Electric cars gain traction
Dr. Edward P. Becker | TLT Automotive Tribology October 2017
Hybrid cars are falling in the worldwide market while electric vehicles are on the rise.
© Can Stock Photo / Zinkevych
TO PARAPHRASE MARK TWAIN, recent reports of the death of the internal combustion engine have been greatly exaggerated. Case in point, the July 5 New York Times reported, “Volvo cars...became the first mainstream automaker to sound the death knell of the internal combustion engine, saying that all the models it introduces starting in 2019 will be either hybrids or powered solely by batteries.”
The worldwide market share of hybrid cars, while reaching a respectable 2% in recent years, has been falling due to the relatively low price of crude oil. Electric vehicles, meanwhile, are experiencing significant growth but still represent a small fraction of sales. Battery technology may be approaching the threshold where range and charging times will be acceptable to many drivers. However, high initial cost appears to be a more persistent problem.
Regarding hybrids, consider Volvo’s announcement via Twitter:
“We are committed to electrification, so from 2019 all new Volvo car models will include an electric motor. #VolvoCarsEVs.” (
https://twitter.com/volvocarsglobal/status/882453416257220610)
—Volvo Cars (@volvocarsglobal) July 5, 2017
I’m sure most Volvo owners realize that their vehicle already contains numerous electric motors, running accessories (including the engine cooling fan), power windows, power seats, windshield wipers, etc. It appears that Volvo means at least one electric motor will be capable of delivering power to the wheels. From my point of view, hybrid technology is much more evolutionary than revolutionary. Gasoline-fueled engines have produced electricity (to energize the spark plugs) for well over a century.
Hybrid vehicles are able to achieve significant fuel economy gains by using a combustion engine (gasoline or diesel) to run a generator and provide electricity to a motor or to charge a battery. This allows the engine to run at or near its peak efficiency most of the time. Engine tribologists will still have plenty of challenges ahead, minimizing friction and developing new and improved oils.
It’s no coincidence that Volvo made this announcement. Though based in Sweden, Volvo is owned by Geely Automobile Holdings of China, which already produces battery-powered cars for the Chinese market. The electric motors for such vehicles usually use rare Earth permanent magnet technology, which are currently the lightest and most efficient type of electric motor. China currently produces more than 95% of the world’s supply of rare Earth minerals. By increasing the demand for motors, China is assuring itself of a market for those minerals. In fact, other automakers may have no choice but to buy magnets from China or use heavier and less efficient types of motors for their electric vehicles.
Ed Becker is an STLE Fellow and past president. He is president of Friction & Wear Solutions, LLC, in Brighton, Mich., and can be reached through his website at www.frictionandwearsolutions.com.