Today traditional vehicle manufacturers more than ever need to satisfy the needs of the people that will use their vehicles for mobility and serve them in the most effective way possible. Being focused only on the product is, in fact, no longer a winning strategy.Why is Tesla enjoying so much commercial and industrial success as a great innovator? Elon Musk, the famous and eccentric CEO of Tesla, has recently announced that his company will produce “Robo-Taxis” by the end of 2021. Elon Musk has gone beyond the standard definition of “sector” when classifying the field in which a company operates.

When Tesla was listed on the stock exchange almost 10 years ago, it was considered a carmaker. The characteristic feature of Tesla in the auto industry was that of only producing high-range electric vehicles. Tesla’s initial challenge was that up to that time electric cars had been objectively ugly and with poor performances; they were inferior to traditional cars with an endothermic engine.As Tesla gradually established itself and developed its recharging network for the cars it made, it was also classified as a public services operator that needed to develop powerful batteries and a recharging infrastructure to support the growing number of its electric cars in circulation. Did Tesla enter the energy business because if was one of its objectives or did it do so because it’s a service that supports the growth of electric mobility? Neither of the above has been shown to be true. Tesla did what it did because it’s a “software company”.

It’s difficult to imagine that a carmaker like Tesla could compete with companies that don’t produce automobiles, like Uber and Lyft; it becomes easier to understand the similarities considering that they have to deliver the same value to customers: an economic, reliable and safe mode of transport. Just like Uber and Lyft, Tesla operates in the mobility business.

When seeking to develop a business, it’s necessary to think, broaden your points of view and opinions, go beyond the barriers of traditional industrial sectors. It’s important to consider first the problems of customers and then work backwards on how to resolve them. Software is already shaping the future of the automotive industry, from design and production management and to the complete management of vehicle operation and, in the future, as far as also managing autonomous driving.

Reinova offers modern services to its customers and partners for the continuous improvement of their products and services, also through the development of appropriate software, with an open and multi-sectorial approach in seeking solutions to be developed and delivered to satisfy the requirements of customers of every level.

An electric vehicle is not less safe than traditional endothermic ones; the most serious risk is the thermal runaway of the battery pack; during research and development, therefore, it’s necessary to design and develop safety systems that make it increasingly difficult to arrive at the point of “Thermal Runaway”. On electric vehicles, all the components need to work in harmony thanks to an increasingly sophisticated management system involving advanced thermal and software checks that predict every criticality in advance.   

Safety, whether passive or active, has become increasingly important in the last few years in the choice of a car.  Safety is a technical characteristic increasingly considered with attention by users, regardless of the type of motorization, endothermic or electric.

Those most critical of electric mobility often repeat that the batteries are highly inflammable and assisted by high voltage power supply systems, therefore giving grounds for serious concern. In actual fact, electric cars are at least as safe as endothermic ones thanks to the implementation of a serious of technical measures that aim at protecting the occupants, any rescuers, and other road users nearby.

What happens to an electric car in the event of an accident?

All automobiles made and sold today have to meet the same rigid design standards according to the Euro NCAP procedures, including electric and electrified cars. Today’s vehicles have robust bodies and areas designed for safe deformation. Where necessary, numerous airbags are provided that further protect the driver and passengers of the vehicle.

There is always the risk of fire, however, regardless of whether the vehicle is petrol, gas, diesel or electric.

In the event of a serious collision, a phenomenon known as “thermal runaway”, that is, a short-circuit between the cells of the battery, could occur; the inflammable electrolyte inside a damaged battery could heat up until reaching a critical temperature. The thermal runaway could trigger a chain reaction in which the materials of the battery components decompose.

Thermal runaway is an extremely improbable event, particularly in today’s electric vehicles, thanks to the presence of new containment systems that avoid the creation of any short-circuits.

The power supply at 400 or 800 Volt is a further point of common discussion: in the event of an accident, the integrated sensors on the electric car automatically interrupt the high-tension cables. In the latest cars, there’s also a small airbag that detaches the battery, further facilitating the disconnection of the power supply systems.

Recharging while it rains?

It should be pointed out that specific connectors have been developed for recharging that prevent any infiltration of rainwater, humidity or dirt. The recharging of electric vehicles can be carried out in complete safety irrespective of the worst possible weather conditions.  

