Is the range extender making a comeback? It became clear not only during a tour of the IAA in Munich: the much-maligned range extenders could become a topic for us again. Suppliers are working hard on the drive technology - not just for customers in China. Stefan Grundhoff
How Porsche brings inductive charging to market maturity Porsche is developing a wireless charging system for electric cars: From 2026, the new Cayenne Electric will be able to charge inductively via a base plate with up to eleven kW, making the charging process more convenient in everyday life. Götz Fuchslocher
BMW and E.ON launch first bidirectional customer offering With vehicle-to-grid, the electric car becomes part of the energy system: The BMW iX3 can not only receive electricity but also feed it back into the grid. BMW and E.ON are thus bringing a commercial V2G offering for private customers to Germany for the first time. Ronja Schmiedchen
Mercedes demonstrates the range power of the solid-state battery Mercedes has proven the performance of the solid-state battery with a modified EQS: 1,205 kilometres from Stuttgart to Malmö without a charging stop. Volkswagen is also taking the next development steps. automotiveIT editorial team
“Cost efficiency is a key priority in our development strategy” The Automotive Wire Harness industry is facing major shifts: electrification, data networks and sustainability are redefining cable development. In this interview, Tobias Kupka from GG Group shares his perspective on materials, innovation and OEM demands shaping the next generation of vehicle architectures. Benjamin Müller
Electric CLA shows strengths and weaknesses in Norway Few countries are as committed to electromobility as Norway. It is here that the new electric Mercedes-Benz CLA faces its trial - on winding roads, in clear air, and with views of fjords and mountains. Ronja Schmiedchen
Germany lags behind in bidirectional charging More and more cars are ready for bidirectional charging, vehicle-to-grid is slowly gaining momentum. But here, many factors act as a brake. Why does this need to change and will it? A look at neighbouring countries offers a jump start. Chris Löwer
How suppliers are boosting e-mobility The combustion engine is disappearing, electric is winning, hybrids and range extenders are making a comeback. In this area of tension, suppliers must reposition themselves in the challenging market environment. We show which strategies and technologies companies currently have in place. Götz Fuchslocher
“We want to build supply chain resilience through automation” Wire harness production is shifting from manual assembly to automated pre-assembly. Christian Infanger of Komax, one of the speakers at this year’s Automotive Wire Harness & EDS Conference, explains how one-piece flow, modular systems, and advanced processes cut errors, boost throughput, and enhance scalability. Benjamin Müller
How advanced are autonomous driving systems really? Autonomous driving between theory and practice - at the IAA Mobility 2025, OEMs, suppliers, and research institutions showcase the progress of driver assistance systems. Learn more about the current ADAS technologies in our overview. Benjamin Müller
“Regulatory compliance is becoming a critical design constraint” Thermal loads, aggressive coolants, and strict regulations are pushing HV connector seals to their limits. At Starlim, Leopold Pühringer develops materials and test methods to keep wire harness systems reliable under these extremes – a topic he explores in our interview. Benjamin Müller
How Busbars in Charging Infrastructure Increase EV Charging Performance A disadvantage of electric cars is still the charging time. The integration of busbars in charging infrastructures for electric vehicles offers great potential to increase this charging performance. However, some challenges need to be addressed. Barbara Stumpp
How Tesla is Changing its AI Hardware Strategy In the summer of 2025, Tesla discontinued the Dojo supercomputer project and will now focus on AI5 and AI6 chips, manufactured by Samsung. What are the goals behind this and what risks does the exclusive 2-nm manufacturing pose? Martin Large
Electrification of Cars Changes Vehicle Design Electrification replaces mechanical systems with electrical modules - from power steering to cooling pumps. New vehicle architectures, 48-V technologies, and intelligent components are driving this change across the entire mobility industry. Matt McWhinney
Car Batteries: What Flame Retardants Can and Cannot Do Do flame retardants in car batteries really protect against fires - or do they cause more harm than they prevent? A publication questions their effectiveness and even sees risks. We asked a manufacturer. Dr. Martin x Large
Cupra's Flagship Tavascan in Practical Test A long-distance drive shows: The Cupra Tavascan VZ drives confidently, thinks ahead - and sounds better than many competitors. But not everything runs smoothly in the digital everyday life. Where does it shine, where does Cupra need to improve? Timo Gilgen
