5 Top Trends Impacting the Future of EV Design

The Electric Vehicle (EV) industry will undergo as much innovation in the next 10 years as traditional combustion engine-powered vehicles did throughout their first 100 years of development, according to TECHNIA. Rapid advancements in electronic components and systems, new technologies and increasing complexity will challenge traditional approaches to EV design. Therefore, if you’re involved in the design, engineering or manufacture of EVs, it’s time to strap in and prepare for a brave new world.

Global EV Market Exploding

The global EV market was estimated to be over one trillion US dollars in 2023 and is forecast to grow at a hard-to-believe CAGR of 33.6% from 2024 to 2030, reaching 8.85 trillion dollars in six years, according to Grand View Research. Other firms, such as McKinsey, forecast still impressive yet more modest CAGR of about 20% over the same period. 

This article explores five trends that are having a huge impact on EV design, including wide bandgap semiconductors, AI-enhanced battery management systems (BMS), solid-state batteries, high-voltage capacitors and next-generation sensors. We’ll examine some notable products in each category and offer some perspective on how electrical design engineers can succeed in this new environment.

1. Wide Bandgap Semiconductors

Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) are revolutionizing power electronics in electric vehicles. This is because SiC and GaN wide bandgap semiconductors offer higher efficiency, faster switching speeds and better thermal performance compared to traditional silicon. The result for mobility? EVs with longer range, faster charging and more compact power systems.

A prime example of this technology is the C3M MOSFET family of products from Wolfspeed. The company’s C3M0075120K operates at 1200V with an incredibly low on-resistance (RDS(on)) of just 75mΩ. This combination of high voltage and low resistance enables more efficient power conversion in EV inverters, offering the potential to extend EV range by five to ten percent. Faster switching also enables higher-frequency operation, which reduces the size and weight of passive components in the power stage.

While SiC and GaN offer significant advantages, they also present new challenges. The higher switching frequencies can make electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues worse, requiring engineers to design sophisticated shielding and layout techniques to compensate. In addition, the increased power density of SiC and GaN wide bandgap chips demands more advanced thermal management, requiring designers to go beyond the status quo and develop innovative designs to overcome these challenges.

2. AI-Enhanced Battery Management Systems

Artificial Intelligence is making its way into BMS, providing exciting new ways to monitor and control EV batteries. A BMS enhanced with AI can adapt to individual cell characteristics, predict potential failures, and optimize charging and discharging in real time to extend battery life and improve overall vehicle performance.

NXP Semiconductors' MC33772C battery cell controller exemplifies this trend. This advanced chip can accurately monitor and balance up to 14 series-connected battery cells. Its integration with NXP's S32K1 MCUs enables advanced algorithms for cell balancing, state-of-charge (SOC) estimation and fault detection. The NXP system in these MCUs supports CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) communication that enables high-speed data exchange with a vehicle's central computer, facilitating real-time adjustments and diagnostics.

But there’s a catch: integrating AI into safety-critical systems, like a BMS, introduces system validation and performance optimization complexities. How do we ensure that AI-driven decisions are always safe and optimal? How do we validate systems designed to learn and adapt over time? These questions don’t have easy answers and point out the pressing need for new system design and validation solutions. 

For a deep dive into AI-enhanced BMS, see AI-Enhanced BMS for Next-Gen EV Performance and Longevity.

3. Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries are poised to become the next-generation energy storage solution for EVs. There’s a lot to love about them: they offer higher energy density, faster charging and improved safety. As these batteries move from the lab to production, they will have a big impact on EV design.

QuantumScape is at the forefront of solid-state batteries for EVs with ceramic separator technology that uses a proprietary ceramic material as the solid electrolyte. QuantumScape claims its technology can enable 80% charge in just 15 minutes and increase EV range by up to 50% compared to current lithium-ion batteries.

However, integrating solid-state batteries into EVs is more complex than swapping out lithium-ion packs. Due to their unique characteristics – from charging requirements to thermal properties – new approaches to vehicle architecture are needed. This presents a unique opportunity for designers to break free from the constraints of traditional EV design and create truly optimized electric vehicles from the ground up.

Next-Generation Solid-State Tech Shows Impressive Potential

TDK recently announced a breakthrough with small ceramic cells that can hold 100 times the charge of its current solid-state battery. VW announced new solid-state battery tech that retains 95% capacity over 1,000 charge cycles.

4. High-Voltage Capacitors

EVs are moving toward higher-voltage systems to improve efficiency and reduce weight. This trend increases the requirements for components like capacitors dramatically, and new high-voltage automotive-grade capacitors are becoming essential for managing these higher voltages.

KEMET's C4AQ series of high-voltage polymer electrolytic capacitors do an excellent job of demonstrating some of the advancements being made in this area. These capacitors can operate at voltages up to 500V and temperatures up to 125°C, making them well-suited for use in DC-link and snubber applications in EV inverters. Compared to traditional electrolytic capacitors, the polymer technology offers lower ESR and higher ripple current capability, improving the efficiency and reliability of high-power systems.

5. Next-Generation Sensors

Advanced sensors are the eyes and ears of today’s EVs, enabling everything from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to fully autonomous driving capabilities. The latest generation of sensors – including high-resolution LiDAR sensors, AI-enhanced cameras and advanced radar systems – are delivering new levels of environmental awareness to EVs.

On the cutting edge of advanced automotive sensors we find Aeva’s Atlas™, claimed to be the world’s first automotive-grade 4D LiDAR sensor. Slated to be ready for mass production in 2025, the Atlas provides simultaneous velocity and range detection, combining ultra-long range and ultra-high resolution to enable Level 3 autonomous highway speed driving for ADAS and self-driving vehicles.   

Navigating the Increasing Complexity of EV Tech

The increasing complexity and interdependence of components and systems are threatening to overwhelm traditional EV design methodologies. The volume of data generated by new sensors and systems is staggering, and processing this data in real time pushes the limits of current automotive computing platforms. 

To harness the full potential of new advanced tech, EV designers will need to create more integrated, software-defined vehicle platforms. The road ahead for EV designers will be challenging and full of bumps, twists and hairpin turns. Yet, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be in this field. By embracing these new technologies and exploring innovative design perspectives, we can create vehicles that are not just a little bit better, but revolutionary. 

For information on innovative components related to the automotive field in general, see 8 Component Trends Driving Innovation in the Automotive Industry.

 

Five Tips For Managing EV Complexity

1. Invest in cross-disciplinary training: Encourage your engineering teams to develop skills across electrical, mechanical and software domains. The EV designers of tomorrow need to be systems thinkers, comfortable working across traditional boundaries.

2. Adopt model-based systems engineering (MBSE): Implement MBSE practices to manage the increasing complexity of EV designs and improve collaboration across disciplines. This approach can help you catch integration problems early and avoid costly redesigns.

3. Develop robust simulation and testing frameworks: Create virtual testing environments that can accurately model the interactions between advanced components. This is important for validating complex systems like AI-enhanced BMS and autonomous driving.

4. Prioritize thermal management and EMC considerations early: With the high power densities and frequencies involved in modern EV components, thermal and electromagnetic compatibility issues must be prime considerations from the earliest stages of design.

5. Foster partnerships with material scientists and academic institutions: Collaborating with research organizations can help you stay ahead of advancements in areas like solid-state batteries and wide bandgap semiconductors.