One of the Reinova’s main objectives is to reduce to a minimum the risks of automobile devices and systems thanks, also, to extremely sophisticated testing and validation machines that simulate in a short time the entire duration of the components or complete assembly.

Reinova develops the best possible systems together with its clients, including dedicated software for making electric vehicles and their integrated parts ever safer.

Travelling in silence with zero emissions is more economical than doing so burning fossil fuels, thanks also to reduced costs of maintenance, road tax and insurance for an electric car. It is by now well-established that the TCO*, the total cost of use and possession of electric vehicles is less than for similar vehicles with traditional combustion engine. Here we present an in-depth analysis of comparative total costs.  

Spreading the costs over four years of use, with a mileage of around 30,000 km per year, the average fuel-driven car in the D1 segment costs € 946 per month in Italy, while the average completely electric car costs only € 814 per month. A hybrid car is on average the most costly at € 1,040 per month. On average, running a diesel-driven car costs €871, and a petrol-driven one €950. A diesel car in segment D1 costs, on average, € 684 more in Italy per year than a completely electric one.

The country where electric cars cost less is Germany, at only € 592 per month. Greece is still the least costly country for those driving diesel vehicles. Electric cars are already the most competitive throughout Western Europe, while in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, thanks to the low prices of fossil fuels, petrol or diesel-powered cars still remain more competitive. 

Companies attentive also to costs, and not only to environmental impact, should begin to convert their fleets, increasingly using more electric vehicles. The high cost of hybrid cars, among the most requested by the European market, is very surprising.

A historical milestone was reached in September 2021 for electric cars but also for the entire market: the Tesla Model 3 was the most sold car in absolute terms, with 24,600 models registered in only 30 days. The Renault Clio and the Dacia Sandero are positioned in second and third place, albeit with much lower prices compared to the Tesla M3, which has an average price of around € 50,000.

Now that many companies and citizens are opting to buy electric vehicles, also because they are less costly, it is necessary to invest in sufficient recharging stations in order to achieve the targets aiming for zero emissions.

Reinova is a company that offers comprehensive consultancy services, thanks to innovative processes and methods; it is specialised in the training of people and services for electric mobility, and for developing, together with clients, projects supporting the energy transition of companies.

GLOSSARY

TCO* – Total Cost of Ownership is the total cost of the vehicle calculated with scientific and objective methods.

They cost too much? False.

Today the purchase price of an electric car is apparently high and is a barrier for many people. The main parameter to consider, however is the TCO, the Total Cost of Ownership, that is, the total cost of possessing and using this type of vehicle. According to studies of Milan Polytechnic, which compare similar vehicles with an annual mileage of 11,000 km for a period of 10 years, the costs have evened out after a year. The lower costs for the acquisition of energy compared to fuel, maintenance and management costs (free road tax for the first 5 years for electric vehicles) need to be taken into consideration. In 10 years, the savings can reach €12,000. Current purchase incentives have not been included in these calculations, and would further increase the savings of those who drive an electric car.

Electric cars pollute more? False.

They are ideal for use in the city because they don’t produce emissions which are dangerous to health, they are not noisy and climate-altering on the road and are one of the solutions for improving the quality of life, contrasting air pollution. With regards the quantity of emissions in a complete cycle, that is, the emission that are produced also by the generation of electricity and the production of the entire vehicle, including the batteries, with the method that analyses the complete life cycle, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), in Italy, it is estimated that an electric car has carbon dioxide emissions which are always lower than those of similar diesel, petrol or gas-powered vehicles, also thanks to the very high efficiency of both the electric motors and the electricity production and transport cycle. Around 40% of the electricity consumed in Italy is produced from renewable, geothermic, hydroelectric, photovoltaic and wind-power sources.

There are not enough recharging stations in Italy? False.

It is possible to make a journey with an electric vehicle with current technology in Italy, with an average autonomy of around 300 km, without draining the batteries. There are around 20,000 public recharging stations in Italy. Compared to the normal use of a fuel-powered car, it is important to remember that overnight charging is very useful, or during long stops, in order to begin long journeys with completely charged batteries; a 16A socket (the one used for a washing machine) is sufficient. Alternatively, the new ultrarapid recharging stations, combined with the new technology of 850V batteries, can recharge in only 5 minutes for an autonomy of around 100 km, which make it possible to drive an electric car with similar planning as that of a journey with a diesel or petrol-powered car. An important solution will be the widespread distribution of recharging stations in the motorway network, inside normal service stations.

