The FutureTech Auto Solutions Blog

If you've never kept an old magazine (or a few) then you may not know the sudden joy of finding a blast from the past like this. Here's one for you pack rats out there - maybe we will find something about NiMH, Li-Ion, and Vehicle Electrification in your magazine stacks in the future? 

Delco-Light Plants were a glass battery (24V dc System) from over 100 years ago. Quite amazing how far our technology has come - and how amazing it still was back then!

Read more about Delco-Light here. 

Here's the scenario: A customer informs you they will be purchasing a car with Vehicle Electrification (VE).  The VE products would include Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).  What should they be looking out for?

Whether it be new or used, there are some things that customers may need to know prior to making the purchase.  Although there is a litany of technical topics that you could cover with the customer, you have decided to narrow the discussion to a broader list to ensure that they understand the range of VE product ownership considerations. 


1. Insurance costs – could be higher cost due to new technology.  

Insurance costs for VE products may be higher than that of a traditional vehicle depending on your location as well as cost of vehicle.  This can be due to placement of expensive high voltage components in the probable crash zones of the vehicle.  Even if the components are not placed in highly probable crash zones, the cost of electric propulsion components can be very high and the insurance companies may react accordingly with the insurance premiums.


2. Vehicle Residual Value – may not be known until after a vehicle has been released into field for many months or years.  Customers need to become more familiar with the particular cost of ownership, relative to specific vehicles – based on the vehicle history.  This information is readily accessible on several reputable website sources to help a prospective client/customer determine the historical value and quality of a VE product.  Check out this and this, for starters .  

Residual Value can be determined by how the manufacturer treats service parts, component reliability (high infant mortality through mid-life and low reliability), and adjustments to provide a “special policy” to parts or systems.  Vehicle campaigns (i.e., recalls) due to safety, quality, etc. can significantly affect the residual value.  Manufacturers can opt to extend Warranty coverage for components or systems but, it is not a requirement.   Your customer should know that higher cost of ownership accompanies any new (major) technology advancements which will have minimal longitudinal field data to normalize the ownership cost.


3. Out of Warranty Component Replacement Cost – The cost of VE product high voltage components can very expensive (e.g., $800.00 – $8,000.00) depending on the component.   

The typical Warranty for VE powertrain and energy storage systems (i.e., high voltage battery packs) is 8 years/100,000 miles.  Some manufacturers have enhanced their warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles.  So, if your customer is contemplating purchasing a preowned vehicle (that is out-of-warranty or very close to it), they should be aware of component part replacement cost and the associated diagnostic/repair labor costs.  A service shop that is trained and equipped to diagnose and service VE systems can significantly assist the vehicle owner in minimizing the cost of ownership by providing lower cost service solutions to the owner.


4. Expectations of What a VE Product Is and Isn’t – VE products are designed to provide highly efficient operation at low, mid, and high torque and speed operation, and may or may not, provide great performance (i.e., speed, quickness, etc.)  depending on vehicle type and geographic location.  

For example, an HEV electric traction system provides minimal propulsion input while an engine may be providing most of the traction torque at high vehicle speeds.   This would result in less vehicle performance when compared to other VE products such as, PHEV, EREV, and BEV products that use electric traction as the predominant system.  Therefore, if the commute of your customer is predominantly city or suburban driving then, a VE product would provide a very efficient and fuel saving option, especially products that use electric only propulsion for most of the typical daily drive cycle. 


5. Diagnostics may cost more if problems occur (especially when warranty has expired) – For an HEV product this is due to having two propulsion systems residing on one vehicle.   

An HEV product contains the traditional internal combustion engine, fuel, ignition systems, etc.  It also contains a complete electric propulsion system that can operate in tandem or separately from the engine.  Therefore, the cost of diagnosing propulsion related problems can be extensive due to the time investment to analyze both propulsion systems.  Although vehicle on-board diagnostics can assist with analyzing each system, the data may only lead to more questions and not answers because of the systems complexities.
 
However, if the customer is utilizing a service shop that has been trained in how to diagnose and repair VE products, this can significantly reduce the cost of repairs.  Owners of VE products need to understand that, as of today few service businesses are trained and equipped to service these VE products, and the customer will need to identify qualified shops that can support their vehicle.
 
