The electrification of cars has undeniably been at the forefront of the transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the growth in demand for Li-ion batteries, but the electric revolution extends far beyond passenger cars. Huge opportunities exist in other transport applications, which play a vital role in ongoing decarbonization efforts.

The announcement claimed by Toyota that it had a "technological breakthrough" to resolve durability issues and "a solution for materials" for a solid-state battery (SSB) powering EVs in July 2023 has triggered another wave of interest in SSBs, in addition to the continuous efforts from companies such as BMW, CATL, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Panasonic, Samsung, Volkswagen, etc.

Thursday 16 November 2023 - The current deployment of SAE level 3 technologies on the road; The next steps in the development of level 3 technologies; How autonomous vehicles can contribute to improved safety; How connected technologies are the end game for automotive safety; What connected features are already being used in cars; What an SDV is and how it links to connectivity, autonomy and more

The automotive sector is rapidly electrifying, with electric car sales totaling over 5.8 million units in the first half of 2023 across China, Europe, and the US. While automotive electrification is at the forefront of the public eye, other vehicle sectors also present huge opportunities, with IDTechEx predicting the global market of electric vehicles for land, sea, and air to be worth over US$1 trillion in 2044 (excl. automotive).

Wednesday 15 November 2023 - Electric vehicles: Battery strategies; Battery thermal interface materials; Direct oil cooling electric motors; Power electronics and adoption of wide bandgap semiconductors; Fire protection materials. Data centers: Increasing design power; Liquid cooling thermal management strategies; Industrial collaborations and opportunities for players

Tunneling magneto resistance sensors are rapidly disrupting the automotive and wearables industry. These tiny sensors leverage quantum phenomena to provide a performance edge over classical incumbents, including industry mainstays such as Hall effect sensors. Although they don't depend on the more exciting effects such as superposition and entanglement, in this article, IDTechEx highlights the lessons to be learned from the success of TMR sensors in the emerging quantum sensor market.

Thursday 2 November 2023 - The emerging demands on radar from developing autonomous vehicle technologies; What a 4D imaging radar is and why it is needed; What routes are available to create 4D imaging radar; How radar technologies and implementations are diverging; Who the leading suppliers in 4D imaging radar are

In the realm of automation, where innovation meets industry, a groundbreaking revolution is sweeping through the landscape of automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Traditionally confined indoors for tasks like intralogistics and material handling, AGVs are breaking free into the great outdoors, driven by advancements in navigation technologies and the emergence of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

The rise in vehicle autonomy is expected to bring revolutionary technology to the automotive display sector. It will bring a shift in focus from OEMs, enhancing passenger entertainment on-board and increasing the number of displays capable of delivering a more immersive experience via augmented reality (AR).

In the ever-evolving energy storage landscape, the advent of solid-state batteries (SSBs) is leading to a new era of possibilities. As the demand for higher performance and safer energy storage solutions grows, SSBs have emerged as a frontrunner in the race for next-generation battery technology.

Flying cars might not yet be mainstream, but as developments in the electric and autonomous vehicle industries are making progress globally, the future of driving is set to look very different.

Radars are already cemented into the automotive market as they provide popular ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and blind spot detection (BSD). Despite their near ubiquitous presence in vehicles, IDTechEx's new report "Automotive Radar 2024-2044: Forecast, Technologies, Applications" finds that there is still large growth potential for this sensor, mostly driven by new opportunities for short-range radars.

A new high-power charging solution is required to meet the market need of the truck and bus industry to charge electric heavy-duty vehicles in an acceptable amount of time. As a result, the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a charging system for large battery electric vehicles, is now being developed.

IDTechEx's new report "Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis and Sensors 2024-2044" shows that autonomous cars are slowly, but very surely, becoming a part of everyday life. Although they have been hyped and overpromised for a long time, in the last couple of years, the industry has accomplished some significant milestones. The US and China both now have a handful of cities allowing commercial robotaxi services from industry leaders such as Cruise, Waymo, Baidu, AutoX, and more.

Tuesday 7 November 2023 - Electrification in Cars and Beyond: What's Happened and What to Expect - The automotive market - key technology trends and technology companies becoming involved in electric cars; Electric and fuel cell trucks; Air taxis (eVTOL); An overview of electrification across vans, trucks, buses, 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, microcars, construction vehicles, trains, boats, and ships

IDTechEx forecast the Li-ion battery market for electric vehicles to reach US$380 billion by 2034. With this huge increase in value, the safe and reliable operation of these (sometimes combustible) assets while maximizing the performance extracted from them becomes critical. The battery management system (BMS) plays a central role in the safe and reliable operation of Li-ion batteries but is somewhat overlooked with regard to its potential for also moving battery performance forward.

2022 saw the aerogels market take a large leap forward with the success of electric vehicle (EV) batteries as an application. Historic growth has been steady for other applications, but with the growth fuelled by the EV market, there is the opportunity for several other applications to take advantage of the scaling production volume.

Thursday 5 October 2023 - Introduction to automotive displays - how we got here; Display technologies - from incumbent technology to future display technologies; Display types - from how they are currently presented to how they will look; A holistic approach to displays - from the display technology to the key additional components that ensure the display's optimal performance

Tuesday 10 October 2023 - Mobile Robotics in Logistics - Over 20-fold Revenue Increase in the Next Two Decades; An overview of mobile robots and a breakdown of different types of mobile robots used in logistics; Exploring the reasons behind the rapid growth of mobile robots in logistics and the benefits they offer to various industries; Discussion of the fundamental technologies and components that empower mobile robot systems; Analyzing the present state of the market, including noteworthy developments such as acquisitions and new product launches by industry leaders; Delving into the obstacles and regulatory considerations that mobile robots face, along with a timeline for addressing these challenges; Providing an overview of IDTechEx's independent forecast for the future of mobile robots in the logistics sector.

Thursday 28 September 2023 - Recent developments to Li-ion batteries for EVs; Trends in EV Li-ion chemistry; Li-ion pack technology developments; Innovation in battery management systems; EV markets beyond cars and trends in Li-ion batteries for different EV segments