Automotive Engineering Electric Vehicles

EV #batteries in the real world last nearly 40% longer than in lab tests. While new batteries continue to improve, there is now mounting evidence that EV batteries on the roads are exceeding expectations. This lowers the total cost of ownership for EV owners and also benefits the environment by getting more use out of each battery. How is this possible? In standard lab testing, the battery is subjected to rapidly repeated charge-discharge cycles using a constant rate of discharge. This is then used to estimate battery degradation rates. However, discharging power at a constant rate is not really how we drive. We might accelerate hard to get onto the freeway or be in stop-start traffic. And the battery is also not used for much of the time. In recent research from Stanford, 92 EV batteries were tested with different discharge patterns of a period of two years. The results? Batteries tested using real life scenarios degraded significantly slower than expected and had higher life expectancy than those tested under lab conditions. Even better, the more realistic the battery use, the slower the battery degraded. Also of note was that for personal use, the degradation associated with time had more of an impact than the degradation from charging and discharging. Other studies have found similar results, including one last year from GEOTAB using remote monitoring of data from 10,000 EVs. It found that improved battery technology is leading to slower degradation - around 1.8% per year, compared to 2.3% per year in 2019. With CATL announcing a new EV battery pack with a 1.5 million kilometre warranty last year, we're at the stage where the battery will outlast the vehicle. Link to story from The Driven is below. #energy #sustainability #automotive #emobility #energytransition

Recently, I have analysed 500+ BMS failures across Indian EVs. The 1st cause wasn't heat. It was dust. Indian roads have 8-10x times more particulate matter than Western countries. Conductive dust creates micro-shorts between BMS components. One Delhi fleet lost 23 vehicles in 6 months. Root cause? Dust infiltration through poor sealing. The fix? IP67-rated enclosures instead of IP54. Cost difference: ₹800-₹1000. Failure reduction: 64%. Only the temperature is not the culprit for BMS failure in India. Start checking your seals. What's the biggest BMS challenge you're facing? #EVIndia #BatteryManagement #ElectricVehicles #MakeInIndia

The future won’t wait—and Europe’s auto industry must act decisively now. This week’s insightful Le Monde editorial lays bare a hard truth: Europe’s automotive sector is at an impasse—caught between short-term profit preservation, China’s bold EV momentum, and shifting global trade dynamics. The barriers to Europe’s electric transition aren’t technical, they're strategic. European carmakers have hesitated, prioritizing premium combustion models with high margins over mass-market electrification. Meanwhile, China has successfully leveraged affordability, scale, and vertical integration. The results speak volumes. Yet Europe can still pivot quickly, if it focuses decisively on these three high-impact strategies: 1. Secure Long-term Battery Supply at Scale Forge direct investments and strategic joint ventures with European gigafactories, locking down stable, cost-effective battery production. Battery supply security is fundamental to enabling mass EV adoption. 2. Rapidly Launch Mass-Market EV Models Accelerate the design, production, and market introduction of compact, affordable (€20-30k range) EVs aimed explicitly at volume adoption—not niche premium segments. Mass-market affordability is key to reaching critical scale quickly. 3. Accelerate Vertical Integration of Core EV Components Reduce dependence on external suppliers by integrating production of essential components—electric motors, power electronics, and software—within Europe’s OEM ecosystem. Vertical integration accelerates innovation, stabilizes supply chains, and boosts profitability. Europe doesn’t lack technology, talent, or resources. It lacks decisiveness. The transition to EVs isn’t a market failure—it's a leadership challenge. Let’s choose bold leadership over cautious hesitation. Link to full editorial (FR) : https://lnkd.in/eDdk3g65 #DRIVECO #EV #Policy #Leadership

Electric vehicle #batteries last much longer than you might think. The typical warranty period of around 8 years or 160,000 kilometres is often misunderstood as the maximum lifespan of the battery. And since replacing the battery is expensive, this means a total economic loss for the vehicle. 🔋 This fear is greatly exaggerated, and this is now also shown by real long-term data from more than 15,000 electric vehicles (EV). The new study by Recurrent explores the #durability of EV batteries, suggesting that despite uncertainties due to the newness of EVs, the actual lifespan of these batteries might be significantly longer than expected. 💡 The key #findings of the study are: * Battery replacements are quite rare * Degradation is not linear * Most replacements occur under warranty 🚗 Why is that? The battery is designed to last an entire vehicle life. Furthermore, vehicle batteries have significantly better battery and thermal management systems than electronic consumer devices. 🔍 In addition, battery packs are designed using artificial #ageing processes. These processes put batteries under considerable stress. Meanwhile, we learned that batteries can also recover over time. This is underrepresented in artificial ageing processes and therefore results in a more conservative battery design. 👉 More information: * Recurrent study: https://lnkd.in/e_Q-NXdT * DoE fact of the week: https://lnkd.in/ebJ8Eg_p