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You can be a qualified repair professional that serves the unique needs of VE customers. FutureTech's NxtGen solutions provide a wide array of options for equipping, training, and supporting automotive service professionals who wish to serve the VE market. If you're unsure of the size of your unique market, we can provide you with a free report showing the number of vehicles in a specific area. 

Small start-up companies whether software applications, cutting edge consumer products or, home improvement products have traditionally driven their respective technology spaces to innovate.  It also forces the larger stodgy companies to take notice and innovate to meet the challenges created by the nimbler small businesses that can enter the market quickly with their products and services. 

Over the past 10 years’ Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) start-up companies have made their presence known and driving a market thought to be all but dead to the consumer.  With companies such as BYD, Faraday Future, Lucid, Tesla and many others constantly pushing the envelope this forces the larger corporate conglomerates to innovate and provide a more competitive landscape in the BEV market.  Not only do these small companies drive vehicle innovation but, this type of environment also provides seed for ancillary companies to start-up and experience growth while establishing market presence as well as brand equity quickly.  Some of these markets include high power vehicle battery chargers, solar power based charging, battery based home power systems, etc.

It's the small business engine that drives innovation and economic growth which, forcing the automotive manufacturing titans to innovate and change.  Small business often times will lead the way.

As the era of Vehicle Electrification continues to quickly change the landscape of automotive vehicle systems, the impact of these changes will very likely cause a disruptive transformation in how aftermarket (and possibly some OEM) automotive technicians execute diagnostic processes.  For example, traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) systems have experienced gradual changes and have significantly matured slowly over the past 100 years.  With a long time horizon, technicians have had the opportunity to slowly “grow” with these changes and OEM product lines.

Conversely, Vehicle Electrification is on the cusp of significant growth, with stringent regulatory and compliance metrics driving innovations.  Growth of emerging technologies fuels innovation, the innovation results in change, and change is a polar opposite to the experiences of (current) mature products.  The automotive industry is in a unprecedented tsunami of innovations driven by vehicle electrification – specifically in electric powertrains, battery packs,  and on/off-board charging systems – to name a few.  Whether it is the Chevrolet Volt that is in it’s 4th generation of battery pack or Tesla announcing that it will innovate in 12-18 month cycles, it could result in an intimidating time in history for technicians, and the business of diagnostics and repair.  However, I believe that rather than be intimidated, we should look at the glass is half-full.  This period of innovation offers significant opportunity for those willing to learn it.  Examples of Vehicle Electrification changes can be seen here and here. 

As innovations continue to quickly evolve, most do not follow commonality in format, technology, or (in some cases) technical function.  To compound the problem, technicians and enginees cannot rely on legacy knowledge or technology transfer to help them bridge the gap.  With technology applications changing so quickly, it does not provide an opportunity for products to mature in creating an environment for pattern failure diagnostics to become commonplace.  Therefore, technicians and engineers will need to learn a new knowledge and skills and rely less on pattern failure diagnostics or prior experiences to help navigate the new technological waters.  Technicians (and engineers to some extent) will need to know what questions to ask when problem solving, rather than relying on knowing that every 2008 vehicle that is painted blue will need a new set of injectors every 25,000 miles (pattern failure).  By understanding the fundamentals of systems hardware, firmware, software, systems integration, and the associated functionality of these systems – a technician or engineer is formidably armed to solve a problem. 

Also, those that are engaged in diagnostics, especially in Vehicle Electrification systems, should know how they learn so they can more effectively learn new information and skills.  Most of my colleagues over the years really didn’t know how they learned – they struggled silently.  Knowing how you learn is an invaluable tool in dealing with the quick cycles of technology change and the application of fundamentals.  An excellent article on the topic can be found here.

The first step in tackling the world of Vehicle Electrification is acquiring high-quality training (and education if possible) to equip your mental tool box, for enabling the ability to problem solve – even if the OEM provides information and special tools (which are sometimes inadequate for helping someone solve a problem).  However, application of information and tools is dependent on the individual applying it.  History is littered with the accounts of those that did not tool themselves for significant iterative changes and relied on training and skills that had little application in solving future problems.  Well, the future is here, today.  Actually, the future has been here since about 2001.  Without the training or education, it’s like traveling without a map or compass.
 
