With the rise of electric cars and driverless cars, the automotive industry is set to make major changes starting in 2018. And the vagaries of the automotive industry will undoubtedly challenge the chemical industry as the chemical industry must develop new materials to support and promote electric Automotive and Autonomous Driving Technology Faced with these challenges, global players in the related industries believe that the automotive industry revolution poses more threats to the chemical industry.
Car manufacturers put forward new requirements
To meet the increasingly stringent environmental requirements, the entire automotive industry is turning to the electric vehicle sector, with all automakers trying to make electric vehicles that cost less, travel longer and have a longer lifecycle: Volvo has announced that all its The new models will be equipped with electric motors in 2019, Volkswagen and General Motors also plans to provide battery-powered options for its brands.
Changes in the automotive industry have new requirements for the upstream chemical industry.IHSMarkit said that by 2030 there will be one out of every two new cars in the world being hybrid or plug-in electric vehicles, accounting for about the total number of vehicles Of the 45% .As the car design, production and manufacturing technology changes, the chemical industry must be based on the changes in its largest end-user market, the corresponding innovation to meet new needs.
Market demand will be drastic changes
As EVs evolve, the needs of some chemical products can change dramatically, with components such as intake manifolds, lower crankcase, bonnet, and radiator end caps in electric vehicles due to changes in bonnet and fuel system components Will be eliminated, demand for antifreeze, oil and other products will decline sharply, so that the production of high density polyethylene, nylon and other engineering plastics fuel tanks and hood will decline, but with the increase of vehicle electronic components, insulation Demand for foam and wires / cables will increase, while new charging equipment will require materials with high dielectric strength and flame retardancy.IHS estimates that the development of electric vehicles may reduce the annual demand for engineering plastics by 270,000 tons, The thermoplastic polyester annual increase in demand of 20,000 tons.
One of the most significant manifestations of the automotive industry revolution in the future is the growth of lithium demand, which is determined by the expansion of lithium-ion battery applications.IHSMarkit said that in 2015, lithium-ion battery lithium accounted for only 35% of the global lithium demand, by 2020 Its share will climb to 62% in 2014. The demand for lithium for electric vehicles will rise from 35,000 tons in 2017 to about 200,000 tons in 2023, representing a CAGR of 41%. Other related materials will also increase substantially IHS estimates that global demand for graphite will grow by 30% between 2017 and 2023, and that cobalt prices have risen 70% in 2016 as another important component of lithium-ion batteries.
Enterprises need to provide solutions
The chemical industry is not afraid of these changes. "For the chemical industry, the revolution in the automotive industry is both a threat and an opportunity, but Oliver Evrisch, Evonik's director of industrial automotive business, offers far more opportunities than threats." On the one hand, electric Motor vehicles use fewer moving parts, reducing the need for lubricants and polymers. On the other hand, improvements in electric drivetrain can be solved with material solutions. New additives with better heat transfer are caused Great interest. "Eyrisch said Evonik offers multi-layer piping systems for the cooling circuits of electric vehicles' batteries and motors as well as structural systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning applications.
Eyrisch said: 'To improve the thermal and chemical stability of the system, requires the development of more types of polymer materials tailored for these applications.' Dow DuPont's stakeholders also said that for batteries, connectors, Motor and actuator, sensor and wire and cable materials will have greater market opportunities.
In the meantime, the light-weight trend in the auto industry will continue, and to meet the increasingly stringent carbon emission standards, automakers are working hard to reduce the car's weight to reduce their energy consumption. This gives the chemical industry a good room for growth "Eugenio Toccalino, global marketing director for DuPont Transportation and specialty products, said:" Even if the automotive industry is revolutionized, the trend toward lightweight vehicles will not stop, as electrification of automobiles can help OEMs meet international standards for energy-efficient vehicles Demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but a large battery pack for electric vehicles will add 900 pounds to a car's weight. "Toccalino said the lightweight design still has huge market potential and requires more and more composites solutions.