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Not long ago, electric vehicles (EV) were a dream that portrayed a vision for the future. However, today, the world’s major automakers offer at least one type of electric vehicle in their product lines, and they are all speeding up the development and production of electric vehicles.

Market analysts believe that electric vehicles will soon dominate the car market, just like how smart phones revolutionized the mobile phone market about a decade ago.

Current forecasts indicate that by 2040, electric vehicles will account for more than 50% of passenger car sales. The main driving factor for the shift to electric vehicles is to limit and curb harmful emissions that currently lead to global warming.

One of the main development goals of electric vehicles is to make them as efficient as possible to increase the mileage on a single battery charge. Reducing the total weight of the vehicle has a significant impact on efficiency, and manufacturers are looking for alternative lightweight materials for the chassis and body.

Aluminum, copper, and nickel are considered key metals for electric vehicles, and demand for these metals is expected to increase with the growth of electric vehicle sales.

Although, like other automotive industries, sales of electric vehicles have declined in 2020 due to the pandemic, sales are now expected to rise sharply.

It is not just body materials that are expected to be in strong demand; the batteries that power electric vehicles require copper, lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel and graphite.

From 2019 to 2030, the demand for nickel may increase 14 times. Similarly, the demand for lithium and copper is expected to increase 10 times.

The chart below, produced by Visual Capitalist, shows the expected growth in demand for key metals used in the production of electric vehicles.

Picture from Visual Capitalist

Aluminum—the metal coveted by electric car manufacturers—is widely used in car body parts, including brakes, wires, wheels, and pipes. Aluminum is also a key material in the transmission chain and is used for battery casings.

Aluminum alloy is very important for the development of electric vehicles because of its unique low density, which helps reduce overall weight.

Generally, the automotive industry uses AA5xxx and AA6xxx series aluminum alloys. However, most major suppliers are currently developing AA7xxx series aluminum alloy sheets to meet the high-strength requirements of automotive OEMs.

However, AA7xxx alloys (with zinc (Zn) added) are costly to manufacture and must overcome problems related to corrosion and stress.

Compared with steel, the high cost of aluminum contradicts the goal of reducing the cost of electric vehicles. Therefore, due to its strength, rigidity, and ability to absorb energy in the event of a collision, alternative high-strength high-strength steels (AHSS) are being used.

Because AHSS has such a strong strength, it can limit the thickness of the parts, thereby helping to reduce weight. Most newer vehicle designs use AHSS instead of traditional steel, which reduces weight by 25 – 39%. In a typical family car, this is equivalent to a weight reduction of 170 to 270 kg, and a reduction of about 3 to 4.5 tons of greenhouse gases during the entire life cycle of the vehicle.

Automobile manufacturers around the world are constantly innovating to find the alloy formulation that can strike the best balance between cost-effectiveness and safety and efficiency. Low-carbon steel is rapidly being replaced by high-strength steel (HSS), advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) and other high-tech alloys.

This major shift in automotive engineering and manufacturing means that the exact specifications of these new materials must be checked and confirmed at multiple stages of electric vehicle production.

From the initial inspection of raw materials to the quality control of the entire manufacturing process, the material analyzer plays a key role in ensuring the success of the EV production cycle.

Hitachi High-Tech's analyzer series are developed for specific applications, from precise analysis of component metal components to ppm-level melts. Hitachi’s analyzers can help expedite any material testing process, whether it is an automotive original equipment manufacturer or part of the general supply chain.

The OE series spark spectrometer is very suitable for analyzing metals in the development and production of EVs. With the latest detector technology, these are Hitachi's most powerful spark spectrometers, offering the level of performance normally seen in more expensive instruments.

For example, OE750 can monitor the nitrogen content in the steel casting process at an extremely low level, thereby providing excellent analytical performance for carbon steel. The instrument can identify all other trace elements in steel and provide reliable results for all major alloying elements.

Aluminum foundries that supply the automotive industry must perform aluminum melt analysis at the highest possible level. For example, the total amount of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), bismuth (Bi), and antimony (Sb) impurity elements must not exceed 120 ppm, because this will invalidate the effect of introducing other elements to control melt properties.

Both analyzers in the OE series were developed to meet these demanding requirements, making them the best choice for aluminum production.

For the analysis of nickel and nickel alloys, the latest detector technology in the OE series enables these instruments to identify all types of nickel alloys and track nitrogen content throughout the casting process.

They will also detect other trace elements, including lead and tin, and provide reliable results for all major alloying elements.

Hitachi High-Tech analyzers provide simple calibration, including self-check software, to ensure accurate results and provide advanced, cloud-based data management, making compliance and auditing a simple process.

It is important to arrange regular maintenance for the car, as is the precious equipment.

Hitachi is committed to minimizing downtime through responsive customer support. Provide on-site or remote support, flexible service agreements, and analyzer audits. Hitachi firmly grasps the establishment of long-term relationships that help keep the business running.

For more information on the OE series for specific metal applications, please contact Hitachi immediately or use the link below to schedule a demonstration.

This information is derived from materials provided by Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Sciences, and has been reviewed and adapted.

For more information on this source, please visit Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science.

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