Innovation Is The Fast Track To Success In The Development Of New Ai-Driven Mobility

Alexandre Pinto, Innovation and Technical Director, Mubea China

With 29 years’ experience in automotive sector, Alexandre Pinto had worked in management and executive at OEMs Ford and Stellantis for 15 and five years respectively, before coming to China for Benteler in 2016. In 2021, he joined Mubea group as part of Innovation Team of Mubea and responsible for development of innovative lightweight solutions for Chinese market. His perspective and experience at OEM side in Chassis, vehicle architecture and leadership roles has been key to better understand customers pains and offer not components but solutions and new perspectives to their projects, lot of times, beyond the scope of his traditional business models.

Through this article, Pinto emphasizes on the importance of lightweight design as a key factor in enhancing the efficiency, performance and sustainability of electric vehicles (EVs). He also highlights how reducing vehicle weight plays a critical role in improving range and fuel efficiency, requiring less energy per mile traveled.

We at Mubea truly believe that understanding and supporting our customers are the best way to build trustful and long-term partnerships.

New standards such as carbon neutrality, autonomous drive, connectivity, environment responsibility are among the strong enablers to reshape the future of mobility. As so, the importance of lightweight design in the development vehicles cannot be underestimated. As the automotive industry moves toward sustainability, reducing the weight of mainly electric vehicles has become a critical factor in enhancing efficiency, performance and range or fuel consumption.

Mubea as a leader in automotive components sector, with a strong history in development of light weight solutions has combined its technical strengths, industrial excellence and commitment to a sustainable future to support customers to reshape the future of mobility.

The Role Of Light Weight To Improve Range And Efficiency

The weight of an electric vehicle is one of the most significant factors influencing its range. In this regard, the principle is as well valid for fuel economy. Since EVs rely on battery power, reducing the vehicle’s weight means that less energy is required to move the vehicle, allowing for a more efficient use of the available battery power. In practical terms, a 10 percent lighter vehicle can consume 5 to 8 percent less energy per mile traveled. Or as EVs are much heavier than internal combustion related vehicles, they can have payload increased in same amount of weight saved. Furthermore, lighter EVs are more energy-efficient in terms of acceleration and overall driving dynamics, making them more responsive and enjoyable to drive.

Environmental Impact

From an environmental perspective, reducing vehicle weight has also substantial benefits. Lighter vehicles generally require less raw materials, thus reducing the carbon footprint associated with the production phase. Additionally, lighter vehicles have a lower environmental impact during their operation since they consume less energy per mile.

The Mubea Role

Mubea is a very well known first to market and benchmarking in lightweight solutions on coil springs, stabilizer bars, engine parts and body tailor rolled blanks and parts. Scope has become broader as new solutions have been added to the portfolio and made available to the market to add value to our customers.

“The Weight Of An Electric Vehicle Plays A Crucial Role In Its Overall Efficiency, Range And Sustainability. By Reducing Weight, Automakers Can Enhance The Performance Of Evs, Extend Battery Life And Minimize Their Environmental Impact”

In this regard, China is always an open and eager market for lightweight solutions to raise the bar on EV performance and efficiency. In the same way, time to market is very challenging for western companies to catch up as they demand longer development and industrialization phases, being much less open to risks than Chinese companies.

We at Mubea, have increased our development footprint in China to offer our innovations in firsthand and to adequate our industrial excellence to the market demand for fast industrialization thru very close cooperation with customers on early phases of their projects and as development partners, on component or system level, according to their necessities, being them technical or resources related.

In all offered technologies, Mubea is able to reach expressive 20 percent to 75 percent weight reduction. Mubea has also committed to a sustainable world, neutral Carbon Footprint will be reached by 2035 and green steel access.

Recent Success Cases

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic Leaf Springs have been of important contribution to our customers as they can reduce up to 50Kg (75 percent) compared to similar steel spring solutions, with also significative improvement on handling and comfort performance as they can ensure constant suspension frequency along all loading conditions. On the transversal applications, they can substitute stabilizer bars and also suspension links, which provides besides light weight more room for batteries.

Adaptive Stabilizer Bar Systems have shown important role on the transient maneuvers of electric vehicles and as well on straight ahead comfort, addressing one of major paradigms of EVs vehicle dynamics: ensure of understeering behavior x jeopardize of straight-ahead lateral comfort.

Polygonal e-Rotor Shafts ensure press-fit with e-rotor of electrical motors without any heating/cooling process step. The higher resultant press fit and lightweight allows motor speed of above 20.000 RPM. Roll bonding cooling plates consider two aluminum roll bonded plates with cooling channels screen printed and hydroformed by air pressure.

Conclusion

In summary, the weight of an electric vehicle plays a crucial role in its overall efficiency, range and sustainability. By reducing weight, automakers can enhance the performance of EVs, extend battery life and minimize their environmental impact. As Mubea actively drives the deployment of technology and lightweight materials become more cost-effective, the future of electric vehicles will likely be shaped by further innovations in lightweight designs.