Skip to content

Interview: Dr John Warner, Director of Sales and Marketing, Magna Steyr Battery Systems

Martin Kahl talks to Magna Steyr Battery Systems about the increasing electrification of the vehicle

Dr John Warner Magna Steyr Battery Systems portraitDespite the excitement that surrounded the first wave of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), sales have fallen short of expectations. A new round of product launches, led by the BMW i3, Volkswagen Golf EV and Ford Focus EV, looks set to bring this alternative powertrain car back into buyers’ considerations – but the industry has still been left to wonder why BEVs have so far been less than stellar.

Dr John Warner, Director of Sales and Marketing at Magna Steyr Battery Systems, attributes BEV performance to “early excitement” that failed to translate into realistic timing. Much of that enthusiasm came from outside the automotive industry: “Those of us who have been in the automotive market know that new vehicle development is a four to five year programme. Even modifying an existing vehicle can be a two to three year programme. To take something and say you’re going to fully electrify it in two years is a major task.”

The Battery Systems group is the most recent addition to the portfolio of Magna Steyr, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Magna International. Alongside Battery Systems, the company operates engineering services, vehicle contract manufacturing, fuel systems and roof systems.

“Most of the architectures were really vehicle architectures that were designed for internal combustion engines,” explains Warner. “For everything else, vehicle manufacturers were trying to fit a battery into something that was not designed for that. One future trend I see is vehicle architectures designed for batteries.”

This raises the question of whether OEMs should design BEVs from scratch, or if vehicles should be developed to take numerous powertrains. Warner provides the view of a battery supplier: “The optimum solution would be to build a ground-up solution, but costs mean that’s not always feasible. As the architectures evolve and OEMs realise they need to put in batteries, they will start redesigning to optimise where to put the battery.”

Battery Systems is not a battery manufacturer. Instead, it works as a system integrator with cell manufacturers like Hitachi, Samsung and Toshiba to build, design, engineer and test a range of batteries, including 12-48 volt lithium-ion stop-start batteries, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV batteries.

Working with both US and European OEMs on contract engineering and production programmes puts the Battery Systems group in a very knowledgeable position when it comes to understanding where the regional industries might be going in terms of electrification – and there are some strong similarities becoming present, says Warner. “You already see stop-start type batteries in Europe. I would be surprised if a significant portion of the market in North America didn’t have some sort of stop-start by 2020.

“48 volt in the near term and 12 volts are going to be significant drivers in Europe and North America, because of CO2 and US fuel economy requirements. In many cases, it’s the lowest cost solution to meet those targets.”

Over 50% of the European market currently uses lead-acid stop-start systems, says Warner, who believes that the transition to lithium-ion based systems will soon begin. Li-ion systems offer not only weight savings but also the possibility of building in regenerative or recuperative braking.

Magna-Styr-06-17-20130020

A rise in the use of batteries in vehicles is on the horizon, not only to store energy for driving, but also to support increased electrification of vehicle components, such as electric power steering, fuel pumps and HVAC systems. “As more of the ancillary systems become electrified, it’s going to draw more and more demand on the engines,” Warner explains, “so the best way to manage it is to put in a small battery. This in turn takes loads off the engine, allowing it to operate at its most efficient level; you can downsize engines and optimise them – that saves fuel. If you start taking all those ancillary loads off the engine, it’s going to drive better fuel economy and CO2 emissions.”

Outside Europe and North America, Magna Steyr Battery Systems is exploring expansion into Asia – particularly China. “The Asian markets will start to follow some trends, and you see those already as legislation starts to drive fuel economy. China, in particular, has been investing significantly in fuel economy technologies in its five-year plans, as more people are able to afford cars. Now it is trying to figure out how to manage the pollution issues that it has struggled with. Electrification is a great way to do that.”

When it comes to trends driving the industry, Warner believes the combination of CO2 reduction and fuel economy is the biggest one to watch. “That’s driving most of our customer requests,” he explains. “On top of that is the electrification of the vehicle’s ancillary systems. The best way to improve CO2 is to make the engine more efficient, and the best way to do that is to remove unnecessary loads. And electrifying the system enables the vehicle to become a communication portal. As you increase electrification, the needs for battery power increase.”

Longer term, autonomous cars will drive full electrification. In the near and mid-term, however, Warner sees the greatest potential in plug-in hybrid technology. “Pure BEVs are still a viable solution, but they’re a viable solution for a very small percentage of the market. Plug-ins are going to be the unsung heroes of probably the next ten years.”

This article was first published in the Q1 2014 issue of Automotive World Megatrends Magazine. Follow this link to download the full issue

Welcome back , to continue browsing the site, please click here