Canada and PPG
Industries were ecognized for EPIC200X
electrocoat, which enhances corrosion
protection for automotive bodies while
significantly reducing environmental im-
pact. At the Toyota facility, the new prod-
uct and application process enables a
total reduction of 3,500 metric tons of Rendering of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST in a residential garage with anticipated GM Energy
offerings. Simulated products shown. Actual production model may vary. Simulated vehicle shown.
CO2 emissions per year. It also reduces
Actual production model may vary.
the amount of applied product per ve-
hicle by 0.6 kg, and the new application
process saves 5,626,000 kWh of energy General Motors is following Ford into – the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Sierra
and 1,843,000 gallons of water per year. the home power business, using EVs to EV Denali and Blazer EVs, and the 2025
provide backup power during electric Chevy Equinox EV – will need over-the-
Responsible AI outages. air or manual software updates in order
Winner: Dow Inc.’s SPECFLEX polyure- By 2026, GM intends for all of its new to be able to share power with a cus-
thane solutions focus on developing and electric vehicles on the Ultium EV plat- tomer’s home. The capability will be
using cleaner raw materials and unique form to be capable of providing vehi- built-in by the 2026 model year.
design principles to optimize perfor- cle-to-home (V2H) power. Ford offers a For now, the GM Energy Home
mance. Achieving equivalent mechanical similar bidirectional home backup sys- System only works with GM products –
and aging properties compared to tradi- tem that draws power from the battery just as Ford’s only works with Ford and
tional formulations, these solutions re- in its F-150 Lightning electric pickup, as Tesla’s with Tesla. Cross-compatibility
duce total volatile organic compounds does Tesla with the Cybertruck and depends on the finalization of the long-
(VOCs) by more than 50%, formaldehyde Volkswagen with some of its EVs. BMW awaited ISO 15118 standard, which will
by 60% and acetaldehyde by 80%. An AI has said it will make bidirectional charg- govern bi-directional and vehicle-to-
aldehyde predictive model accelerates ing a feature of its new generation EVs grid (V2G) communication.
market response by capturing the factors starting in 2025.
contributing to odor and translating com- GM’s power play starts with the 2024 What’s it cost?
plicated non-linear features into real- Silverado EV RST, which carries a massive GM V2H system may not make eco-
world related performance features – en- 200-kWh battery pack. That’s enough to nomic sense without an EV. But for any-
abling outcome prediction. Dow says ma- power the average American home for one who already owns or intends to
chine learning enabled a reduction in the about 5 days with 20%, or 40 kWh, left to purchase a GM EV, the home power
number of experiments from about 800 get the truck back on the road. system can be a relatively inexpensive
down to 50 and cut a two-year design EVs with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabil- add-on that provides clean residential
cycle down to about six months. ity, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, typically backup power without the CO2 emis-
Ryan Gehm provide a maximum energy flow of 1.8 kW, sions of a whole-house generator or the
sufficient to power one or two 120-volt cost of stationary storage batteries.
SAE International and its Automotive appliances simultaneously. The GM system GM Home Power was developed by the
Engineering and Tech Briefs publications provides 9.6 kW to keep power sucks recently formed GM Energy unit. The au-
served as a media partner for the 2024 such as electric ovens and air conditioning tomaker started it in 2022 to bring to mar-
Altair Enlighten Awards, and the author and heating systems running. ket a “suite of charging energy products
participated as a judge for the three While the system is available with the and services,” GM Energy vice president
lightweighting categories. Silverado EV RST model, other GM EVs Wade Sheffer told SAE Media.
GM

12 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

TB_Aug_AE_Sept2024_Island_WrapAround_Layout 1 6/28/24 3:46 PM Page 5

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Rendering of hid all of the electrical plumbing. If

anticipated GM there isn’t sufficient room on a garage
Energy V2H or carport wall, everything is rated for
Bundle offering. outdoor installation as well, William
Simulated Hotchkiss, GM Energy’s head of safety
products shown.
and quality, told SAE Media.
Subject to
change. Actual The proprietary system consists of a
production $1,699 GM Powershift Charger, a $5,600
model may V2H Enablement Kit and, available later
vary. Expected this year, an optional $5,000, 10.6 kWh
timeline for modular backup storage battery stack. A
delivery will 17.7 kWh battery will also be available,
vary. and each segment can be purchased
separately, so a system can be staged
over several years to accommodate bud-
getary constraints. Additional modules
can be added to the backup battery for
a total of 35.4 kWh of storage.
There are three parts to the
Enablement Kit – the Home Hub, a
power inverter and a small “dark start”
battery that provides initial power when
a blackout hits.
GM Energy’s home system contains a
Wi-Fi modem and Ethernet connection
that enables remote monitoring and
control via the homeowner’s smart-
phone or computer, along with an elec-
trical panel that connects to up to 200
amps of home circuits. There’s also a
controller with the programming and
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST in a residential driveway with GM Energy products.
circuitry to identify a power outage,
shut down the home’s connection to
Ultimately, GM intends to enable its than $20,000 but doesn’t require EV the grid and order the charger to stop
system owners to earn some money ownership. Whole house generators delivering current to the vehicle and
back by charging when power is cheap that run on natural gas or propane cost start drawing from it.
and selling unused energy to the grid at considerably less, but are noisier and The bidirectional charger allows the
peak periods when utilities will pay emit environment-damaging gases appropriate GM vehicle’s battery to be
them a premium, said Aseem Kapur, GM By the end of 2024, GM Energy plans charged at up to 19.2 kilowatts when
Energy’s chief revenue officer. to make modular storage batteries connected to a dedicated 80-amp, 240-
In addition to the Silverado EV, which available and implement solar panel volt circuit.
lists for $96,495 (less expensive trims system connectivity that would make The charger will operate with power
will follow), the GM Energy Home the system – like Tesla’s Powerwall – us- from the grid or from a home solar pan-
System requires $7,299 worth of equip- able without being connected to an EV. el array. It sends alternating current to
ment. Ford’s is around $5,200. This isn’t the vehicle, where an onboard inverter
a DIY system, so installation could add How it Works changes it to direct current for storage
more than 50% to the total, depending GM recently showed off its system at a in the battery pack. When the system
on how many circuits you want on 10,000 sq-ft (929 sq-m) residence in draws power from the battery, at a
backup power, how long the electrical Beverly Hills, California, that powered maximum of 9.6 kW, the inverter in the
runs are and whether you need to up- critical home elements – lights, ventila- Enablement Kit changes it back to AC
grade your home’s electrical service in tion and kitchen appliances – for an to feed the home’s circuitry.
BOTH IMAGES: GM

order to handle the mandatory EV char- entire evening using just a few kW. GM Energy is using Qmerit, a national
ger’s maximum draw of 80 amps. The system components were in- EV charger installation company, for
An equivalent whole-house solar stalled on an interior wall of the garage installation.
backup power system could cost more behind a neatly finished pop-out that John O’Dell

