The global automotive industry is undergoing a transformation with the introduction of new technologies like electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles, and autonomous vehicles. The transition has been necessitated due to a growing concern of adverse effects of polluting gases and its impact on our environment, as well as uncertainty about fuel prices.
Electro mobility – also known as e-mobility - is the principle of using electric power to propel a wide range of transportation options. E-mobility includes not only electric cars, bikes or trucks; it can also include trains and sea faring vessels. Apart from the key benefits of reducing atmospheric pollution, e-mobile vehicles are quiet and efficient. There are many types of e-mobility solutions available today that include battery operated EVs, hybrid EVs, plug-in-hybrid EVs, etc. However, all of them have some common features – they are driven electrically (fully or partly) and have a means of storing energy on board (typically batteries).
Having realized the benefits of EVs, many of the established companies in India and the rest of the world are racing to develop their own EVs. Joining the bandwagon are new entrants for whom EVs are their primary ventures. To gain a competitive edge, all these companies are using all the tools they have at their disposal. In this era of digital information, one of the potent weapons is data. And one such tool that leverages data is PLM (Project Lifecycle Management). PLM centralizes all product-related data and allows the product development process to be managed holistically between design and engineering teams, supply partners, and other stakeholders.
Overview of PLM
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an approach to manage knowledge that involves all phases of product development from concept to disposal. It is a digital paradigm that allows companies to handle increasingly complicated processes, systems and products that pose considerable challenges in their design, analysis, manufacturing and management for successful operation and use over their life cycles. PLM enables comparison, evaluation and optimization of the different product requirements, linking production information (specifications, models, results of performance, best practices, and reviews) to design. Fully integrated PLM solutions are designed to provide what enterprises need to maximize their strategy, and easily scale to meet their future needs.
The main components of an EV include:
Each of these components presents design challenges, and PLM lends designers a helping hand here. Electric mobility or not, consumers need amenities like music system, air conditioning, power steering, power windows, blue tooth connectivity, and so on in their vehicles. Manufacturers also need to keep in mind that EVs require extensive testing and maximizing driving range while adhering to safety norms. EVs are still at an evolving stage, and manufacturers need to rely on data generated during simulation and real-life testing of the EVs. The insights gained from test data can help companies improve the performance of the EVs and give them a competitive edge.
Connecting the Dots
Gone are the days when long lived products with a limited variance in their product structure ruled the roost. They have been replaced by a new type of product-service system that is characterized by the fact that it consists of a bundle of components / modules, each with a different lifecycle and a high variance and functionality. EVs are one such modern product. The main benefits of a PLM system implementation in companies are faster time to market, improved productivity and collaboration, better product quality, decreased cost of new product information, reduced prototyping costs and design review and approval processes, and reducing the environmental impacts at the end of product life. All this is just what the doctor ordered for e-mobility vehicles.
PLM in E-Mobility
PLM serves to integrate information across all phases of a product’s lifecycle and its environment including product ideation, design, manufacturing, distribution, support, and retirement from use. Here is how PLM specifically benefits e-mobility:
In summary, PLM software, which makes product management nimble, is well suited to handle the challenges all types of EVs face as an emerging technology. And choosing the right PLM software – like PTC Windchill as an example – which provides all the features needed to manage such challenges can augment a company’s effort in increasing their market share in the EV market.