Electromobility trend - factors for success on the market

What trends are driving electromobility? What framework conditions are required for success in the market? vernetzt, the innovation magazine of Bayern Innovativ, talked about it with Prof. Dr. Markus Lienkamp, Professor of Automotive Engineering  at the Technical University of Munich with a research focus on electromobility, and Bayern Innovativ Managing Director Dr. Rainer Seßner.

Dr. Rainer Seßner and Prof. Dr. Markus Lienkamp in conversation about the opportunities and challenges of e-mobility. (Photo credit: Bayern Innovativ)

Challenges of electromobility

Mr. Lienkamp, in an interview from 2016, you said that the technical obstacles of electromobility had been cleared and that the central challenge was now the cost. Where do we stand in electromobility today?

Markus Lienkamp: All manufacturers are planning mass production. For me, the only question is how quickly the quantities can be produced.

Rainer Seßner: From my point of view, the demand for electric cars is already much higher than the manufacturers can deliver - or want? (laughs ...). The limiting factor is currently bottlenecks in production and batteries. This applies to both German and foreign suppliers.

Keyword electric car battery

You keep hearing that battery research has been neglected in Germany for a long time. Have we caught up or is the topic not that important for the development of e-mobility?

Markus Lienkamp: The topic is essential and we should not make ourselves completely dependent on Asia in Europe! That's why I welcome initiatives like Northvolt or TerraE. (Editor's note: The Swedish company Northvolt is currently building a gigafactory for batteries, and the German holding company TerraE, founded in 2017, is also planning large-scale production).

Rainer Seßner: Germany, and Bavaria in particular, are very well positioned in research into energy storage. We have seen this for many years in the many interesting projects that Bayern Innovativ accompanies. In the mass production of cells, however, we actually still have potential upside.

E-mobility in Germany

Which technologies do German companies and research institutes need to work on in concrete terms in order to continue to play in the top technological field?

Markus Lienkamp: As Rainer Seßner says, battery production is a decisive factor. German companies have already mastered the drive train with electric machine and power electronics quite well. What is needed now is process stability and cost reduction. German companies have always been very good at that, too.

Rainer Seßner: I also think that there still needs to be a big leap in storage and cell technology. However, one should always consider the overall system in mobility. If you think one step further, e-mobility changes the entire vehicle concept. E-mobility is also a driver for topics such as autonomous driving, sharing and intermodality. This brings entirely new players onto the scene that no one would have thought of until a few years ago, for example games and app developers. Bayern Innovativ therefore deliberately acts across sectors and technologies with its networks and supports the innovation process from technology scouting to identifying project partners to market launch.

E-Mobility in Bavaria

Electric cars don't need pistons, turbochargers and complex transmissions. What do Bavarian SMEs have to do to use the challenges of electromobility as an opportunity?

Markus Lienkamp: Not all companies will have an opportunity. However, the companies that manufacture components for electric cars and charging infrastructure have good prospects and need to invest quickly to tap into the international market. In the new environment, innovations can only succeed if different partners and sectors work together. Bayern Innovativ is doing a lot here for the necessary networking.

Rainer Seßner: The automotive industry is definitely changing and many classic suppliers are thus threatened in their existence. For them, it is enormously important to pursue targeted innovation management with technology scouting and roadmapping, to develop new offerings for the changing automotive industry, and to tap into new markets.

Promotion of electromobility

What framework conditions must apply to make electromobility more attractive?

Markus Lienkamp: The three familiar themes continue to apply here: Range - the fits so slowly, infrastructure - it comes in Germany now on the way and costs - there all OEM have announced much. The government must create the infrastructure with charging stations and the framework conditions for the correct tax classification. The OEM and the suppliers must get quality, quantities and costs under control. And the customer must buy.

Rainer Seßner: Surely, the topic of information also plays a major role. Thus, there is a great need for advice in the municipalities, for example, about funding programs for the development of the charging infrastructure.

Electromobility in municipalities

Can e-mobility in smaller municipalities then  develop as quickly as in the metropolises?

Markus Lienkamp: Because charging is normally not a big problem there and commuting routes are well suited to electric cars, electric mobility is particularly attractive in rural areas, especially for second cars.

Rainer Seßner: Cities have a leading function in many new mobility concepts - keyword "mobility as a service". In the case of e-mobility, however, the charging infrastructure in large cities is a limiting factor due to the lack of space. Rural areas can certainly take on a leading role.

Future prospects for the internal combustion engine

What future prospects do you see for the internal combustion engine, especially with regard to diesel? Here one hears yes of new developments, which are to reduce the NOx emissions substantially.

Markus Lienkamp: The emissions will no longer be the main issue. If the electric car is cheaper in total cost, customers will buy it because the driving experience is simply better and it is the more sustainable product. I think the theme of the next 15 years will be the pure electric car.

Rainer Seßner: The classic combustion engine will relinquish its long-standing leadership role as a driver of technology and innovation in the coming years. E-mobility will "set the torque!