14 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY REPORT

VEHICLE CONTROLS

Supplier technologies could deep-freeze the steering wheel

A driver’s finger movements engage three-dimensional point cloud genera- a Cadillac XT6 SUV. In a replicated park-
with a mouse-like device to steer a dem- tion was facilitated by 11 fifth-generation ing lot roundabout, the technology dem-
onstration vehicle. Eleven stereo cam- Hitachi Astemo stereo cameras fitted on onstrator SUV detected other vehicles
eras on another demonstrator enable
detection and prediction of the distance
from vehicles navigating a roundabout.
“When we develop technology, our
vision is to have everyone in society
benefit from the innovation,” said
Harsha Badarinarayan, Hitachi Astemo’s
vice president of advanced engineering.
Badarinarayan spoke with SAE Media

Mechanical & Thermal

during a June press briefing at the com-
pany’s headquarters for the Americas in
Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Hitachi Astemo’s in-development
steer-by-wire system’s palm-size de- Performance You Can
Trust Through EOL
vice, located on a demo vehicle’s center
floor console, responds to finger glide
movements with virtually no lag time
from input to the front wheels’ re-
sponse. “The idea is to make this input
device, which especially caters to peo-
ple who need an alternative steering
interface, as intuitive to use as a steer-
ing wheel,” said Badarinarayan.
SAE Media test drove Hitachi
Astemo’s steer-by-wire system on a
Honda Civic with a steering wheel and
another Civic sedan equipped with the
finger-operated device. Both technol-
ogy demonstration cars were easy-to-
steer through a parking lot dotted with
orange cones to replicate slalom curves,
a tight U-turn, and a three-point Y-turn.
In another demonstration vehicle,
360-degree object recognition and

“This is a vision-only
system, so it doesn’t
use lidar or other
sensors,” Hitachi
Astemo’s Harsha
Badarinarayan said
about the company’s
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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 15

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

PERFORMANCE AFTERMARKET

Mazda Motorsports keeps the MX-5

cool with a new differential plate
Mazda Motorsports, the company’s North American-based
racing program, serves as a support network for thousands of
professional and amateur racers at road courses around the
United States. In addition to contingency programs, discount-
ed OEM parts and a ladder system into the professional ranks,
the program also maintains a catalog of competition parts
designed specifically for the rigors of racing.
One of the recent additions to Mazda’s competition parts
catalog is a differential cooling plate. The unit is intended for
racers piloting the third-generation MX-5 roadster (known by
its model code, NC). The unit reportedly provides a significant
upgrade in the cooling performance and improves longevity
of the vehicle’s rear differential.
A driver uses a mouse-like operating device to steer a Hitachi Astemo
According to Mazda, the oil temperatures in a stock NC dif-
technology demonstration vehicle.
ferential can become very hot during competition use. Mazda
states that they have data showing operating temperatures of
over 325 F (163 C) on multiple occasions, which is too high for
the fluid to work effectively.
To mitigate this issue, Mazda Motorsports has developed a
plate that sits between the factory differential housing and cover.
It features strategically positioned ports for fluid circulation,
including in/out oil lines and a dedicated temperature sensor
port. The plate has fins on all sides that serve as heat sinks.
Dowel pins are included to ensure correct alignment during
installation and a reusable steel/rubber-coated gasket simpli-
fies rear cover plate removal for routine maintenance.
“The plate by itself is all most sprint racers are going to
need,” Josh Smith, business development manager, Mazda
Motorsports, said in an interview with SAE Media. “But if
you’re running an NC in an endurance environment, it’s set up
to attach additional coolers. We made sure (the plate) was
spraying fluid on parts that need cooling by directing it where
Close-up view of Hitachi Astemo’s console-located steering device.
you want it to be on the gear stack.”

FROM TOP: HITACHI ASTEMO; HITACHI ASTEMO; MAZDA MOTORSPORTS

and their distance from the demonstration vehicle.
“Stereoscopic vision provides accurate information versus a
mono-camera system that gives you distance estimation,”
Badarinarayan said. Precise vision information is crucial for
SAE Level 3 automated driving technology development. “For
example, in a roundabout driving scenario, the vision system
needs to determine when it’s safe to enter the roundabout,
how to maneuver around the roundabout, and how to exit the
roundabout,” said Badarinarayan. The vision system also
needs to detect lanes, curb height, and other obstacles.
Hitachi Astemo’s stereo camera system provides automatic
calibration during driving to maintain measurement accuracy as
well as high-density 3D point cloud generation from disparity
information (via artificial intelligence) of each camera pair. “We
offer the stereo cameras and the IP (intellectual property) for the
perception stack,” said Badarinarayan. According to Mazda, the oil temperatures in a stock NC differential can
Kami Buchholz reach over 325 F during competition use.

16 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Smith explained the development process of the plate and Mazda’s

how Mazda determined that this was a weak point for this differential
chassis. “We had an Achilles heel in the NC differential from plate features
the OE standpoint and wanted to fix that,” he explained. “Our strategically
sprint racers did not want to justify the cost of an entire dif- positioned
ferential cooling system with fans and other components. So, ports for fluid
circulation and
we were trying to find an elegant solution that added minimal
fins on all sides
cost to the car, but reduced the operating temperature of the serving as heat
fluid and allowed an upgrade path for the future.” sinks.
Smith continued, “There’s no expensive fluid you can use to fix
the issue because there’s no airflow and the exhaust is also lo-
cated right next to the unit. So additional capacity and a heat
sink was the logical solution.” Smith said that during testing of
the unit, vehicles using just the plate saw max operating tem-
peratures of 300 degrees versus the factory configuration.
“With just the plate, it took two hours of constant use to
reach that temperature. That’s a 30–50-degree delta from the
factory setup, which would reach those temperatures in just
20 minutes,” he said. “If you’re sprint racing for an hour or
MAZDA MOTORSPORTS

less, the spacer is all you need. If you’re running for over an currently developing a comprehensive kit featuring a cooler,
hour, you’ll want the spacer with a pump and other compo- pump and filter. The system will be designed for ease of in-
nents because it will eventually heat soak out.” stallation and maintenance and will mount on a removable
Smith estimates that there are between 25-30 examples plate in the trunk.
of the plates currently in circulation. Mazda Motorsports is Matt Wolfe

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 17

ROAD
READY

2025 Lucid Air review: unnecessarily fast, astonishingly efficient

As amazing as the Lucid Air is to drive
– and it is amazing – it doesn’t hold a
candle to hearing CEO Peter Rawlinson
explain exactly why his company’s all-
electric sedans are, well, amazing.
Rawlinson isn’t just the CEO at Lucid. His
history as vice president of vehicle engi-
neering at Tesla and chief engineer of
the Model S, as well as stints at Lotus,
Jaguar and technology consulting firm
Corus Automotive, help explain his other
The 2025 Lucid Air sedan.
title at Lucid: chief technology officer.
During a visit to Lucid HQ earlier this
year, Rawlinson eagerly held court to save the planet because then you can the engineers continue to improve their
explain the Air’s incredible efficiency have a car with 180-mile range with just understanding of how magnetic fields
numbers and why they matter. a 30 kWh pack, now you change the effect operation and the amount of resis-
“This car is 4.74 miles per kWH, so no design of the car,” he said. “The para- tance different coatings have on copper
one else is even close to that,” he told SAE dox is that the long-range EVs of now, wires. Or take the 38-mm (1.3-in) alumi-
Media. “This is the most sustainable car in this decade, and the EVs of the future num busbars in the Air’s battery.
the world, in terms of energy utilization. will have less range, [because] they’ll “We’ve got the shortest busbars on the
Going from A to B, this car will use less cost less and the chemistry will accept planet,” he said. “Originally, these were
energy than anything else on the market.” the charge faster and the charging net- about eight inches long, and I cannot tell
Rawlinson said the Air Pure AWD work will be much more mature and you the pain that the engineers went
trim is more efficient than the impres- fully built out. Then, what’s wrong with through. ‘We got them down to six inch-
sive Mercedes Vision EQXX, which 180-mile EV? If you can get six miles es, Peter,’ and I said that’s not going to fly.
Rawlinson called “very artificial” be- per kWh, that’s a 30 kWh pack to get ’It’s down to four inches and it’s killing us.’
cause of all of the compromises the 180-mile range, and then it’s a tiny ‘This is not good enough, I want them like
Mercedes had to make in the concept pack. That’s maybe a $4,000-$5,000 half an inch and it went this way for
vehicle, like narrow tires and a sparse pack, and then you can make a truly months and months and months trying to
interior. Earlier this year, Lucid an- affordable EV. I think we could do that reduce the length of the busbars because
nounced it had achieved tests in the Air in the next couple of years. We can get the shorter they are, the more efficient
that returned over 5 miles per kWh, to five miles this year, for something like they are, because the electrons don’t
which Rawlinson told SAE Media would [the Air], and for a smaller, family car, have to flows so far. And it’s like, ‘“What
mean reaching the same range with we could do six miles maybe 18 months difference does this make?” I don’t know.
smaller batteries. There’s much more to from now, two years from now.” It’s tiny, but you have to do it.”
be had on the efficiency front, Lucid is also improving its line-up of Air
Rawlinson believes. trim levels, even as the various trims keep Tiny improvements, huge
“My vision is to get to six miles per their differences hidden behind matching performance
kWh, and I think that’s what’s gonna sheet metal. The Pure and Sapphire up- Details of these small improvements that
dates, for example, were Lucid engineers made throughout the Air
Lucid Motors CEO developed at the same easily slip the mind when you get behind
Peter Rawlinson time and Lucid engineers the wheel. A spacious interior welcomed
shows off a had to develop their own me no matter which of the four Air trims
technical model of traction control system for I tested on a sunny day earlier this year,
the Air’s front end these EVs, because the and the obvious headline is that it’s im-
BOTH IMAGES: SEBASTIAN BLANCO

module assembly supplier version didn’t per- possible to miss the difference between
at the company’s form well enough. The the 1,234 hp (920 kW) Sapphire trim with
Silicon Valley
motors in the Grand its three permanent-magnet motors
headquarters.
Touring trim are like ver- (one on the front axle and a twin rear-
sion 1.5 – maybe not quite drive unit in back) and the 430 hp (320
different enough to be kW) Pure base model with a single mo-
considered v2.0, Lucid tor mounted on the rear axle. During an
representatives said – as afternoon testing the Air lineup in the

18 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

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ROAD READY

Refreshed 2025 Cadillac Escalade

features 55-inch dash display
Amid its constant rollout of new battery electric vehicles,
Cadillac announced a refreshed and tech-laden 2025 version
of its flagship internal-combustion SUV, the Escalade.
In a few months Cadillac will launch the all-electric
Escalade IQ. The showstopper of an array of design and in-
A cutaway terior improvements is a 55-inch (140-cm) diagonal display
view of that runs the width of the dashboard. Part of that display, a
the Lucid 25-inch (64-cm)diagonal area, is reserved for items the pas-
Air sedan’s front
senger can access and control.
powertrain section.
Asserting that the Escalade has always been known for
craftsmanship, technology and performance, John Roth, vice
redwoods outside San Francisco, the extra oomph was an un- president of Global Cadillac, said it is the standard-bearer for
questionable high. No EV – or any new vehicle of any type – has full-size luxury SUVs. “Escalade … has continuously raised the
impressed me quite as much as the Sapphire did. That’s what a standard of full-size SUV luxury since it was introduced 25
0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of just 1.89 seconds is meant to do. years ago,” he said, adding that it is “the best-selling luxury
But all of that extra power comes at a price. The Pure starts at full-size SUV in North America since 2014 and has sold more
$69,900, compared to the $249,000 for the Sapphire. As than 1 million units globally.”
breathtaking as they are, the extra thrills that come with each On the outside, the 2025 Escalade inherits lighting technol-
accelerator push are not worth the extra $180,000. As the rare ogy from the coming Escalade IQ, while other details come
car reviewer who believes a 4.5 second 0-60 time is more than from the design language common to Celestiq and Lyriq EVs.
enough, I found the Pure to be simply delightful and for sure the Thin and bright horizontal signal lamps are more cohesive with
one I would choose. the iconic vertical LED daytime running lights and headlights. A
Compared to the popular (in the right zip codes) Mercedes- larger grille is available in three patterns depending on trim
Benz EQS and the now-plentiful Tesla Model S, the Air brings level. Adding more visual effects after dark are an available
with it a whiff of exclusivity. But Lucid stands out as an engi- lighted brand crest and LED lighting around the grille.
neering marvel, as well, and offers a worthwhile driving expe- At the rear, the crest has been repositioned slightly and
rience. The adaptive damping suspension has less to balance trim below the window has been simplified. Revised taillights
in the 4,564-lb (2,070-kg) Pure than in the 5,336-lb (2,420- include a second vertical LED element. Cadillac rounds out
kg) Sapphire, but all trims felt entirely planted and connected the exterior changes with available 24-inch (61-cm) wheels,
to the roads zipping by underneath. Advanced torque vector- the largest ever offered on the Escalade, and power open-
ing gives all Air variants impressive wheel grip, and steering and-close doors.
feel is appropriately tight and responsive across the board. On the inside, the seating surfaces still feature the quilted and
perforated surfaces that Cadillac is known for. An available
Design meets engineering
Engineers for Lucid work just steps away from where the
company’s designers create. Lucid’s Silicon Valley headquar-
ters features a two-story lab that can hold up to four full-size
clay models on the design shop floor, where the CAD team
also works. Other engineers work upstairs, in an open loft
overlooking the models, and the layout is meant to stimulate
organic interactions that should end up creating a better EV.
“People don’t realize this, but engineers design the car as well,”
FROM TOP: SEBASTIAN BLANCO; CADILLAC

Rawlinson. “Often, you see a concept car and it never reaches the
light of day because the engineers ‘ruin it.’ Well, maybe it was
never designed to be feasible in the first place. We’ve got ad-
vanced engineering upstairs and design downstairs. And we’re
truly designing cars, engineering and design together.”
Rawlinson said Lucid engineers have “explored pretty close
to the limit” what they can do for now to improve the effi-
ciency and miniaturization of components in the Air and
Lucid’s upcoming Gravity SUV. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade in Sport Platinum trim. The horizontal signal
Sebastian Blanco lamps and available lighted crest and lighted grille surround are new.