The All Electric Society is progressing. Despite ongoing discussions that might cast doubt on this fact, Germany is likely to meet its wind power targets. Although subsidies for electric cars have (unfortunately) stopped, we see more electric vehicles on the streets every day. Having that in mind, I would like to share a very nice charging project at Brussels airport. Together with our partner Interparking, we faced a growing challenge: As the number of electric vehicles increases, so does the demand for charging infrastructure. But how do you efficiently manage 674 charging points without overloading the grid or incurring high costs due to peak loads? Our answer to this challenge is MINT, the intelligent charging management system. Built on the open automation ecosystem PLCnext Technology, it ensures that energy is distributed exactly when and where it’s needed—aligned with grid capacity and demand. This not only prevents costly peak loads and power outages but also optimizes overall energy consumption. At the same time, it enables: 🔄 More vehicles to be charged – Maximizing the utilization of the available charging infrastructure. ⚡ Prioritization of green energy – Ensuring that renewable energy sources are used whenever possible. 🔒 Grid stability without peak loads – Preventing overloads and ensuring a reliable energy supply. And the team is still working to make this project even more efficient. Together, Interparking will soon be able to shift charging sessions to more efficient periods throughout the day. This way, the charging infrastructure can accommodate even more vehicles while ensure optimal energy usage. Looking ahead, there is one thing I'm sure of: Coordinated charging management will play a crucial role in the coming years. Cities, businesses, and infrastructure operators can use smarter energy solutions to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and improve urban living. We believe in shaping a more livable and sustainable future through innovation. The energy transition brings its challenges, but it also offers tremendous opportunities - What do you think? Let me know if you have any questions about this applications in the comments below. #ChargingTechnology #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #GreenTech #EnergyEfficiency

🤔 Is it charging power, mileage or climate - as the BIGGEST driver of EV battery ageing?... Using aggregated telematics data from 22,700 EVs across 21 OEM models - making this one of the most comprehensive EV battery studies to date - Geotab’s data and telematics specialists uncovered several eye-opening insights:- 🔋🪫 Average battery degradation has stabilised at 2.3% per year - reinforcing that modern EV batteries are built to last beyond typical ownership and fleet replacement cycles. 🔋🪫 The data also shows charging power has overtaken mileage and climate as the single biggest operational factor.   🔋🪫 Vehicles relying heavily on DC fast charging above 100 kW degrade at up to 3.0% per year; those using mainly AC or lower-power charging average closer to 1.5% 🔋🪫 High utilisation does increase degradation slightly, but the trade-off is improved uptime, ROI and total cost per mile - particularly for fleets. 🔋🪫 Regularly using the full battery range has little impact on degradation, unless vehicles spend over 80% of their time at very high or very low charge levels. “EV battery health remains strong, even as vehicles are charged faster and deployed more intensively. Our latest data shows that batteries are still lasting well beyond the replacement cycles most fleets plan for. What has changed is that charging behaviour now plays a much bigger role in how quickly batteries age, giving operators an opportunity to manage long-term risk through smart charging strategies.” Charlotte Argue, Senior Manager, Sustainable Mobility at Geotab. As a single EV user or running an EV fleet, I'd say it's well worth looking through this battery study to understand the apparent characteristics of battery behaviour...just as the more widely known characteristics of engines and gearboxes are worth knowing in order to maximise longevity! ...you'll also get the answers to these FAQ's:- 1. What is the expected long-term performance and lifespan of EV batteries? 2. Has the EV battery degradation rate changed since the last Geotab study? 3. How is battery health measured and tracked over time? 4. How can fleet managers optimise charging practices to maintain EV battery health? #electricvehicles #batteries #automotive #charginginfrastructure

During a recent trip using an electric vehicle (EV), I observed an important aspect of the charging landscape: various apps showcased different charging points. Notably, Google Maps emerged as the only app displaying a comprehensive list of charging stations. However, even this platform wasn't without flaws, as some charging points marked as operational were, in fact, out of service. This inconsistency is crucial to address as we aim to enhance EV adoption, which surged by over 200% in India from 2021 to 2022, with over 1.5 million electric vehicles on the road as of 2023. Despite this rapid growth, the fragmentation among charging networks poses a significant challenge. Current data indicates that only about 30% of charging stations are listed across multiple apps, hindering drivers' ability to locate charging points easily. This variability can create confusion for users who need reliable access to charging infrastructure. To facilitate a seamless charging experience, we need standardized APIs for data sharing among networks, a unified platform aggregating charging locations, and improved real-time data on station availability. Addressing these challenges will not only simplify navigation for EV owners but also strengthen confidence in the charging ecosystem. As we scale up EV infrastructure, embracing these solutions becomes essential to ensure a robust system that supports the transition to sustainable transportation.

