What is Electrification?
Electrification is the process of introducing electrical systems into existing products and processes by replacing traditional mechanical or chemical systems with electric equivalents. Vehicle electrification refers to the process of replacing propulsion, suspension and other traditional systems in a car with electric counterparts. As the automotive industry evolves, electrification is undoubtedly becoming the future.
As the global market for electric vehicles continues to grow, having boosted to a stock of 7.2 million electric cars in 2019, automotive manufacturers are looking to get a head start in the market and invest in electrification.
Where is Electrification Used?
Electrification takes place across many different industries, as more and more traditional technologies are able to be replaced by electric counterparts. Along with the clear environmental benefits of using electric technologies instead of those of fossil fuels that harm the environment, the direct user of electric vehicles and machinery benefit from significant savings in maintenance and running costs due to no or lower fuel requirements and fewer components leading to less maintenance.
Electrification of Transport
Transportation is one of the biggest sectors where electric counterparts are quickly taking over. With increasing developments in the more-electric aircraft, electric vehicles, and electric trains, the future of transport is starting to look fully electric. With electrification giants such as Tesla paving the way and constantly growing the potential of battery power, the future of electric vehicles and transport is looking bright.
Electrification of Energy
The energy industry is getting more electrified through replacing fossil-fuel intakes with electricity. It is estimated that almost half of the fuel consumed for energy can be electrified with the technology available today.
Benefits of Electrification
Sustainability
According to experts, electrification of transport could lead to a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is due to electric vehicles not emitting any greenhouse gases as a part of their propulsion mechanism, as opposed to petrol and diesel cars.
Reduced Costs
Vehicle electrification leads to reduced costs for the consumer as electric vehicles are less likely to break down and are less expensive to repair. Industry experts estimate that having your EV serviced would likely be 60% less expensive than having a traditional vehicle serviced.
Lightweighting
As traditional mechanical systems get replaced by electric counterparts in a vehicle, the weight of the vehicle decreases significantly. Lightweighting has many advantages, including reduced fuel consumption, manufacturing costs and CO2 emissions. This will be another way manufacturers can meet the 2021 reduced CO2 target in Europe.
Learn more about lightweighting with structural adhesives.
Adhesives for Vehicle Electrification
Bonding Motors
One main way vehicle electrification happens is through the installation of electric motors. Bonding electric motors can be a difficult process without expert advice. We recommend cyanoacrylate adhesives such as Permabond 910 and Permabond 2011, and the UV-curing adhesive Permabond HM165 for effective bonding of motors.
Additionally, to pot and encapsulate motors, capacitors and transformers, we recommend Araldite CW 1302/HY 1300. This is an epoxy casting system with excellent thermal endurance that can protect electronic components.
Battery Assembly
Silicone solutions for battery pack assembly can be used for thermal management, protection, connection and assembly applications. They can provide excellent flexibility, lightweighting and thermal stability.
Charging Stations
Silicone solutions for EV charging stations can be used to protect printed circuit boards (PCBs) and bond electronic parts. These silicone products have proved themselves essential in the manufacturing of EV charging station housings and circuitry.