20 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 ROAD READY

Executive Second Row package includes

stowable tray tables, 12.6-inch (32-cm)
diagonal personal screens, a rear com-
mand center, dual wireless charging pads,
massaging seats and speakers in the
headrests. Ambient lighting can be per-
sonalized in 126 colors and two lighting
zones. The V-series features a (real) car-
bon-fiber, performance-focused interior.
Martin Hayes, chief engineer for the
2025 Escalade, said the model has always
been the brand’s technology flagship,
“starting with the 1999 Escalade that of-
fered the safety and convenience of
Screens abound in the 2025 Escalade. The 55-inch diagonal curved display on the dash is joined by
OnStar hardware as standard equipment.
a 12.1-inch Command Center display below.
The 2025 Escalade features the best
technology Cadillac has to offer,” he said.
Among the highlights are the previ- Premium Luxury, Sport, Premium assistance systems. Production of the
ously mentioned enormous pillar-to- Luxury Platinum, Sport Platinum and 2025 Escalade will begin later this year
pillar curved display. It includes voice V-Series trims are equipped with in the Arlington, Texas, plant that is cel-
control, navigation, an app store and Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Air Ride ebrating its 70th anniversary. Pricing
more, including available Apple CarPlay Adaptive Suspension. will be announced just before the mod-
and Android Auto. What else? All Escalades receive Cadillac’s suite el hits North American dealerships.
• Power- and flat-folding third row ofKOA_DiceAd_OneThirdPg_AE_8_24.qxp_Layout
standard active safety and driver- 1 8/8/24 2:51
PM Page 1 Chris Clonts
• AKG Studio 19-speaker auto system
standard, and an available 36-speak-
er system (40 speakers with the
Executive Second Row package)
• Standard Super Cruise driver assistance
with a three-year complimentary sub-

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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 21

BMW, Classiq
find better architectures through

QUANTUM
COMPUTING
BMW’s future electric and mechanical architectures
could be improved through quantum calculations
made with help of Classiq and NVIDIA GPUs.

Everything from electric motors to robot arms can be looked at through

the lens of a powerful algorithm.
by Sebastian Blanco

A
s part of BMW’s Emerging Technologies team, Lukas Müller “We were trying to optimize the system of linear
picks apart new ideas to evaluate if they are relevant for equations, that drivetrain we’re talking about of elec-
the automaker. He wasn’t the first at BMW to look into how trical components,” he said. “How do you optimize this
quantum computing might change the way the German huge and complex neural network? It’s not just the
automaker builds cars, but he told SAE Media that the work he’s do- one pass. It’s feeding data into itself. You could think
ing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to harnessing more of it almost like a graph theory problem. By optimizing
powerful computers that will help build the better cars of tomorrow. this using this QAOA algorithm, they’re able to figure
In June, BMW announced it would collaborate with Classiq and out a more efficient system of linear equations which
NVIDIA to find optimal architecture designs for electrical and me- they can then backtrack out to the original system and
chanical systems in future vehicles. The idea was to use quantum say, this is the more optimal drive train. If this is con-
computing to develop a real-time solution that would make a ve- nected to this, connected to this, connected to this, in
hicle’s architecture more efficient by analyzing a series of potential this way, and the data is feeding to each other in this
motors, batteries, cooling systems and other components by looking way, that would be the most efficient linear equation,
at the drive train as a series of linear equations. the more efficient electronic drive train that would
“It’s a really complex system,” Classiq’s technical marketing man- more often than not save energy.”
ager, Erik Garcell, told SAE Media. “When you get into the data, you Step one of the whole process was understanding
have to worry about the phase of the power going into these sys- what quantum computers can and can’t do to solve
tems, too, and timing that and making sure it’s all good.” this problem, according to BMW’s Müller. Figuring out
Garcell said any eventual product would be an on-board device that how the robots might shave a few milliseconds off of
calculates what to turn on and off in which sequence based on real- their job time — another detail BMW is using quan-
time data. Since scalable quantum systems are not yet available, the tum computing to calculate — is different than run-
difficult analysis would be done by the quantum computer before the ning simulations to discover which pipe thickness will
vehicles are built. Then, simpler onboard systems would use the learn- work best or how to optimize the flow of the cooling
ings to control powertrain devices based on the rules the quantum liquid inside a vehicle.
system came up with. Garcell said the next step was to apply a quan- “We decided on, as a very basic problem, taking
BMW

tum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) to the problem. four components that would exist in a car and asking,

22 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 COVER STORY

The BMW iX xDrive50 presented one version of the

automaker’s future. Upcoming BMW vehicles could be Classiq previously applied its quantum computing
enhanced with a more efficient architecture developed using efficiency technology to Rolls Royce’s aviation efforts.
quantum computing calculations.

“Quantum computers are supposed to be,

essentially, the game changer for optimization.”
for example, how do we transfer heat between them In early 2024, BMW partnered with Airbus for the Airbus-BMW Group
and how do we connect them together,” Müller said. Quantum Computing Challenge (ABQCC) which was designed to “har-
“Maybe you could put into the solution space a range ness quantum technologies for real-world industrial applications.”
of different coolers which have different powers but, Before investigating electrical architectures using quantum com-
of course, they might be more expensive. In the end, puters, BMW used the technology to test out factory improvements.
the algorithm would spit out, ‘the most efficient one is Specifically, Müller was involved in quantum work on robot path
taking these three and connecting them together in planning in a manufacturing facility. BMW hasn’t yet put quantum
that way,’ or ‘take these four, but connect these three computing’s solutions to work in its plants, with optimized robots
and this one only to this component.’” cruising around actual production lines. Instead, BMW is investigating
Classiq previously worked with Rolls Royce on jet which problems are amenable to quantum computer solutions and
engines and has done work with other automotive how much speed and efficiency might be gained.
OEMs. The work with BMW is the first automotive en- “Optimization problems are one of our key areas because we
deavor that Classiq can talk about publicly. have quite a lot of them,” Müller said. “Producing and designing
“Quantum computers are supposed to be, essen- vehicles is one of the most complex tasks there is. Nowadays, there
tially, the game changer for optimization,” Garcell are more and more robot arms that work in the factory. And you
said. “A lot of companies are looking at them, not just always want to decrease the time they need to finish a certain task,
to make their electric cars more efficient, but to build because this can have big influences on how quick we are able to
better batteries themselves, through quantum simu- produce the cars.”
lation, to create kind of new compounds for the bat- BMW also used quantum computing to investigate its PVC applica-
tery that can either charge faster or hold more tion strategy, Müller said. “The main question is, ‘what’s the best order
FROM LEFT: BMW; CLASSIQ