Tata Motors x Shell isn't India's first OEM–oil company EV charging partnership. But it might be the most structured and scaled one yet. TATA Power and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited have been deploying chargers at fuel retail outlets since 2019. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility itself signed an #MoU with Shell in 2024 to co-develop public charging at Shell stations. Kia India is also tied up with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to integrate 3,000+ chargers into its K-Charge network, bringing accessible points to 15,000+. So the category isn't new. What's different here is the format - 👉 This is a visible, OEM-fronted rollout of 21 branded mega hubs with 120 kW DC fast chargers across Bengaluru, Chennai, Mysuru, Pune and Vadodara, taking the network past 130 locations, with explicit 2027 targets: 500 hubs, 400,000+ charging points. 👉 Two things stand out for me. Corridor-scale ambition changes the conversation. The unit of competition is shifting from "does this city have chargers" to "can I plan a 400 km drive without anxiety." That's when buyer confidence structurally shifts. And Shell doesn't do this for optics. An oil major co-creating branded EV real estate with an OEM, sharing operations, customer funnel and location strategy, signals that the numbers are working well enough to commit at scale. If Tata gets even close to its 2027 targets, it won't just be selling EVs. It will quietly own a significant chunk of the user journey: discovery, charging, energy services, and data. That's a different kind of moat. 👉 The caveat worth saying out loud: 500 hubs by 2027 is ambitious, and Indian infrastructure timelines have a history of their own. Execution discipline will matter as much as the announcement. India's EV story has been product-first so far. Moves like this suggest the next phase will be infrastructure and partnerships first. At what point does charging reliability beat range as the primary reason someone picks one EV brand over another, and are we already there? #EVIndia #ElectricVehicles #ChargingInfrastructure #TataEV #EnergyTransition Counterpoint Research

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 🚀 After working closely with learners, engineers, and real embedded projects, one thing became clear: Most people don’t struggle because of lack of effort. They struggle because they don’t have a clear learning order. This hand-drawn roadmap captures the 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 required to become a strong embedded engineer. Not buzzwords. Not shortcuts. Just fundamentals that scale into real products. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 Mastery of C and C++ forms the foundation of embedded development. These languages enable precise control over memory, timing, and system behavior. 𝟮. 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Understanding cores, peripherals, interrupts, and registers allows engineers to design efficient low level drivers and select the right MCU for any project. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗦 Concepts such as task scheduling, synchronization, and timing requirements help create predictable and reliable real time systems. 𝟰. 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 Practical knowledge of circuits, sensors, signal conditioning, and hardware debugging ensures smooth integration between hardware and software. 𝟱. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝘀 Protocols like CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, and LIN remain central to communication inside modern embedded products. Each protocol solves a specific need in automotive and industrial systems. 𝟲. 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 Using tools such as logic analyzers, debuggers, and structured test methods improves reliability and reduces development time. 𝟳. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 Version control, documentation, coding standards, and review processes ensure scalable and high quality engineering output. 𝟴. 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 Designing with safety principles and secure system practices is essential for automotive, medical, and industrial applications. 𝟵. 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Bringing hardware, firmware, and software together is a critical stage that validates the entire system and ensures real world performance. This roadmap reflects how we’re building 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿: Fundamentals first. Clear thinking. Real engineering. 📢 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. ℙ𝕚𝕟𝔸𝕟𝕕ℙ𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 | ℙ𝕚𝕟𝔸𝕟𝕕ℙ𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣.𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕙 Huge thanks to the people who made this happen: Suraj Kumar Mondal, Dushyant tomar, Taher Mandsorwala, Tanushri Warhade. If you’re learning embedded systems or guiding others, save this roadmap. More handwritten, structured learning is on the way. Follow PinAndPaper for embedded education that’s built, not rushed.

🔋 China initiates a bold endeavor to revolutionize the electric vehicle (EV) market by forming a consortium, CASIP (中国全固态电池产学研协同创新平台), comprising government, academia, and industry leaders like CATL and BYD. 🚗 The goal is to establish a solid-state battery supply chain by 2030, leveraging advanced technologies including artificial intelligence. 🤝 Major battery manufacturers, representing six of the top ten global automotive battery makers, unite for this national effort, setting aside rivalries to contribute to innovation: CATL, BYD subsidiary FinDreams Battery, CALB, EVE Energy and Gotion High-tech 🏢 Government support is integral, with ministries like Industry and Information Technology actively participating, highlighting China's determination to lead in automotive technology. ⚡ Solid-state batteries offer enhanced safety, higher energy density, and increased design flexibility, driving global competition from companies like Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, and BMW. 🌐 Despite China's dominance in current automotive battery technology, challenges exist in solid-state battery industrialization, with Japanese companies holding significant number patents in this field. 🔬 Technological advancements, particularly in AI-powered research, are expected to expedite progress, with breakthroughs anticipated by 2030. 💼 China's early adoption and industrialization of solid-state batteries could disrupt the global EV market, offering unprecedented opportunities for Chinese companies while challenging established players like Toyota.