Electric cars are “unexciting”? False.

Right from the start, anyone who tries an electric car recognises its great ease and intuitiveness of use, and its silence; in driving it in the mountains, but also in the city, however, the electric car is a great pleasure to drive, both thanks to its very high dynamism, without noise and vibrations, and comfort. In absolute terms, moreover, electric cars can also be very sporty, having decidedly better acceleration and recovery performances also compared to superior category models with a more powerful internal combustion engine, precisely thanks to the dynamism generated by the driving torque of electric motors, 100% available right from the outset, equal to the total power available. Thanks to the regenerative engine brake, an electric car also permits a unique driving experience with the use of only the accelerator pedal, which makes driving particularly pleasant and comfortable in the city, besides being very ecological, as electricity for recharging the batteries is generated during all decelerations and braking.

Reinova, the new hub of excellence dedicated to the development and validation of electric and hybrid powertrain components, and Social Self Driving (www.socialselfdriving.com), an Italian startup established by the engineer Luigi Mazzola, who has revolutionised the concept of driving semi-autonomous and autonomous cars, have entered into a partnership for the development of a system destined to make profound changes to the sector.

Autonomous and semi-autonomous driving are the future, as indicated by numerous, authoritative market studies that forecast, in the years to come, a worldwide spread of these vehicles, also powered by electricity. The partnership between the two companies is a sign that confirms the Motor Valley’s front-line role with regard to projects linked to the electrification of the automotive sector.  

The aim of this joint project by Reinova and Social Self Driving is to develop an advanced technological system able to record the driver’s driving style and replicate it on self-driving and semi-self-driving cars. In this way, driverless vehicles will be able to run with a different style every time, selected by the user, thus replicating both the emotional and the dynamic aspect of the driving experience.

This highly ambitious project derives from the idea of leaving the pleasure of driving intact for the aficionado, running against the grain of popular opinion that self-driving and semi-self-driving “de-personalises” the vehicle. In particular, users will be able to set up a profile corresponding to their own and share it with other users through a cloud platform. All this will be possible because Social Self Driving will be able to learn the driving style of an individual and reproduce it accurately.

Thanks to their respective skills, Reinova and Social Self Driving have begun implementing this innovative autonomous and semi-autonomous driving system, defining the main hardware and software architectures necessary for the success of the project, which will be completed, validated and tested in the coming months before its official presentation.

Regarding this collaboration with Social Self Driving, the engineer Giuseppe Esposito Corcione, Chief Executive Officer of Reinova, commented: “This is a project with extraordinary potential, and when the opportunity arose to take part in it, I did not hesitate to offer Reinova’s contribution to Luigi Mazzola, for whom I have the greatest admiration for the successes he has obtained during his career. Autonomous and semi-autonomous driving is an area set to register enormous growth over the coming years, and Social Self Driving, together with Reinova, will really be able to make the difference, carving out a significant slice of the market for themselves. In addition, this partnership is another indication of the central role played by the Motor Valley in this mobility revolution, and its ability to attract talent and cutting-edge projects.”

Engineer Luigi Mazzola is convinced that this synergy will lead to the realisation of the Social Self Driving project, and he commented: “I am very pleased to have reached an agreement with my friend and fellow engineer Giuseppe Corcione, a person of great expertise who is carrying out innovative activities in the world of technology. We are embarking on a thrilling journey, in which our mutual esteem will ensure that the revolutionary idea of Social Self Driving becomes a reality”.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that the transition to clean energy is still too slow for what’s necessary to limit climate change catastrophes. There’s the risk of high volatility of fuel prices and consequently of electricity caused by the lack of investments in renewable energy sources.

The uncertainty of government commitments to invest in renewable energy is creating the conditions for an extremely volatile period regarding fuel prices and consequently inflation, from an increase in the prices of all goods that depend on petroleum, its derivatives and gas for their production and for their transport.