charge overall. There are a lot of different places for one or maybe multiple robots to do this?’ The number of possibili-
people are looking into quantum computing for the ties of the order that you can do increases exponentially with the num-
automotive space.” ber of seams that you have. It gets more complex if you have different
BMW has a small number of people working on quan- kinds of tools that the robot can use, maybe corner nozzles or ones
tum computing, doing their own research, writing pa- with two nozzles. Even if you [just] get a couple of seconds, or less
pers and working with external companies, Müller said. than a second improvement, this can have influences down the line.”

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 23

 MATERIALS FEATURE

BLAZER EV
IS A
STEEL-
INTENSIVE
SHOWCASE

GM elevates the ferrous

state-of-art with new
body and battery
structures.
by Lindsay Brooke

Blazer EV white body showcases innovative materials solutions to balance

mass, structural performance, cost and occupant safety.

C
hevrolet Blazer EV customers are likely to cite the Ultium bat- mild steel (mainly body outers) and ultra-high-
tery and dual-motor driveline as their vehicle’s most advanced strength alloys, the latter including multi-phase,
technologies. But in doing so, they’d miss an equally key as- Martinsitic and Gen-3 products rated at 980 MPa or
pect of GM’s sporty midsize electric SUV: its steel-intensive above. Dual-phase advanced high-strength steels
body structure featuring a broad mix of alloys and an impact-defying (590-780 MPa) constitute 9% of the total.
battery enclosure. The most prominent use of aluminum is in the extrud-
The words ‘steel’ and ‘BEV’ seem incongruent, given the widely ed side rockers in 6082 alloy with a T6 heat treatment.
forecasted trend toward aluminum architectures based on two or
three large castings. GM itself has invested heavily in the Tesla-
pioneered ‘gigacasting’ tech and will deploy it first in Cadillac’s new,
Managing mass and impact load
ultra-exclusive (and much-delayed) Celestiq flagship. But GM’s elec- Beyond steel’s cost superiority, GM considers the fer-
trification strategy depends on a variety of material and body-struc- rous metal to be vital for optimizing product diversity,
ture solutions. It’s a horses-for-courses approach aimed at balancing rapid refreshes, and achieving production scale. All are
performance and product affordability, explained Blazer EV’s chief essential for democratizing EVs, Eiliat said. The Blazer
engineer Hoda Eiliat. EV is one of eight vehicle programs that are currently
“In GM’s materials position, steel is obviously the most cost-effec- on GM’s so-called BEV Crossover platform, with more
tive approach,” Eiliat declared in her keynote at the 2024 Great in development. The basic architecture accommodates
Designs in Steel conference. Innovations in new alloys, metal forming two major variants serving Buick, Cadillac, Chevy,
and joining technologies continue to drive steel’s competitiveness, Honda and Acura nameplates. They’re differentiated
she told SAE Media following her presentation, adding that “obvi- by long and short distances measured from the driv-
ously, we have to look elsewhere when we have mass and parts-con- er’s ball-of-foot to the front axle centerline. Blazer’s
solidation priorities.” all-new steel upper body structure also has two vari-
The breakdown of Blazer EV’s body materials shows increased ants: base roof and sunroof. Much of the lower struc-
LINDSAY BROOKE

adoption of tougher, more mass-efficient steels. Forty-five percent of ture carries over parts from the Cadillac Lyriq.
the 5,337-lb (2,421 kg) all-wheel drive vehicle’s total materials com- Blazer’s underbody structure is engineered to ac-
position is in medium-high-strength alloys boasting a yield strength commodate front- or all-wheel drive and two different
of 180-580 MPa. Thirty percent of the total is split evenly between battery enclosures, depending on whether the vehicle

24 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE WINNERS OF
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 BLAZER EV MATERIALS FEATURE

IS A
STEEL-
INTENSIVE
SHOWCASE
Blazer EV Body Structure: Materials Composition

11%
15% 5%

15%
9%

45%

Strategic selection of Blazer EV metals led by steel with aluminum side rails
playing a vital supporting role.

Blazer EV RESS Structure: Materials Composition Blazer EV chief engineer Hoda Eiliat shares insights into the new
All Steel SUV at GDIS 2024.
Martensitic Steel Medium High Strength Steel
(MS1500) (BH270)

18% uses a 10-module or 12-module Ultium battery pack

33% (what GM calls the RESS, or rechargeable energy stor-
age system). The all-steel RESS is unusual in an indus-
25%
try that has thus far favored aluminum battery enclo-
Ultra High Strength Steel
23%
Medium High Strength Steel sures. It is carried over entirely from the Lyriq and em-
(HSLA 340-550)
(≥980 MPa)
0.7% 0.1% ploys press-hardened steels (PHS), which are key to its
structural role in the vehicle and its impact perfor-
mance. PHS makes up 11% of the total.
The EV’s small-or-large battery sizing required a

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CHEVROLET; LINDSAY BROOKE; CHEVROLET; CHEVROLET;

Advanced High Strength Steel Mild Steel new approach to managing the 500 kg (1,102 lb) mass.
(DP590-780)
Special stamped-steel front rails were developed “to
The Blazer EV’s steel-intensive battery enclosure is unique among aluminum- bring the total mass variation of the two RESS pack-
intensive competitors. ages into one front subsystem,” Eiliat said. “And we
still managed to commonize parts between the two.”
Blazer EV Blazer EV’s frontal- and side-impact load manage-
BIW Stiffness ment strategies use the body and RESS in unison. “Our
strategy was to manage the load between battery and
Torsion KN-m/deg body in one-third and two-thirds proportions, with
12 MOD Base Roof (Target>31) 34.9 two-thirds of the load transmitted through the body
10 MOD Base Roof (Target>28) 32.4 and one-third through the battery,” Eiliat explained.
12 MOD Sunroof (Target>31) 31 “In the event of a full flat barrier engagement, the load
10 MOD Sunroof (Target>28) 28.4 transmits from the front rail then into the first crossbar
in the RESS, then splits into the center tunnel and also
into the rockers. The same thing happens in the rear,
where forming the crossbars in press-hardened steel
Bending Hz
helps minimize intrusion.”
Performance 25.4 Enabling the body and RESS to “talk to each other” is
what GM calls a Cradle Bolt Stabilizer, basically a shear
plate that connects the front cradle with the body at one
GM’s body engineers exceeded their stiffness targets in developing the Blazer EV. point and connects the body and the rails at two points.

