At this year's Cenex LCV exhibition, held at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire, companies active in the fields of low-carbon transport and autonomous-driving systems displayed many of the latest technologies.
Visitors were able to catch up on many of the latest developments, and here are 10 that caught our eye.
Williams Advanced Engineering – Flexible EVR platform
Flexibility is the point of Williams Advanced Engineering's new, scaleable, composite electric hypercar platform. Called the EVR, it can, within reason, be whatever length and width that a manufacutrer seeking a halo product requires. In addition, track-only, Targa GT and track-inspired, road-legal vehicle versions can be accommodated. But how to achieve differentiation between vehicles? "It's a challenge, but features such as drive layouts, optional torque-vectoring and different steering systems will help," said Dyrr Ardash, head of strategic partnerships at WAE.
Ricardo – Planning for the unknown
With the war in Ukraine, rising energy costs and ongoing material shortages, these are uncertain times for car makers, but Ricardo claims to provide some clarity with its scenario-planning service. Rather than conventional forecasting, the engineering and consultancy company helps firms explore a future that it has termed "creative scavenging", in which they will reduce, reuse and recycle. "We test the robustness of a firm's future strategy, and at the moment, OEMs are very receptive," said Angela Johnson, vice-president of Ricardo Strategic Consultancy.
Ford – Lighter Transit chassis
Although Ford recently launched the electric E-Transit, development continues on the diesel van, in in the form of a new, lightweight ladder-frame chassis section. Part of Ford's eShadow project, tasked with lightening the Transit for supermarket delivery work, the component weighs 40% less than the current item but, thanks to composite materials, is just as strong. "We're developing a version for the E-Transit, too, that can increase payload but still support the battery," explained Roland Stark, Transit Innovation Project lead.
Equipmake Q&A – 3D-printed electric motor
Good thermal management is vital for an electric motor. Equipmake claims to have made big gains by 3D-printing its latest unit, the Ampere-220. This method has allowed engineers to optimise its thermal efficiency while shrinking its size. Weighing just 20kg, this modern take on the off-the-shelf 'crate motor' produces 295bhp and is the most power-dense electric motor in the world. We asked Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake, to tell us more.
Autocar: "What production benefits does 3D-printing bring?"
Ian Foley: "It opens up huge possibilities for engineers and allows us to make more efficient products."
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