The move from internal combustion engine (ICE) to battery electric propulsion entails a radical reduction in the number of components within a vehicle—some estimates put it at roughly half. Within the drivetrain of an electric vehicle (EV), there are fewer than 20 moving parts. But that doesn’t necessarily mean parts suppliers are suddenly in trouble.
For fluid handling specialists like TI Fluid Systems (TIFS), the industry move towards electric propulsion could open lucrative new business opportunities. “The thermal management requirements on an EV are much greater than on an ICE,” says Johannes Helmich, Chief Technology Officer at TIFS. “An EV’s battery range and recharging characteristics are mainly influenced by thermal management. You need to make sure that the e-drive, the battery, and the wider vehicle architecture are properly temperature-controlled to provide optimal performance.”
TIFS supplies products for both ICE and EV models, but the balance of business is changing. In 2021, new business wins on the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery EV side were at 32%. In 2022, the year-to-date PHEV and battery EV mix has increased to 62% of all awards. “We are already in the middle of this transformation, where we are gaining more business wins on the future technologies than on the classical ICEs,” Helmich tells Automotive World. “The expectation is clearly that this trend will continue.”