26 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 Energy & Propulsion
Conference & Exhibition

N ove m b e r 1 2–1 4 , 2 024 | Co l u m b u s , O h i o

Connect with Key Players in

Propulsion & Powertrain
This is where the most promising new mobility technologies and pathways to electric propulsion
and fuel efficiency will be revealed. Connect, collaborate, and explore how to move powertrain
performance forward as investment in EVs grows around the world.

Session Topics
• New EV/Hydrogen Infrastructure • Engine Combustion
• Powertrain System Modeling, • Exhaust Aftertreatment & Emissions
Controls, & Diagnostics • Emission Control Modeling
• Hybrid & Electric Powertrains • Transmission & Driveline Technology
• Fuels & Lubricants

Executive Panel Discussions

Low Carbon Fuels (LD & HD) | EVs and EV Infrastructure (LD & HD) | Special Applications
(on and off road, small engines, rail, marine)

Register Today!
sae.org/epc

2024 technical program planned in cooperation with the Coordinating Research Council (CRC).
P241562637
BLAZER EV MATERIALS FEATURE

IS A
STEEL-
INTENSIVE
SHOWCASE
Frontal and side impact loads are uniformly transferred into Blazer EV
the RESS’s transverse cross members that are bordered with Body Structures Front and Rear Loading Topology
longitudinal ‘ski rails.’ Eiliat said the extruded aluminum rock- Top View

ers enable a uniform transfer of about 30% side-impact loads

into the ski rails.

Full Flat Barrier

Engagement
Bolstering the B-pillars
In her presentation, Eiliat revealed the Blazer EV’s body-in-
Blazer EV Structural Enablers
white bending stiffness to be 25.4 Hz as measured by GM.
The body’s torsional stiffness increases as a function ofLoad the Management Strategy utilizing a Structurally Integrated Battery Tray
RESS pack. The 10-module battery pack has five bays (space Body
To minimize the and integrated
intrusion RESSspace
into the battery are engineered to handle
during the front front,anrear
crash event, and side
integrated battery structure can b
16

between crossmembers where the cell modules reside),utilized to manage impacttransfer of the load (~ 30%).
loads.
while the 12-module RESS has six bays. “As your battery Cradle
getsBolt Stabilizer (Shear Plate) which attaches Body, Cradle and RESS; provides secondary shear and stabilizes l
transfer.
bigger and the roof structure gets stronger and stiffer, your Bottom View

stiffness numbers go up,” she said.

For the GDIS conference, GM brought a Blazer EV white
body and RESS for display. Both properties were closely ex-
amined, photographed, and measured by attendees
throughout the event. Of particular focus was the impact-
critical B-pillar, constructed in Gen-3 AHSS. Cradle Bolt Stabilizer
“We decided to use Gen-3 to reduce mass with equivalent
performance in IIHS 2.0 and roof crush [testing],” Eiliat noted.
“We save on cost using Gen-3 steel. To facilitate this application,

To minimize intrusion into the battery space during the front crash

Two Part Adhesive with event, the integrated battery structure is utilized to manage transfer of
about 30% of the load, according to Hoda Eiliat. Note the Cradle Bolt
LOW THERMAL RESISTANCE Stabilizer shear plate, which attaches body, cradle and RESS, provides
secondary shear and stabilizes load transfer.
EP30TC Epoxy Passes NASA Low Outgassing Tests
Exceptionally low thermal resistance we created a unique material spec, GMW17627, which remains
7-10 x 10-6 K•m2/W an industry benchmark. We use unique forming processes that
compensates for springback while adding stiffness. We also
Superb thermal conductivity have a specific welding schedule.”
18-20 BTU•in/ft2•hr•°F The GMW17627 specification, titled “Retained Austenite
Bearing Advanced High Strength Sheet Steel,” was published
Ultra thin bond lines in 2018. It covers the requirements for continuous cast, cold
5-15 microns rolled, retained austenite bearing sheet steel with specified
minimum tensile strengths from 690 MPa to 1180 MPa.
This specification applies to uncoated and coated retained
austenite-bearing advanced high-strength steels that rely on
one or more induced plasticity mechanisms to achieve en-
hanced combinations of strength and ductility relative to
high-strength steels. Typical applications include body panels,
body structure members, and reinforcements for enhanced
strength and vehicle impact performance.
Highlighting the joining strategies employed by GM at its
Ramos, Mexico, plant, Eiliat said the Blazer EV body features
BOTH IMAGES: CHEVROLET

roughly 6,000 resistance spot welds. There are over four linear
meters (13.1 ft) of laser brazing between the vehicle’s roof panel
and bodyside outer. The lower body structure is MIG welded.
Structural adhesives are used in the upper section. The alumi-
Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA • +1.201.343.8983 • [email protected] num side rails attach to the steel body structure using brackets,
www.masterbond.com rivets, and are isolated with adhesives and tapes.

28 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 STEEL
MATERIALS FEATURE

targets EV
structures,
battery boxes

The industry fires back

at aluminum’s growing
‘gigacasting’ threat.
by Lindsay Brooke

GDIS 2024 keynoter Brad Davey, executive VP of corporate business optimization at ArcelorMittal.

T
he steel and aluminum industries are waging a new materials technology. GM engineers used TEI’s expertise to pro-
war that could determine which of the long-time competitors totype and validate the large underbody castings for
dominates EV structures in the next design cycle. Feeling the the Cadillac Celestiq due later this year.
heat from new aluminum applications, steel companies are Despite recent reports that Tesla scaled back its ef-
aggressively moving to defend their reign as the material of choice in fort to produce a low-cost Model 2 using an industry-
vehicle body structures. They also aim to conquer the EV battery en- first single underbody casting, steelmakers are also
closures market, currently dominated by aluminum extrusions. (See concerned about Chinese OEMs using aluminum giga-
AE March 2023 feature: https://www.nxtbook.com/smg/sae/23AE03/ casting to help drive radical new EV architectures. S&P
index.php#/p/CVR2.) Steel executives are bullish on their new tech- Global has reported development in China of enor-
nologies and their approaches to winning on both fronts. mous 12,000- to 16,000-metric-ton HPDC machines.
“Today, many automakers are talking about high-pressure die-cast
aluminum, especially for BEVs,” Brad Davey, executive VP at steel
giant ArcelorMittal said. Speaking with SAE Media following his key-
Gigacasting downsides
note address at the recent 2024 Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) con- Not so fast, the steel stalwarts say. ArcelorMittal’s
ference in Novi, Michigan, Davey acknowledged that giant HPDC alu- Davey highlighted gigacasting’s downsides. “The part
minum ‘gigacastings lend themselves to ‘skateboard’ EV platforms costs are higher. If you’re not offsetting the part costs
due to their potential to consolidate parts and simplify manufactur- with manufacturing savings, you’re going to end up
ing. The end benefit, he said, “is capital-expense assembly line sav- with a higher cost design or no cost improvement,”
ings,” particularly for EV companies. he said. “There are many issues on yields, defects
“If you can reduce floor space and the number of welding robots in related to high tooling cost and trying to extend tool-
assembly, by using one large casting, it can be an attractive solution ing life, and also cracking [of the castings]. He also
– compared with traditional processes, that is,” he said. noted casting’s crash-energy absorption characteris-
Pioneered by Tesla on the Model Y, gigacastings are designed to tics and questioned OEMs’ ability to refresh/change
ultimately form a battery-electric vehicle’s entire underbody in a sin- exterior body styling as quickly and efficiently as on
gle aluminum component. The Model Y uses two castings, front and traditional structures.
rear, connected by a steel/aluminum battery box. See AE June 2020 “Typically, in the past, aluminum solutions have
feature: https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sae/20AUTP06/index. been lower weight, but these are not compared to the
LINDSAY BROOKE