There is an old axiom that has served me well over my career that may help those that are starting their career with Vehicle Electrification:  Success is when opportunity meets preparedness.
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Are you prepared?

Educators are the first line of defense to the future of the automotive aftermarket. Instructors far and wide are given the opportunity to shape the future of individual technicians by providing the skills to deal with advanced vehicle technologies. 

Automotive students have a bright future ahead of them. Vehicle Electrification technology expands the number of possible skills they can learn, creates limitless ways they can differentiate themselves from other techs, and increases the number of possible repair options they can provide to their customers.

It all starts in the classroom. Students become a direct reflection of the skills imparted upon them by their teachers. It's time to hone in on the skills to pass on to the next generation of automotive technicians.

FutureTech's Access Online has created an affordable 8-hour training series (over 8 equal-length live, instructor-led sessions) to help with just that. We can even provide you with PowerPoint materials to start your classroom integration of Vehicle Electrification on the right foot. 

Don't wait. Your students' futures are counting on your knowledge and expertise!

Many thanks to MACS for allowing Dr. Mark Quarto to share the role of air conditioning in Vehicle Electrification to MACS members. What a great group of people and an incredibly exciting event! We hope to see you all again soon. 

The requirements for charging longer range Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) has consistently escalated the need for higher power DC Fast Charging (DCFC) systems.  It wasn’t that long ago that 50kW charging was making its mark in the BEV charging space.  However, as Tesla (and others) have been making consistent inroads in the BEV market, the focus for higher power systems has pushed the DCFC power boundaries much further and faster than expected.  With companies such as, EVgo with a 350kW DCFC system or ChargePoint at 400kW DCFC systems, air conditioning systems will transition from a stand-alone cabin cooling system to a highly-integrated powertrain system cooling role to include removing battery pack cell/module heat that is generated during normal vehicle operation or during battery charging.  This now places significant performance requirements on the air conditioning system and heightens the need for air conditioning systems to be at optimal performance at all times…….even during the winter months. 
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Vehicle service businesses that include air conditioning service as part of their services menu will need to consider the air conditioning system as one of the reasons for vehicle reduced performance, range reduction, etc.  It’s time to welcome vehicle air conditioning systems into its new role of powertrain thermal management.   

Hybrid, Plug-In, and Electric vehicle technologies have implemented a multitude of battery technologies into a significant number of vehicle platforms.  From 2000 – 2010 Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) dominated hybrid vehicles and it continues to dominate the hybrid market today.  However, in 2009 Lithium technology began to make its mark in the hybrid market and this technology has continued to move steadily into the hybrid market with each passing model year.  Plug-In and full electric hybrids have been predominantly Lithium technology from the very beginning and these vehicles have been strictly Lithium for many model years. 

Every technology has iterations during its life cycle.  The frequency of these iterations becomes less frequent as the technology matures.  Battery technology is not maturing, but, it is iterating quickly due to the rapid cell technology changes.  When applying these changes to the repair industry where vehicles must be - it has a profound effect on the technicians that must perform the data analysis, diagnostics, and repair.  Unlike traditional vehicles that are far more mature and can be repaired by using pattern failure (pattern failure symptom recognition) analysis for a given vehicle manufacturer and model, advanced technology vehicles with electric drives and battery packs cannot be diagnosed using pattern failure recognition.  With changes in battery cell chemistry, sometimes by model year, pattern failure recognition is impossible.  Furthermore, when cell chemistries change, this means that the data and how it will react with various driving conditions is very different from year to year – even for the same vehicle model.
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To solve this dilemma, service technicians and their managers need to recognize that the necessary analysis and diagnostic treatment for the advanced technology vehicles is significantly different than a traditional vehicle.  Technicians will need to accept that they will need to learn the operation of the different battery technologies so they can determine how to interpret scan tool data and how to manipulate the vehicle system to force the diagnostic process into something less gray and more binary.  So, it’s time for technicians to go back to school; the train has already left the station.