Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Anuj Chopra, Jaguar Land Rover (AC): As JAGUAR Propulsion System Integration Lead, my role is to ensure the implementation of the principles of system engineering in the propulsion system development of battery electric vehicles. This includes delivery and integration of the complete propulsion system – capable of meeting the needs of high performance, high efficiency, class leading stability and control of luxury vehicles.
I ensure systematic implementation of every portion of the V, so that at the end of it the system is integrated efficiently.
Gavin White, About:Energy (GW): I am the Co-founder and CEO of About:Energy, a battery data and modelling company spun out from Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham. My co-founder and I started About:Energy to address a critical skills and knowledge gap we observed in the industry. While simulation is widely used across engineering, in battery engineering it is often not trusted due to poor accuracy. Without reliable simulation, extensive real-world testing is required, consuming valuable resources. Our mission is to bridge this gap by providing more accurate models to support better decision-making in battery development.
Peter Miller, UTAC (PM): I'm the Chief Engineer - Batteries at UTAC, based at the Millbrook test site in the UK. I have been working with EV's and batteries for a long time (~ 30 years).
Maximilian Manss, Protean Electric (MM): I have worked as a design engineer in the R&D department of Protean for 3 years, developing novel motor architectures and exploring emerging materials/technologies. Assessing their feasibility based on electromagnetic performance, lightweighting, sustainability and cost reduction.
Manos Polioudis, Talos Technology (MP): Founder & CEO of Talos Technology: Leading the development, design, and deployment of electric vehicle systems for Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs, with a focus on state-of-the-art powertrain solutions. Over 15 Years in Electric Powertrain Development: Extensive experience in both engineering and management roles at companies like Arrival, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Trucks, and Semcon. I have a strong focus on optimizing entire systems rather than individual components, including innovations like combining dual flux technologies within a single rotor to enhance electric motor efficiency and performance.
Ben Boutcher-West, Connected Kerb (BW): As Chief Technology Officer at Connected Kerb, Ben is responsible for the end to end technical strategy at Connected Kerb. This includes the an incredible team which design, development and operation of EV charge points, the digital infrastructure that enables them, the user experience and, developing new proportions such as the deployment of Large Language Models to expedite the intelligence behind all of our machine to human interfaces.
Tim Powell, STFC Hartree Centre (TP): I have a background of physics-based modelling and software engineering, and now lead the STFC Hartree Centre’s involvement in the Automotive and wider transport industries with the aim of accelerating the adoption of High-Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Quantum Computing to solve the substantial challenges currently faced by these sectors. One my responsibilities is to identify key challenges within the Automotive sector, ensure the Hartree Centre is positioned with the capabilities to deliver timely solutions, and work within the sector to realise the power of digital transformation. Before my current role, I specialised in bringing the power of HPC to non-HPC experts through automated workflows and containerisation.
Yahya Alvar, UKBIC (YA): As Head of Business Development at UKBIC, my team and I are responsible for making sure that UKBIC's manufacturing service capabilities are communicated with all potential customers from different market sectors both locally and internationally. Our team develops technical solutions that are tailored to address customers' requirements.
Q: What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
AC: Due to rapid transitions of technology in the electric vehicles development, often industry starts development and testing of sub-systems in isolation to meet the timelines. This leads to late issues identification with cost to program timing. There has been a lack of implementation of systems thinking in the early stages of the vehicle development. Implementing V model of system engineering in product development enables us to develop the complex system effectively.
GW: Skills across the battery industry, along with the extensive training and onboarding required for companies scaling rapidly, have become major challenges. Combined with a limited understanding of the fundamental workings of batteries, this has led to rising costs and delays, making the route to market increasingly difficult.
PM: Trying to achieve an extremely rapid scale up of EVs.
MM: Industry adoption. We work closely with a number of OEMs but still, few manufacturers are utilising in-wheel motors on their serial production vehicles at this time. With more companies realising the benefits of in-wheel motors, we are seeing the market swell with exciting products and technologies.
MP: The biggest roadblock in recent years has been twofold: cost and range. Developing EVs involves significant D&D costs, high material expenses, and substantial production setup costs. Combined with high interest rates, these factors have created a perfect storm, straining resources across the industry. Additionally, vehicle range—closely tied to the high cost of batteries—continues to challenge sales, as consumers still prioritise longer ranges at competitive prices.