Despite the progress made, current government commitments relating to policies for limiting climate change arrive at less than 20% of the roadmap for zero emissions by 2050. The target should be for current technologies, supported by adequate political choices, to fill this gap by 2030. It should be underlined that it is estimated that over 40% of the actions that limit climate changes are also economically viable, and therefore represent a valid economic investment.

The IEC expects at least three things from COP26, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, organised by the United Kingdom and Italy:

• 1. that the number of countries committed to climate issues increases, for the target of 20% to become much higher and achieved in a shorter time period;

• 2. given that it is estimated that 90% of the future growth of emissions of CO₂ is attributable to emerging countries, during COP26 it will be necessary to reach agreements to finance the necessary investments supporting renewable energy, precisely in those countries which it is feared will be protagonists in the growth of emissions;

• 3. the political leaders of the large economies, EU, USA, China and India must commit to a clear message: “if the consumption of resources in the old sectors of “dirty”, non-renewable energy continues, there is the risk of heavy financial losses caused by uncertainty”.

The World Energy Outlook underlines the need for more investments in renewable, clean energy. The current strong turbulence in the financial markets is for the most part generated by a solid post-pandemic recovery which is not clearly sustainable, that is, without adequate investments in renewable energy. It appears, moreover, that in government recovery and resilience plans (similar to Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan), insufficient actions have been considered to support renewable energy sources.

The rich and developed countries must lead in the promotion of centres of excellence in the research and development of cutting-edge technologies which are aimed at electrification, as well as mobility, energy efficiency and sustainability in order to limit pollution and climate change.

Reinova (www.reinova.tech), the new centre of excellence dedicated to the development and validation of components for the electric and hybrid  Powertrain, has today formalised an agreement with TEC Eurolab (www.tec-eurolab.com), the centre of excellence for laboratory testing, which has been working on national and international projects for over than thirty years, providing high level technical expertise and technological solutions relating to destructive and non-destructive testing, accompanying customers in the design and validation of materials that meet specific operating needs.

The partnership between the two Emilian companies aims to take the Motor Valley into the world of electrification, becoming a key European centre for the new mobility revolution.

Thanks to their respective expertise, Reinova and TEC Eurolab will support customers in the transition to electric through the use of innovative processes and methods. The companies have set up a collaboration as strategic partners to guarantee an integrated offer, to respond to the demand for innovation in the automotive sector and to facilitate this change with improved quality standards and security.   

TEC Eurolab has worked with some of the biggest names in the automobile industry, including leading Italian companies in the racing world, obtaining, moreover, recognition as the approved supplier of important operators in the aerospace sector, including  GE Aviation, Leonardo Spa, Avio Spa, the Boeing Company and Avio Aero.

Engineer Giuseppe Corcione, Chief Executive Officer of Reinova, with regards to the choice of choosing to collaborate with TEC Eurolab declares: “The main reason for which we have decided to initiate this cooperation lies in the scope of the mobility programme that we have sought to carry forward in recent months, that is, the creation of a network of businesses that can contribute to increasing know-how and skills in the territory in the electrification field. The idea was to have access to one of the most innovative technologies that TEC Eurolab offers in the territory – that is, computerized industrial tomography – implementing this technology while exploiting Reinova’s experience: in other words, to bring TEC Eurolab closer to the world of batteries and components and to integrate different areas of expertise with the objective of generating added value in the market in terms of security and reliability. TEC Eurolab’s experience in this field, in fact, combined with our experience in the Powertrain sector can be, precisely, an added value to offer to the market.”

Engineer Marco Moscatti, Chief Executive Officer of TEC Eurolab: “TEC Eurolab has always pursued technological evolution and contributes to the development and control of new materials, production processes and technologies. The opportunity and challenge of electrification, towards a new sustainable mobility, must be taken up as an industrial district, bringing together the expertise of each company. We have found an innovative partner in Reinova, with vertical expertise on the electric powertrain, and we are enthusiastic to launch this collaboration contributing both our material analysis skills and specific technologies unique on the market, such as 6 MeV LINAC tomography for non-destructive 3D control of complex assemblies like lithium batteries.”

Even today, when it comes to conventional cars, their heart is undoubtedly the internal combustion engine. For decades, Ferrari’s V12 engine has been the dream for all car enthusiasts, but also the world benchmark for technological innovation in the Motor Valley, in terms of extreme performance, lightness and energy efficiency.

