Over the last three to four years, the driverless robotaxi industry has begun to flourish. Driverless services are coming online in multiple cities across the US and China. IDTechEx's recent report, "Future Automotive Technologies 2024-2034: Applications, Megatrends, Forecasts", predicts that the driverless robotaxi industry will be generating over US$470 billion annually through services in 2034.

With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market and a focus on the importance of safety, EV fire protection brings a large opportunity for material suppliers. In this article by Dr James Edmondson, Research Director here at IDTechEx, we share some of these opportunities including those outside of the automotive market, along with some challenges for material suppliers in this space and findings from recent industry events.

IDTechEx, a trusted provider of independent market intelligence, announces the availability of a new market report, "Battery Markets in Construction, Agriculture & Mining Machines 2024-2034". The report forecasts battery demand for off-highway industries will be worth nearly US$8 billion in 2034.

Wednesday 8 May 2024 - Advanced Thermal Management in EV Power Electronics; A high-level examination of the conventional thermal framework in EV power electronics alongside projections for future structures; Analysis of trends of die-attach and substrate-attach materials; Trends in Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) and an assessment of commercially available TIMs tailored for power electronics; Comparison of single and double-sided cooling, alongside emerging trends and commercial applications

Trains that could travel to more tucked-away parts of the country with zero emissions are an example of the potential behind battery electric (BEV) and fuel cell (FC) trains. The benefits to the environment, alongside businesses removing long-term fuel costs, could make this advancement even more worthwhile.

The signing of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in 2001 marked a historic moment, as it was the first global treaty aimed at eliminating or restricting chemicals harmful to human and environmental health. The addition of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) to the Convention in 2009 marked yet another milestone, as PFOS and its related substances became the first of the PFAS family to be regulated on an international level

Electric haul trucks will be key to achieving meaningful emissions reduction in the mining industry and assisting mining companies to meet their sustainability objectives. Haul trucks make up almost a quarter of the global mining vehicle population but are by far the largest and most emitting vehicles, contributing to over 90% of vehicular emissions in mining or over 174 megatonnes of CO2 annually

Thursday 2 May 2024 - Forever Chemicals: Insights into Regulations Affecting PFAS and Potential Alternatives; The definition and scope of PFAS; Concerns about the effects of PFAS exposure; Regulatory frameworks impacting PFAS worldwide; Emerging applications utilizing PFAS; Potential alternatives for PFAS in selected emerging applications

At the end of February 2024, the UK ran its second Hydrogen Week. During this week, Hyundai set two new records for the driving range of its fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). While certainly a significant achievement, will the ultimate range of FCEVs impact consumer opinions and adoption?

There is undoubtedly a huge push to build global DC fast-charging networks. The US government is providing more than $5 billion in funding and incentives as part of the NEVI program to build a coast-to-coast fast charging network, and many countries in Europe are rolling out similar programs following the AFIR regulations to spur EV charging infrastructure growth. 2024 will be a big year for EV charging, but, as IDTechEx discuss in this article, there's more to the story.

Automotive heads-up displays (HUDs) are currently being met with great enthusiasm and expectations. The increased usage of technology while driving and with drivers having to deviate their gaze from the road to look at the dashboard and center information displays (CID) in vehicles have resulted in more road accidents over the years. Drivers must deviate their gaze from the road to look at on-board diagnostics (OBDs), check the GPS, select music, and so on. HUDs present these images directly in the driver's line of sight, thus reducing the need for the driver to look away from the road.

The move towards 800V and above in electric vehicles is already well underway, spearheaded by numerous automotive OEMs such as GM, Hyundai, VW, and Lucid Motors. These platforms enhance efficiency by minimizing joule losses and allowing for the downsizing of high-voltage cabling, thus reducing weight.

Membrane materials are of fundamental importance for fuel cells, even giving their name to the specific type of fuel cell, as is the case for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Typically, these membranes consist of ionomers containing perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which in turn are subject to increasing concern and proposed regulations. In response to this, alternative materials for membranes are beginning to emerge.

The SDV and AI Cars market is set to be worth over US$700 billion by 2034, representing around 20% of the global car market, according to IDTechEx's "Software-Defined Vehicles, Connected Cars, and AI in Cars 2024-2034" report.

Thursday 25 April 2024 - Hydrogen and Solar Charged Electric Vehicles: Navigating the EV Transition with Constrained Electrical Grids - Introduction to the need for off-grid charging; Overview of the main charging options; Relative advantages for each solution, and likely end-use sectors; Market outlook

When it comes to transport, safety is of the utmost importance, and due to the exponentially increasing demand in the electric vehicle market, the awareness of thermal runaway and potential fires from batteries is increasing simultaneously. IDTechEx's report "Fire Protection Materials for EV Batteries 2024-2034: Markets, Trends, and Forecasts" explores different battery technologies and fire-resistant materials as emerging options for dealing with the risks.

Wednesday 1 May 2024 - Unlocking the Skies: The Promise of eVTOLs and Urban Air Mobility - Introduction to urban air mobility and air taxi services; The different eVTOL aircraft design architectures; Key enabling technologies: batteries / motors / charging infra / composite materials; Market landscape and ongoing projects; Overview of IDTechEx's 20-year outlook for the eVTOL market

As autonomous driving continues to revolutionize the automotive industry, sensor technologies have undergone unprecedented advancements. One innovation standing out is Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar). Utilizing laser light to measure distances and create precise 3D maps of surroundings, Lidar has emerged as a game-changer in perception capabilities, especially for the automotive industry.

Wednesday 24 April 2024 - What is quantum computing, and what is the state of the industry? How has the industry changed in the last 12 months? How do scalability challenges vary between quantum computing modalities? Which trends can be expected in the quantum computing market in 2024 and beyond? When are some key inflection points anticipated for commercial value creation?

Electric vehicles are no longer a niche oddity but fully mainstream, with many automotive manufacturers announcing targets to phase out ICE construction in favor of BEVs (battery electric vehicles). Passenger cars are not the only sectors where electrification is taking off. Medium and heavy-duty haulage, construction, agriculture, and mining are all under pressure to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and going electric is an increasingly attractive solution.