BW: The national press have not helped in a tiresome pursuit for click bait. However on from the press, the price point and delivery of vehicles has been optimistic when the relationship with the car, despite fuel cell, is changing and budgets are squeezed. CPO uptime and experience has also been varied which has directly turned many would be users off.
TP: The automotive industry has been through, and is still facing, a number of difficult challenges in recent years. From supply chain distribution, a global shift towards EVs and the relating infrastructure gaps, labour and talent shortages, and many more. It is hard to name a single 'biggest roadblock', however I would sum it up as an industry undergoing rapid evolution amidst constant, unprecedented disruption.
YA: There are a few critical challenges that should be addressed. The most important one is about the CAPEX and OPEX. Battery cell design and development for different applications is a very challenging process and needs a lot of funding to be available during the product development life cycle. The product development cost vs buying available cells from the Far East is the real threat to the industry. Scale-up the product and optimising the manufacturing processes need lots of materials which makes the development cost soaring high however not many investors willing to be patient enough. The long lead time from the European-based machine suppliers and the materials supply chain are the other challenges.
Q: What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
AC: I am looking forward to discuss implementation of system engineering in battery electric vehicle development. I will briefly describe the current vs advanced propulsion system testing landscape for battery electric vehicles.
My intention is that participants will gain insights into the unique opportunities of implementing the system engineering and system thinking in early stages of the electric vehicle development. System engineering opens the door for seamless left shift in the product life cycle.
GW: I am looking forward to discussing the latest battery technologies, advanced battery pack designs, and, most importantly, how we will build the skilled workforce needed to support the growth we anticipate in the UK battery industry.
PM: I'll be talking about EV/Li-ion fires and trying to put the events we see fairly regularly in the media into context.
MM: Advancements in Hybrid Electric Motor Design: Exploring innovative approaches like integrating dual flux technologies to optimize motor performance and efficiency.
MP: Advancements in Hybrid Electric Motor Design: Exploring innovative approaches like integrating dual flux technologies to optimize motor performance and efficiency.
Cost-Effective Strategies for EV Development: Addressing how we can tackle the rising costs in D&D, material, and production setups to make EVs more accessible.
Balancing Performance with Sustainability: Examining how we can push for greater range and power without compromising environmental responsibility and resource efficiency.
These discussions are critical for pushing the EV industry forward and finding solutions to today’s most pressing challenges.
BW: The growing relationship and dependency of Critical National Infrastructure and our transport models. This is particular relevant to energy management nationally and locally.
TP: I am fortunate enough that part of my role is to discuss with the Automotive industry how digital transformation can be a positive and powerful tool to help ease the roadblocks I referred to earlier. I am excited to discuss both the technical details of the data rich EV batteries and what this means for the end user, reducing range anxiety and easing the transition to EV.
YA: It would be great to share the new capabilities at the UKBIC which will expand and diversify the manufacturing and engineering service portfolio. Simulation, electrochemistry, cell design and development, materials selection, electrode manufacturing, cell assembly, formation aging and testing, as well as agile module and pack but capabilities, make the UKBIC a one-stop shop for many customers.
Q: What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
AC: Lots of advancements in the field of power electronics, electric drive unit and high voltage traction batteries have been already industrialised which represents sub systems of the electric vehicle. This indicates there will be a trend of transition of focus on innovation from subsystem to system.
I consider two key areas of innovation for both in the UK and internationally:
1. Usage of novel testing methodologies in the system level testing
2. Usage of virtual and physical rigs to enable left shift of testing
GW: The hottest areas of innovation in the battery industry are centred around digital solutions. With advanced software, we’re seeing significant improvements in battery pack lifetime, charging rates, and time to market. These innovations have led to lifetime extensions of over 20%, charging rate improvements of up to 30%, and development timelines reduced by as much as six months.
PM: Batteries are still improving with a new iteration of Li-ion chemistry appearing ~ every 6 months.
MM: EM optimisation, power electronics and thermal management.
MP: Material Innovation: Developing advanced materials to enhance battery performance, reduce weight, and improve sustainability, helping to drive down costs.
Cost Engineering: Optimising production processes and exploring new manufacturing techniques to make EVs more affordable and scalable.
Cell-to-Vehicle Integration: Focusing on integrating battery cells directly into the vehicle structure to maximize energy density, increase range, and reduce overall weight, providing significant performance and efficiency gains.