Today we are experiencing a major paradigm shift: batteries are definitely the most important and critical part of electric cars. In fact, they are the part that most characterises their use, as well as differentiating their absolute performance, but also the user’s relationship with the important infrastructure for charging the batteries themselves.

Geopolitics of future mobility

Speaking of geopolitics, whoever dominates the market of batteries, or rather the cells that compose them, for application in electric vehicles, including the extraction and processing of the raw materials needed to produce them, will strategically control world mobility, as has been the case for decades by oil-producing countries. Conversely, batteries can already be recharged today with photovoltaic, hydroelectric and wind energy on a zero-kilometre basis.

The electric engine

After decades of electromechanical and mechatronic research, electric engine technology for any application is fairly well established, widespread and mature, and can be found almost anywhere in the world. Electric car engines are produced by many specialised manufacturers, although Europe is still a world leader and Italy is firmly established as one of the leading countries in electrical engineering.

Ultrafast charging of battery packs

Liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries are the most common type on cars available today, almost everywhere in the world. The latest European innovations, with extreme recharging voltages of up to 850V and 350kW of power, make it possible for today’s battery packs equipped with the latest generation lithium-ion cells, already in production and on sale, achieve a range of about 100 km in just 5 minutes of ultrafast charging. These charging performances can now be achieved on cars with the latest charging technology, which in concrete terms is already a remarkable achievement. This allows road enjoyment very close to that of cars that use conventional fossil fuels, such as petrol and diesel, i.e. with refuelling times, all in all, very similar to those of natural gas methane.

Italy has already installed several latest-generation charging stations, for example, Emilia Romagna has them in Modena, Carpi, Piacenza and Forlì. The overall numbers say that there are about 1,000 fast, public charging points in Italy, which can recharge with DC technology, from 50 kW of power, 400V. In just 2 years, the number of charging stations in Italy has more than doubled and the number of points with ultrafast technology is growing considerably.

Chemistry of battery pack cells

Internally, the lithium ion cell that makes up today’s most common battery packs is immersed in a liquid or gel chemical compound that serves as an electrolyte. Today this is lithium salt dissolved in a mixture of organic solvents, which provides the media for transporting the lithium ions because it is capable of conducting electricity. The most valuable component of today’s batteries is cobalt, which is used for the electrodes, and one of the biggest challenges for manufacturers is to reduce its use and even eliminate it in the next few years. Tesla has already announced several times that within two years it will be producing its cars with batteries consisting of cobalt-free or cobalt-light cells, in order to reduce costs but also to limit dependence on rare mineral sources.

An ongoing challenge to reduce costs and use of rare materials

It’s not entirely clear what the next cell chemistry will be, whether it will be low cobalt or no cobalt, but it is expected that in the next few years, thanks to technological research, the cost of batteries will be significantly lowered, also due to the use of readily available raw materials such as sea salt and sodium chloride.

What are electric car batteries made of?

Battery packs are made up of many cells. The battery cells are very similar in appearance and size to the common household “stylus” batteries used in many common applications.

Reuse of lithium-ion rechargeable cells

When disassembled from electric cars, the compactness and versatility of the individual battery packs allow them to be easily reused in less demanding applications, such as domestic electricity storage, combined with photovoltaic panels or, more banally, in household appliances, such as torches, emergency lights, scooters and e-bikes and however, in any application where a rechargeable battery is needed, even a small one.

Continuous innovation

As for future innovations, solid-state batteries are seen as the next solution for electric cars, as they have a higher energy density (i.e. they are lighter for the same amount of kWh stored) than current cells using a gel electrolyte. Solid-state batteries will provide more stability at different temperatures, more safety in the event of overheating, and will guarantee longer driving distances for the same weight.

Application of batteries in electric vehicles

Current battery packs require a temperature-controlled environment to ensure their durability and efficiency. Car manufacturers will therefore increasingly need laboratories capable of technically testing and validating batteries and their components, simulating critical issues and thus speeding up the time it takes to put them into production, guaranteeing their quality and safety, which is useful for innovation in sustainable mobility. The Motor Valley now has the opportunity to become an area of excellence for the development and production of new solutions for electric vehicles, and Reinova is at the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles.

