Electric Motors

Huge companies make traction motors for electric vehicles. After all, as the IDTechEx report, "Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles: Land, Water, Air 2019-2029" details, every EV has at least one traction motor and increasingly they have many, including one electric aircraft with no less than 36.

The automotive industry has emerged as a significant market opportunity for suppliers of conductive pastes and similar materials. It has the potential to one day rival in significance the irreplaceable photovoltaic market. Almost every major paste supplier with a global profile is re-organising its team and its product portfolio to capture this rising trend.

There are over two million midi buses in the world. For example, most of the 1.6 million school buses are midi buses though North American ones are mainly larger. The new IDTechEx Research report, "Electric School Buses and Midi Buses 2019-2039" finds that almost none are electric. It is very different for larger buses, for now at least.

In electric aircraft, motor power-to-weight ratio is paramount for endurance, the main constraint on sales. You cannot lug ever more battery weight to get range. Indeed, better motors mean less battery in a land, water or air vehicle. The new IDTechEx Research report, "Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles: Land, Water, Air 2019-2029" explains the new emphasis on power-to-weight ratio with good efficiency.

IDTechEx is hosting a free webinar on Thursday 28 March 2019 titled Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles Land, Water, Air: $100+bn Market Emerging.

Traction motor sales grow faster than electric vehicle sales because small vehicles such as mobility for the disabled have two motors. IFEVS has put two in microcars for four-wheel drive. In larger cars, two motors is now commonplace for economy, performance, four-wheel drive, vectored steering and attack survival.

Car demand will collapse as people move to cities. $100 billion was written off the stock value of car companies recently. The US economy is on a sugar rush from a trillion-dollar borrowing boost at the top of the cycle. Climate change getting out of control in 12 years? These and many other negative indicators can portend a recession, maybe a severe one. What are the implications for EVs?

Bad strategy rather than tactics, such as misjudged new models, will kill several major automotive companies. They face a perfect storm of peak car, totally new technology, totally new markets and recession.

It is a rule-of-thumb that manufacturers should vertically integrate only when products and markets mature, so they can confidently shave off the last pennies of cost. One exception is when shortages loom: Tesla built its battery gigafactory fast using proven Panasonic technology. However, many suppliers now build battery gigafactories.

The new IDTechEx Research report, "Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles: Land, Water, Air 2019-2029" measures how induction (asynchronous) motors are rapidly losing market share.