Feature

Customising EV steering parts: The pros and cons

The race to develop electric vehicles (EVs) for the commercial vehicle market is moving rapidly. According to research from StartUs Insights, there are approximately 753 startups and emerging companies developing EVs, with 257 in the US alone. Will the key players stick with conventional steering components in their vehicle design, or will they look for benefits in customisation?

02/04/2024 14:38:30

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Here, Kostas Poulios, Principal Design and Development Engineer at Pailton Engineering, examines which way design engineers will steer.

Electric vehicles and their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts are quite similar in many respects, despite the obvious difference in their method of propulsion. When it comes to steering parts, the components you will find in a diesel van are usually the same as in a new electric van.

As a supplier of steering parts, when customers building electric vans or last-mile delivery vans approach Pailton Engineering, they usually ask for standard off-the-shelf parts. Although the components have usually been designed for an ICE vehicle, they will function just as effectively for electric vans.

However, there are benefits to customisation and some engineers will want components that are purpose-built for their project. If an EV manufacturer designed and built their vehicle using standard parts, they might return and ask if the same part could be designed lighter. At this point, you now require a custom part.

Read the full article in DPA's April issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.