Reinova is among the protagonists of Ecomondo Key Energy (Hall D7, stand 066), the reference event in Europe for the ecological transition and the new models of circular and regenerative economy, scheduled in Rimini from 26 to 29 October 2021.

Reinova, the new center of excellence, dedicated to the development and validation of components for the electric and hybrid powertrain for sustainable mobility, brings its technological and innovative contribution to the showcase of Ecomondo Key Energy.

In a context of great transformations affecting the transport sector, the Emilian company, led by CEO Giuseppe Corcione, is at the forefront of this ecological transition that in the last year has seen a sudden acceleration. In this regard, Reinova has been invited Wednesday, October 27th (11am-1pm) to participate in the work of the Conference “E-Valley, la transizione elettrica nella Terra dei motori” (E-Valley, the electric transition in the Land of Motors), an important opportunity to reflect on the future of the Emilian Motor Valley in the light of the electric transition. Giuseppe Corcione, who will be speaking at the event organized by Vaielettrico.it and the MOTUS-E Association, says: “We are living in a historical moment of great changes and the automotive sector, which it would be more correct to rename mobility, is not to be outdone, indeed it is at the center of these transformations. The Motor Valley itself is changing skin, adapting to new needs and new markets and has already been renamed “Electric Valley”, in fact we are convinced that the new mobility revolution is in electrification and in Reinova we want to lead it with innovative ideas, creativity and efficiency. We believe that the new mobility is a User-Centric concept, where products and transport services must be able to respond to the needs, habits and preferences of consumers. In order to support it, it is essential to have a vision and a clear industrial policy that promotes certain, rapid and constant funds for the next 5 years to support technological innovation in the world of power electronics, software, battery development and hydrogen, as well as support for higher education and job placement for new professionals“.

For more information visit us at our STAND 066 Hall D7.

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Italy has been a world leader in the production of hydroelectric energy for over a century. Hydroelectric energy, already used starting from 1882, can provide a decisive boost to the energy transition and to decarbonisation, making it possible to manage the fluctuations in production from other renewable sources of electricity, especially wind and photovoltaic-generated power, decidedly more unstable.

The electric storage capacity of reservoirs is a sort of substitute for batteries, accumulating energy and making it available when necessary, especially during peaks in demand. In addition, pumped-storage hydroelectric plants are perfect accumulators, veritable “water-based electric batteries”. These plants, in fact, use two reservoirs, one upstream and one downstream: the water, accumulated in the upper lake, is sent into the turbines to produce electricity during times of peak demand. Water is, then newly pumped upstream from the lower reservoir, accumulating, therefore, during times of energy overproduction, that is, when the renewable resources can benefit from the sun and the wind and, therefore, when there’s a lot of energy available in the network.   

A pumped-storage hydroelectric plant is a perfect ecological battery that always uses the same water. Yield is higher than 80%; for every kilowatt of electricity that it uses to pump water back upstream, it emits 0.8 KW into the network, losing only 20% to re-pump upstream.

In the future, it will be increasingly necessary to accumulate large quantities of energy because we will also increasingly need to obtain electricity from renewable energy sources with the aim of replacing plants that use fossil fuels. Solar and wind energy are volatile, changeable sources, which can’t be forced to produce electricity when the network requests it; it is, therefore, extremely important to have systems like pumped-storage hydroelectric plants in order to be able to store large quantities of energy available and keep the electricity network stable – providing energy when requested – without polluting and without being dependent on weather conditions.   

The local system of hydroelectric plants in Ligonchio, in the Municipality of Ventasso (Province of Reggio Emilia), in operation since 1922, exploits, instead, another intelligent system: a series of artificial reservoirs, situated at different heights and powered by the same water. The mechanical energy sources are various local streams, the largest of which is Torrente Ozola, which flows south of Mount Cusna with a total hydroelectric production of as much as 50 Megawatts. This has been made possible thanks also to the addition of the latest station downstream, which starting operating in 2017.

In the Ligonchio stations, hydroelectric energy is produced with a series of water height changes that move various types of turbines and which exploit thanks to technology the different speeds and force of the water deposited in the various reservoirs.