Zapi Group and the Future of Electrification: ‘From Hype to Reality’
ZAPI Group's fifth Future of Electrification conference took stock of the industry — and we put the questions to Mourad Chergui, Senior Product Manager at Delta-Q
At the fifth annual virtual conference “Future of Electrification,” ZAPI Group set out to explore the key issues shaping the adoption of electrification technologies. Among the most notable insights was a closer look at how charger design influences battery longevity — including the role of low ripple current in protecting battery health.
In the September issue of POWERTRAIN International you will find an in-depth Q&A with Mourad Chergui, Senior Product Manager at Delta-Q, a ZAPI Group company. While we await the end of this sweltering summer and the return of the European marine shows, here is an extract.
What is the current state of electrification?
“The current state of vehicle electrification is a topic that many people are discussing. To begin, it would be useful to look at the situation across different regions, then at the battery chemistries that enable electrification.
In North America, demand for electric vehicles is clearly slowing down, with only about 6% to 10% of new car being electric. This year, we are already observed a decline in the market. Europe is still expanding, accounting for about 20% of new cars, driven by legislation and falling electric vehicle prices that are encouraging more people to switch from combustion engines. Vehicle electrification is much higher in China. According to recent figures, electric cars now make up over 60% of new cars there. So, the situation varies depending on the region and other factors.
This also reflects the current state of electrification in industrial and off-road machinery, which is the focus of Delta-Q’s battery charging solutions. In terms of new electrification projects and expansion across vehicle types, two trends stand out: North America is seeing a marked slowdown, with many off-road vehicle projects delayed or paused, while Europe continues to advance, albeit with some delays of its own. However, certain segments like material handling and mobile elevated work platforms (MEWP) continue to experience strong electrification and progressively phase out combustion engines. Material handling consistently shows year-over-year growth in electric vehicle adoption and has mid-term potential to eliminate internal combustion engines. Meanwhile, MEWP demand is increasing because of their benefits for indoor applications, particularly scissor and boom lifts.
Battery technology in industrial markets is another important part of the current electrification landscape. While lead-acid batteries continue to dominate many sectors, lithium chemistries are gaining traction. Lithium battery packs vary in power density and safety features. The key chemistries include lithium iron phosphate (LFP), Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC), and emerging battery technologies like solid-state and sodium-ion batteries.
LFP is known for being very stable and having strong resistance to thermal runaway, which can cause a battery to catch fire or explode. NMC chemistries have higher power density, but they can be more susceptible to thermal runaway. That is why most industrial markets use LFP, while automotive markets often use NMC because of its higher power density and favorable cost characteristics.
About Solid-State Batteries
Solid-state batteries, alternatively, are an emerging battery technology that differs from current lithium-ion chemistries by replacing the liquid electrolyte with a solid material. With no liquid movement inside the battery, their main advantages are significantly higher safety, greater power density, and faster charging. A solid-state battery could potentially be half or even one-third the size of an equivalent LFP battery, making battery systems more practical for large machinery such as agricultural tractors, while charging times could fall to less than 30 minutes.
This also creates new design opportunities. For instance, Donut Lab has showcased ideas in which the battery is integrated directly into the motorcycle wheel rather than using a separate battery pack elsewhere in the vehicle. This approach frees up space inside and could simplify managing issues related to temperature, shock, and safety.
These characteristics make solid-state batteries attractive for compact, high-performance applications such as robotics, automated equipment, and some large off-road machinery, where space is limited and power density matters. They could also help electrify very large machines, including agricultural tractors and other heavy equipment, where today’s LFP battery packs can become impractically large. However, the technology is still moving from research into early deployment, manufacturing processes are still being refined, and there are indications that solid-state batteries may be sensitive to current and charging ripple. As a result, they are likely to remain expensive in the near term, with early adoption focused on applications where performance and space constraints justify the added cost.
Sodium-ion batteries are another emerging technology that is rapidly gaining attention. They could potentially dominate the market within ten years due to their cost advantages. Unlike lithium, which is a scarce and strategically important resource concentrated in specific regions, sodium, think sea salt, is plentiful and widely available. This makes sodium-ion batteries cheaper to produce and more stable. Currently, sodium-ion batteries are available in the market, but manufacturing methods are still being optimized and are somewhat complex. As the technology advances over this decade, it is expected to become much more refined. In fact, many experts view sodium-ion batteries as a key component of future energy storage solutions.
