For the past few years, it’s been all about the electrification revolution. Today, there’s a new major player in town: Artificial Intelligence (AI). As AI becomes more accessible and at an incredible speed, it has the potential to disrupt and revolutionize almost every industry. In the case of electrification and EVs, how will AI impact these areas? Can AI help governments and automakers overcome their setbacks and accelerate their goals to reach zero net emission?
Is a joint revolution combining electrification and AI on the horizon?
Electrification
With the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, electrification is considered one of the most important revolutions of our time. Indeed, it enables fossil fuel-powered technologies to transition to electric-powered ones. As a result, the world can reduce its reliance on finite resources, lower carbon emissions, and create a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
EVs and their Batteries
In the case of EVs, the move from cars with a traditional internal combustion engine to an electric one has led to EVs becoming increasingly popular. EVs rely on complex electronic systems to control the drivetrain, and provide a range of features including navigation, driver assistance and infotainment. At the center of it all, the battery as they allow EVs to run solely on electricity and eliminate the need for fossil fuels. With an ever-growing demand for batteries, the global lithium-ion battery market was valued at $112 billion in 2021, an increase of $71.5 billion compared to 2020. Indeed, this market is expected to reach the size of almost $424 billion in 2030. Furthermore, the development of more efficient, longer-lasting and with a bigger range batteries is making EVs more practical and cost-effective for a wider range of consumers. In addition to this, the use of batteries goes beyond just powering cars. Additionally, they are also used for energy storage and to help integrate renewable energy sources into the grid, such as solar and wind power.
The Recent Uprising of AI
AI involves the use of computer algorithms to perform tasks and simulate human intelligence. Driven by significant advances in machine learning and deep learning techniques, the rise of AI has been one of the most significant technological trends of recent years and 2023 is continuing to take it to new levels.
A Joint Revolution
Two of the most promising ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change are the electrification of transportation and the use of EV batteries for energy storage. However, can this be combined with AI to increase the efficiency and improve electrification?
EV Efficiency and Performance
AI is becoming increasingly important in the EV world as it can help improve efficiency and performance. By designing better batteries with an enhanced performance, it can result in a longer range, faster charging and overall better battery behavior. Indeed, AI algorithms can help optimize these systems by analyzing data from a range of sensors and make real-time decisions based on it. This also has the potential to help accelerate adoption for electric trucks and other heavy-duty equipment.
Manufacturing and Costs
On a production level, AI can help optimize EV manufacturing processes, from supply chain management to quality control by analyzing data from production lines and identifying patterns and inefficiencies. This allows AI to help reduce waste, emissions, and the amount of materials used, improve productivity, and optimize the manufacturing process to produce EVs faster, for less, and with higher quality. By reducing the amount of materials needed, the cost associated with production also goes does, enabling the acceleration of EV adoption.
Battery Management
One of the most important applications of AI in the EV world is optimizing battery management. Indeed, AI algorithms can help increase the sustainability of batteries, and improve the charging and discharging of EV batteries, increasing the battery’s lifespan, reducing charging times, and optimizing its energy efficiency. Moreover, AI can also be used to predict the range of the EV based on driving habits, traffic patterns, and weather conditions, which can help drivers plan their routes and avoid running out of battery charge. As a result, with optimized efficiency, less waste is created in the long run, which could increase the number of cars and batteries on the road.
Safety Improvements
In addition to making batteries more secure, AI also improves the safety of EVs. Indeed, with advanced driver assistance systems, AI is able to detect potential hazards and take corrective action to avoid accidents. This can help make EVs safer for passengers and other road users.
Will AI Accelerate Electrification?
From improving production to the range and from safety to enhanced charging, AI has the ability to enable more efficient and effective management of electric power systems and optimize battery performance. Additionally, AI can also help optimize the use of renewable energy sources in the power grid, which would accelerate the transition to an electrified world.
Addionics and AI
Addionics combines Smart 3D Electrodes with an AI structure optimization algorithm where the software is integrated into the battery’s hardware to create a smart and complete solution. Indeed, by using software that uses AI-based and structure-organization algorithms, the best structure can be predicted according to the application’s requirements. By improving the range, power/energy tradeoff and mechanical stability, Addionics’ technology is paving the way to accelerated EV adoption.
Discover more about Addionics, or contact us for collaboration opportunities.