From racetrack to road – How Formula E engineering shapes EV technology

The trend of electrification is growing and evolving every day, with major automakers scrapping traditional combustion engines and aiming to offer all-electric line-ups.

In 2021 alone, Ford pledged that all cars on sale in Europe will be electric by 2030 and General Motors plans to offer EVs exclusively by 2035. As the electrification trend grows, the need for innovations to bring this technology to life and keep drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe is more pressing than ever.

In 2020, carmakers sold more than 500,000 battery electric cars in Europe: a milestone in the industry’s move away from fossil fuels. Global political agendas and societal expectations are demanding that this milestone should continue to be topped, with experts such as IHS Markit predicting a 70 percent increase in EV sales in 2021. OEMs are racing to deliver EVs, but with such a surge in demand also comes significant challenges. 

The challenge of a saturated EV market

At the start of 2020, the electric vehicle market was at full throttle. However, like many industries the automotive sector, it was struck hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the market has made an impressive recovery, a shortage of semi-conductor chip supplies has added another obstacle to global production efforts. Major automakers have been forced to shut factories after executives began warning of the issue last year. As if this weren’t enough, experts now forecast that shortages in batteries and other key components are on the horizon. 
Car component shortage aside, EVs have presented several other challenges for OEMs to tackle...

Read the full article in the June issue of DPA