Extrusion International USA 1-2020

53 Extrusion International 1/2020 Globally, a drastic increase in hybrids and electric vehicles can be expected between 2020 and 2025. The VDA pre- dicts that “by 2030 a production share of electrified vehi- cles of 60 per cent or more worldwide is likely”. China will be a pioneer here – every third vehicle could be fully elec- tric by 2030. In Western Europe, the share could rise to 25 per cent due to stricter regulations and driving bans. Ac- cording to the association, a breakthrough in Africa and South America is not to be expected so soon. For Japan, Korea and North America, a share of hybrid vehicles of around 80 per cent would be conceivable. The car world is electrified – a realistic view. Huge investments Car manufacturers and automotive suppliers must there- fore make massive investments: The AlixPartners Global Automotive Outlook 2010 reports that at least 202 bil- lion euros will have to be spent globally over the next five years to master the technological change to the electric drive and the development, production and marketing of up to 300 planned new e-vehicles. “The level of invest- ment is still out of all proportion to demand,” says Dr El- mar Kades, Global Co-Lead Automotive and Managing Director at AlixPartners. At the same time, the current and expected weak sales development for the next few years will increase the short-term pressure on the margins and cash flows of the suppliers, Kades continued. Weak sales and massive investments therefore coincide. Even though the situation is challenging, the wire and cable industry remains optimistic. “Electrically powered vehicles promise higher sales for our company because more or higher quality cables are needed,” explains Le- oni. Hybrid vehicles, in particular, which contain both an electric and a combustion engine, require a higher prod- uct share from the company. High-quality cables are required in various areas of the electric car: In the charging cable from the charging sta- tion to the vehicle system and from the charging connec- tion to the battery. Lines finally transport the electricity via the inverter to the electric motor. The internal wiring supplies other high-voltage components, such as air-con- ditioning compressors or electrical heating, with energy. Electrifying outlook. Battery cabling and connector systems Leoni is focusing, in particular, on the high-voltage bat- tery as an energy storage device for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. The company concentrates primarily on data and power distribution within high-voltage batter- ies. “We assume that the HV battery in future vehicles will contain parts of the previously exposed high-voltage ca- ble harness due to its large-area arrangement.” The aim is to offer customers system solutions for battery cabling from a single source. Together with its partner Diehl, the company is working on offering complete solutions. Al- ready established products of both companies in areas such as cabling, connector systems and cell contacting would be combined to form a complete package. This means that sustainable strategies are needed. Products and processes are changing Changing times require flexible suppliers – the right curve position is crucial. You must bear in mind that the exhaust gas and fuel system, the combustion engine and the low- voltage vehicle electrical system are not required for the less complex electric drive. Instead, they must adapt to electric motors, cooling systems for electronics and bat- teries, chargers, a high-voltage electrical system and a PTC heater – components that sometimes require high- performance wires and cables to prevent vehicles from stuttering. The changes associated with the switch from combustion to electric vehicle technology are therefore fundamental and affect products and processes. “Competencies such as blowmoulding, pipe extrusion and machining technol- ogy are also becoming less important, while processes such as winding processes and forming techniques for parts made of aluminium and magnesium are gaining in importance,” explains the VDA. In order to continue on the road to success, the wire and cable industry must therefore flexibly steer in the right direction. Then it will head full speed towards high profits. Innovative technologies will be presented at wire and Tube from 30 March to 3 April 2020 at Düsseldorf Fairgrounds. More information: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.wire-tradefair.com www.Tube-tradefair.com A look at the powertrain of the BMW225xe. The electric motor of the plug-in hybrid vehicle BMW225xe iPerformance won the Bavarian State Prize for E-Mobility (Photo: BMWGroup)