php#/p/Intro). The potential benefits have sparked industry-wide optimum steel solution,” Davey said. Optimizing mold
interest, especially in tooling suppliers like IDRA, LK Group, Buhler, flow through the large die-cast parts has, in many
and Yizumi. In late 2023, GM acquired Livonia, Michigan-based cases, required increased wall thickness and larger/
Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), a leader in foundry mold heavier castings overall, he said. He also claimed that

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 29

 STEEL
targets EV
MATERIALS FEATURE

structures,
battery boxes
An analysis
conducted with S&P
Global looked at
traditional single-part
manufacturing and
the improvements
offered by new steel
multi-part solutions.
The reference
single-part design
was compared
quantitatively to the
steel multipart and
then to the aluminum
die casting, which was
found to be heavier
and more costly.

“If you’re not offsetting the ArcelorMittal Multi Part Integration™ is a sustainable
steel solution to simplify vehicle design and production

part costs with manufacturing Dash panel

Rear floor panel
Cost reduction
savings, you’re going to end Part reduction

up with a higher cost design Crash optimisation

or no cost improvement.” Material usage

optimisation
Rear H-frame
large die castings are difficult to repair after road ac- CO2 reduction

cidents, leading to higher auto insurance costs. Double door Body shop
Floor reinforcement ring outer simplification
Davey prompted chuckles from the GDIS audience Double door
ring inner
when he reported that some automakers are discuss-
ing the need to redesign load paths in their vehicles to ArcelorMittal engineers believe steel-intensive ‘multipart solutions’ are superior
avoid damage to the large, expensive die castings. “If overall to large aluminum die castings in performance and cost. A recent analysis
you didn’t have enough challenges keeping the occu- showed this steel approach offers significant reductions in operators in assembly,
the body shop area, the number of robots, hours per vehicle, part count, the
pants and batteries in BEVs safe, now you’ve got to
number of spot welds, and improved material utilization.
protect the die castings as well,” he quipped.

Steelmaker engineers who “sit at the design table” with vehicle

Steel’s multi-part solutions OEMs are using that portfolio, along with tailor-welded blanks,
The “optimal steel solutions” that Davey and other new fabrication techniques, and what Davey calls “multi-part solu-
steel execs believe will parry aluminum’s assault are tions” to expand steel applications in EV body structures, con-
rooted in the industry’s innovation and R&D awaken- quest the battery enclosures business, and improve the EV cost
ing in the 1980s, when steel fought back against the structure overall.
plastic body panel challenge. New lighter and stron- Steel industry analyses reveal that nine of the top 10 vehicles with
ger high-strength, advanced high-strength, and high- the highest utilization of high-strength steel are EVs, Davey said. He
strength low-alloy products, combined with new added that the adoption rate of laser-welded, press-hardened steels
manufacturing processes, co-design services and is running 50% higher in EVs than in hybrid and ICE vehicles.
cost advantages halted the advance of aluminum- “We’re winning back the battery boxes,” he said. “Nearly every
BOTH IMAGES: ARCELORMITTAL

intensive bodies. automaker is in discussion with us and others about how to utilize
Even after losing Ford’s F-Series to the light metal steel in battery structures. One North American OEM has told us their
in 2012, steel today still makes up over 50% of an aver- future for battery boxes is 100% steel, or highly steel-intensive.”
age vehicle’s mass. At GDIS, American Iron and Steel Bring on the competition, Davey said, echoing his industry col-
Institute CEO Kevin Dempsey noted that 75% of mod- leagues at GDIS. “The competition is good for all of us.” His keynote
ern steel alloys have been developed in the last 20 concluded with a warning: “China is adopting these steel solutions at
years; more than 3,500 steel grades are available today. about two times the rate of the Western world.”

30 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 Thermal Management
Systems Symposium
October 2-3, 2024 | Plymouth, Michigan

Be Cool — Stay on Top of What’s Hot

Join fellow engineers to get up to speed on thermal systems technology and regulations.
Don’t miss this vital opportunity to network with the community and tackle important topics such
as engine emissions reduction, energy conservation, heat dissipation, noise reduction and cabin
environment improvement.

Keynote Presenters

Jianping Chen John Tepas

Shanghai Jiaotong University CareSoft
Presentation: Presentation:
China Air Conditioning System Benchmarking and Innovation

NEW! Panel Discussion on Driving the Change Towards New Refrigerants

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PRODUCT
BRIEFS

SPOTLIGHT: TESTING TOOLS SPOTLIGHT: SENSORS

Digital testing Pressure sensors
Melexis
(Tessenderlo,
Belgium) launched
the MLX90830
miniaturized
MEMS pressure
sensor. Melexis
states that the
MLX90830 can
manage gas and
liquid media mea-
surement from 2
VI-grade (Darmstadt, Germany) announced its Virtual to 70 bar (29-1,015
Proving Ground for VI-WorldSim, a comprehensive digital psi) and measures
replica of a testing facility designed to meet the needs of the absolute pres-
automotive engineers. VI-Grade states that WorldSim fea- sure to deliver a
tures an array of features and testing scenarios and prom- proportional ana-
ises to significantly reduce development time and costs log output signal. Melexis also claims that the MLX90830
while enhancing the overall quality and safety of vehicles. makes the module cost-effective by simplifying the system
Scenarios include a high-speed ring with an 8.6 km (5.3 integration into the latest electric vehicles (EVs) thermal
mile) track with four lanes and a maximum banking angle management systems. The sensor is equipped with pro-
of 11 degrees, simulations of both European and American tective mechanisms against overvoltage (above +40 V)
highway conditions, specialized testing areas such as ride and reverse voltage (below -40 V) and has been devel-
lanes with various surface types, a handling track, a rally oped as a Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) enabling
track, and a country road based on real-world laser scan up to ASIL B system integration ensuring it meets the lat-
data and a dedicated area for ADAS evaluation. est EV safety demands.
https://www.vi-grade.com https://www.melexis.com

