Page 16 - EE Times Europe September 2021

SPECIAL REPORT: EVs

EVs Shift to the

Express Lane

By George Leopold

lectric vehicles are going mainstream as power-management and bat-
tery technologies mature and as EV charging infrastructure expands.
Those advances include new wireless recharging frameworks that
Eaddress continued concerns about EV performance, especially range.
We take a closer look at accelerating ecosystem development in this EV
Special Report, which was originally published on EE Times, considering
everything from promising new chip materials and substrates to the appli-
cation of quantum algorithms to the simulation of battery performance. As
the EV market gains traction — on the road and at the engineering bench
— emerging technologies are being brought to bear amid efforts to boost EV
performance and energy efficiency.
Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio explores a range of industry efforts aimed at
refining all-important charging applications that will go a long way toward
solving the “range anxiety” challenge associated with EVs. From testing
gear to new electronic materials, those advances are entering the automo-
tive fast lane.
Elsewhere, we survey new power-management and energy-storage
schemes that promise to extend range and allow EVs to rely more heavily on
sustainable and renewable energy sources.
Tesla’s Elon Musk predicts a threefold increase in electricity demand as
more EVs hit the road. Improved battery technology offering higher energy
densities will therefore become a key component of future smart grids,
hastening the vehicle-to-grid transition.
Fasten your seat belts as all these components converge to transform the
way we drive. ■
George Leopold is a technology writer and an EE Times contributing editor.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK