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Motor materials

Materials are as fundamental to e-motors as they are to every other engineered artifact, and selecting the right material for each application is crucial in any motor development project. Powering a broad range of vehicles with diverse duty cycles and operating environments, presents multifaceted challenges and material trade-offs.

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Cell-to-chassis

Moving to cell-to-chassis architecture means significant changes to EV structures and materials, finds Nick Flaherty Manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) are placing increased emphasis on pack design optimisation. Moving from modules to packs and even to direct integration with the chassis can promote lighter weight, less space, higher energy density, and lower material and assembly costs. However, this drive toward cell-to-chassis (C2C) architecture comes with a range of engineering challenges with respect to cooling, materials and assembly processes.

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Battery leak testing

Peter Donaldson delves into the world of battery leak testing. With the exception of old, British motorbike engines – it was said that if they’re not leaking, there’s no oil in them – leaks from anything are usually a sign of a problem. The escape of liquids such as coolant and electrolyte are undesirable, and the emission of gases can be the first warning sign of a thermal runaway.

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Motor testing

Peter Donaldson examines various means of testing electric motors. Although mechanically simple, compared with internal combustion engines, the electric motors forming the heart of the propulsion system of EVs of all kinds must go through intensive testing. This involves the use of many technologies and procedures to probe performance, efficiency, reliability and safety at every stage of manufacture and integration.

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Cybersecurity

Nick Flaherty uncovers new ways to make e-mobility software safer. A competition in Japan has discovered 49 vulnerabilities in automotive software, of which the developers were unaware. In the Pwn2Own Automotive 2025, researchers targeted EV-charging electronic control units (ECUs), where a flaw allowed the manipulation of charging parameters in the powertrain ECU, risking battery thermal runaway.

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Battery cell manufacturing

There are three major phases of activity for manufacturing battery cells, as Nick Flaherty reports Moving from small coin cells that prove the performance of a battery chemistry in the laboratory to production is a big step. There are many different ways to construct a cell, and many techniques for both building and characterising the resulting battery.

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Modular batteries

In optimising modular battery technologies, it’s important to harmonise design and control. By Peter Donaldson. Modular battery systems remain an essential component of e-mobility, offering unique advantages that complement recent advancements in cell-to-pack (C-t-P) technologies.

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Onboard chargers

Nick Flaherty examines how designers are making OBCs more powerful, faster and lighter. The onboard charger (OBC) market is changing with increasing power levels for faster operation and the need for lighter systems that can be integrated with the other vehicle components.

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Battery dielectric protection

Peter Donaldson examines multi-function dielectric materials for battery systems. Dielectric protection materials are critical in EV battery systems, where they serve to insulate components from one another, reduce the risks to technicians working on them, and often also contribute to structural strength and thermal management.

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Gap fillers and TIMs

Peter Donaldson examines the shifting demands on thermal interface materials and suppliers’ innovative responses. Thermal interface materials (TIMs), including gap fillers, are crucial for managing heat in battery packs, sensors and electronics in e-mobility applications. Their developers have to meet changing demands from battery builders and vehicle OEMs as they implement novel architectures moving into cell-to-pack, cell-to-chassis and cell-to-body schemes.