Engineering platforms Touchscreen controllers

MikroElektronika (Belgrade, Microchip Technology
Serbia) announced a Click Shield (Chandler, Arizona) launched
for the Red Pitaya engineering the MXT2952TD 2.0 family of
platform. Red Pitaya is an open- secure touchscreen control-
source software-defined instru- lers. These controllers were
ment and an FPGA development reportedly designed to en-
tool. Red Pitaya combines the crypt touch data and crypto-
functionalities of multiple lab in- graphically authenticate soft-
struments with programming ca- ware updates to minimize risk
pabilities and open-source soft- and meet PCI certification
ware. Click shields are adapters that bring Click board con- compliance standards.
nectivity to popular development platforms such as Arduino, Microchip states that when the RFID reader IC and the touch-
Raspberry Pi, STM32 Nucleo, and now, Red Pitaya. The Red screen controller are on different printed circuit boards
Pitaya Click Shield can be powered through an external power (PCBs), it is especially difficult and expensive to build physical
supply, supporting a wide voltage range from 12V to 24V, or barriers for hack protection. Embedded firmware on the
via a USB Type C connector, ensuring set-up flexibility. Click MXT2952TD 2.0 reportedly provides a more easily implement-
board can be used with existing bi-directional level-shifting ed solution for EV charger manufacturers to remain compliant
voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board op- with security regulations and avoid the cost of adding a sec-
erates at a selected 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level. ond, expensive touchscreen payment module to the charger.
https://www.mikroe.com https://www.microchip.com

32 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING September 2024 33

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Q&A
VW engineering chief on wireless charging
at DC speeds
During the annual Management Briefing Seminars held by the Where might we see this in the future?
Center for Automotive Research in Traverse City, Michigan, this We’re looking at it with Porsche. Audi is looking at it. And it’s a
year, SAE Media sat down with Volkswagen North America’s perfect application for heavy duty trucks, because they need a
Lyndon Lie. Lie is the company’s EVP and chief engineering of- lot of power. I came from Nikola before coming to Volkswagen,
ficer, overseeing VW’s North American engineering teams fo- and we had 730 kWh on-board power. That’s a lot of power.
cused on developing products for local markets. VW has over
2,000 engineers in North America, with teams in Chattanooga, The battery work that’s being done in Chattanooga and
Tennessee, working on high-voltage battery and electrification elsewhere is not just for the BEVs, but also hybrids and
and HMI connectivity, and teams in PHEVs, right?
Mexico responsible for more tradi- In my battery team. I have cell ex-
tional body, chassis, and interior work. perts, controls experts, thermal
guys, and mechanical for the pack-
Can you talk a little bit about how aging. A lot of it’s the same [across
VW’s 270 kW wireless charging powertrains]. You need cooling,
technology was developed? you need controls. But when you
Volkswagen has programs where get to the actual software, that’s
we sponsor PhD students, and where it starts getting different.
we’re partnered with the University Cell chemistry is different. Cooling
of Tennessee, Knoxville, which also may be slightly different. So, the
runs Oak Ridge lab. Some of them team’s the same. It’s broken up by
are working to develop a wireless the engineer. You may be working
charger that’s as fast as DC fast on a BEV, I may be working on a
charging. It’s challenging, but this is PHEV, but you’re talking back and
one of those solutions that, when forth, and you’re sitting next to
you look at us, you wonder, ‘Why each other.
didn’t I think of it?’ The package is
maybe 16 inches (41 cm) in diam- What can you tell me about con-
eter and uses three-phase charging tinuous improvements to ICE?
with a rotating magnetic field be- VW chief I don’t see any all-new engines com-
tween the three phases and the engineering ing for passenger cars. For trucks?
same size receiver on the car. officer Lyndon Lie Sure. But for passenger cars, we’ll
at MBS 2024.
add electrification. We’ll add en-
That’s similar to what we saw from hancements to it, so you could take
companies like Witricity 10 or more
years ago.
“I don’t see any all- a 2-L engine and get 400 horse-
power out of it because we’ve added
Even the ones that are on the mar-
ket now, the latest ones, are 22 kW.
new engines coming an E-axle to the back end. That gives
us all kinds of flexibility.
We’re more than ten times that. It for passenger cars. For I also see range extenders as an-

trucks? Sure. But for

has DC fast charging speed, and the other option that’s going to come
hottest it gets is 106 F (41 C). toward the end of the PHEV cycle,
Because of the way this rotating
field is set up, it never gets hot. passenger cars, we’ll because, really, it’s a BEV with a
gasoline generator. And it’s a small
Instead of heating one area, it’s
pulsing as it’s rotating around so it
add electrification.” engine, like a 1.5-L running a gen-
erator in your frunk. Instead of put-
never heats one physical location ting a lot more money in a whole
long enough to get hot. Typical new ICE that’s got a very short life
SEBASTIAN BLANCO

chargers are single phase and it’s a cycle, we can tweak what we have
lot of current that you’re trying to and put more money into the rest
pass through. But because it’s a of the propulsion system. It gives us
single phase, you’re heating it up a lot of opportunities.
for a longer period of time. Sebastian Blanco

36 September 2024 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 is f all!
n ing th
Retur

BATTERY
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October 22-23, 2024

The two-day Battery & Electrification Summit returns
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developments impacting the mobility industry.
Join the FREE event to learn how teams at MIT, Marelli, Argonne
Illus_man/Shutterstock.com

National Laboratory, and more are leading the charge in renewable

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Topics include:
• Preventing Battery Fires • The Future of Electric Aircraft
• Battery Chemistries in Construction EVs • Re-Envisioning Li-ion Batteries
• Making Efficient, Long-Lasting Batteries • EV Driveline Testing Issues
• Lightweighting for Extended Battery Life • Revolutionizing Battery Recycling

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John Gewarges Davide Cavaliere
CEO | Co-Founder, Global Battery Management Systems
Ganaio Inc. Product Manager, Marelli

Zoltan Spakovszky, Ph.D Don Wright

Ping Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory,
Liu, Ph.D. Vice President – Engineering,
MIT of Nanoengineering and Director,
Professor Unico
Sustainable Power and Energy Center, UCSD

James Jeffs, Ph.D. Venkat Srinivasan, Ph.D.

Principal Technology Analyst, Director – ACCESS | Deputy Director – JCESR,
IDTechEx Argonne National Laboratory

For a complete list of sessions and presenters, visit

www.techbriefs.com/BES-Oct24
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