BW: Now off PPT and becoming a reality, 15118 plug and charge is very enabling for new cars and their users. There are a whole suite of exiting innovations coming to market.
TP: I feel it is a 'cop out' to answer with all areas. If you consider the amount of time the combustion engine had to innovate and refine itself—over a century of incremental advancements—compared to the relatively short span EVs have had, it’s clear that the pace of development for EVs is incredibly accelerated. This rapid shift allows little time for the kinds of refinements that internal combustion engines benefitted from, making each step forward more critical and all areas important for innovation.
One area I would consider that has the most untapped potential is the value of the data being produced by each battery. Every EV battery generates vast amounts of information on performance, degradation, charging habits, temperature, and usage patterns. If harnessed fully and shared widely, this data could lead to better battery life prediction, personalised maintenance schedules, and optimized energy use, helping both manufacturers and consumers get the most out of each battery.
YA: Achieving higher capacity and lowering the cost by improving cell design and using alternative low-cost materials as well as improving manufacturing processes is a not-stop continuous improvement.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
AC: In the last few conferences, I have found panel discussions quite helpful and engaging and hence this time as well, I am looking forward for the panel discussion on the UK Battery Electric Vehicle Marketplace and upskilling the engineering taskforce for the EV marketplace.
GW: I’m really looking forward to many of the talks, including the latest innovations from Rocco at BP on immersion cooling, James at Fortescue Zero on battery trucks for mines, and, of course, our very own Yash discussing digital tools for battery pack development.
PM: I'm looking forward to hearing from David Twohig, Senior Expert, McKinsey & Company.
MM: Mike Bassett from MAHLE Powertrain on battery development for niche vehicles
Manos Palioudis from Talors Technology on optimising hybrid EM rotors
Robert Burrell from Project Blue on critical materials and sustainable practices
MP: I'm looking forward to hearing from the battery and integration experts on the programme.
BW: I am excited to hear from Jaguar Land Rover on their battery strategy. I am curious about the first responder EV presentation, as a rider myself. The EV skills section, particularly the view from the UK's leading bodies such as MIRA will be very valuable - access to talent is a struggle at times.
TP: I am looking forward to hearing the 'Road to Rig – BEVs faster to market with lower prototypes !' talk by JLR. Given the rapid development of the industry, it is interesting to hear how one of the OEMs are finding new ways to innovate faster and deliver improved vehicles faster.
YA: It will be interesting to understand the technology trend and what is happening in the market. I am interested in listening to as many speakers as possible and exchanging some more detailed information.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
AC: The EV Batteries Electrified Vehicle Engineering conference has been quite helpful to me personally to get insights on diverse topics on research and development, current market trends and future roadmaps. Attending this conference, engineers from the automotive field will get information that will help them on as development continues.
Engineers will get a comprehensive overview of the current challenges that the automotive industry is facing along with the insights on how the industry is navigating fast technology advancements.
GW: This conference brings together leading experts and thought leaders from across the UK battery industry. By attending, you will gain insights into the latest trends, technologies, and challenges facing the sector.
PM: EVs and Batteries are the future for automotive.
MM: Greater exposure to wider industry challenges/solutions can provide engineers with the tools/knowledge to solve critical engineering problems in novel/innovative ways.
MP: It’s essential for engineers to join this conference to foster idea exchange and cross-fertilization of approaches across different sectors and specialties. This collaboration can drive collective improvements that push the market average forward, allowing engineers to learn from each other’s successes and challenges. By sharing insights and innovations, we can accelerate advancements in technology, efficiency, and sustainability across the industry.
BW: This is a fantastic opportunity to meet and exchange information with the countries leading battery and energy businesses. Building ideas for even closer integration and future collaboration.
TP: Conferences such as this one are key to understanding where the industry currently is, what are the challenges, and what are the future opportunities to embrace. Having attended in the past, I am looking forward to the air of collaboration and the discussions following the talks.
YA: This is the future. It is critical to understand the challenge and define how we want to support the net-zero target by 2050. We need engineering teams to lead the challenge and develop new low-cost, high-capacity, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly products.
This year’s EV Batteries conference will be taking place on 12-13 November 2024 at the British Motor Museum in Warwick. To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/evbatteries.