What does a Battery Production Data Scientist do? The high-voltage battery is considered the most important differentiating feature in electric cars. BMW uses highly intelligent data-driven systems in battery production. To ensure these become more sophisticated, there are people like Patrick Zimmermann. Chris Löwer
China Speed in the Automotive Industry – How Can We Keep Up? China is redefining the pace of development in the automotive industry. AEK 2025 shows the structures, technologies, and strategies Chinese manufacturers are using to set standards in SDV and the implications for Europe. Sabine Synkule
New Battery Project Pursues Highly Cooperative Scaling With the aim of accelerating the industrialisation of novel production and battery technologies, RWTH Aachen, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, and the German mixing technology developer HS-Tumbler are launching the KOOP project. Götz Fuchslocher
“We advocate for an application-driven approach” At the Automotive Battery Conference, Zheren Wang of Forward Engineering made the case for rethinking battery enclosures. In this interview, he outlines how a holistic composite strategy can unlock performance, safety, and design freedom. Benjamin Müller
AEK 2025: SDV, AI & Mega-Alliances in Focus The AUTOMOBIL-ELEKTRONIK Kongress 2025 has highlighted key challenges and future topics of the automotive industry – from AI to SDV to new partnerships. Here are five topics that shaped the event. Dr. Martin x Large
“Industry Collaboration and Internal R&D are Decisive” How can OEMs balance cost, performance, and sustainability in battery development? Dr. Juliane Kluge, Head of Cell Chemistry and Methods at BMW, shares insights ahead of her keynote at the Automotive Battery Conference 2025. Benjamin Müller
How ZF Uses AI to Make Electric Motors More Efficient TempAI is the name of a new method from ZF that aims to take temperature management in electric drives to a new level. The adaptive temperature model is expected to improve temperature control by 15 percent. Götz Fuchslocher
“Morrow "electrified" all heating and drying processes in cell manufacturing” How can sustainability, cost-efficiency, and flexibility be reconciled in battery cell manufacturing? Christin-Marie Boudgoust, CCO of Morrow Batteries, shares her perspective ahead of her talk at the Automotive Battery Conference. Benjamin Müller
Rheinmetall Charging Kerb Ready for Regular Operation After just over a year, Rheinmetall's charging kerb pilot project in Cologne has been successfully completed, proving the market readiness of the solution: Technical availability during the test period was over 99%, and users consistently gave positive feedback. Dr. Martin x Large
“The rationale lies in minimising the logistical effort of transporting old battery systems” In the run-up to the Automotive Battery Conference, we interviewed Dr Dominik Lembke, CBDO at Librec. The 7th edition of the international event will take place on 9 and 10 July 2025 in Munich, and Dr Lembke is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
What China's GB 38031-2025 Means for EV Batteries With GB 38031-2025, China aims to usher in a new era of battery safety: "no fire, no explosion" is the motto. What initially sounds like a technical detail could fundamentally change the global EV market. Dr. Martin x Large
ZF launches Smart Chassis Sensor in Cadillac Celestiq ZF equips Smart Chassis Sensor for Cadillac’s all-electric flagship Celestiq. It is permanently integrated into the ball joints of all four-wheel suspensions and determines the vehicle's ride height. Smart algorithms generate information from it. Benjamin Müller
“The cell-to-pack (CTP) approach is gaining traction” Tesla and BYD set the pace in cell innovation. In this interview, Jonas Gorsch – a speaker at the Automotive Battery Conference 2025 – reveals what European developers must learn to scale next-gen battery production. Benjamin Müller
How can EV Batteries be given a „Second Life“? What happens to the batteries of electric vehicles once they can no longer store sufficient charge to power a drivetrain? One answer is second life – reuse. This article provides an overview of how this works, where it is already being implemented, and what needs to be considered. Dr. Martin x Large
“Integrating vehicle batteries into home energy systems presents substantial business opportunities“ In the run-up to the Automobil-Elektronik Kongress 25, we talked to Dr. Norbert Alt, COO & Executive Vice President at FEV, about bidirectional charging technologies. Benjamin Müller
“Our concept does not require module housings or inner frames” In the run-up to the Automotive Battery Conference, we interviewed Maximilian Schirp, CTO & Co-founder at ivilion. The 7th edition of the international event will take place on 9 and 10 July 2025 in Munich, and Schirp is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
“Global OEMs are under pressure” “Speed of change” is the most critical KPI in SDV strategy, says Anup Sable—because innovation must be fast, efficient, and scalable to succeed in the global race. As CTO of KPIT, he is one of this year’s AEK speakers, whom we interviewed ahead of the conference. Benjamin Müller
What’s ahead at the Automotive Battery Conference 2025? On July 9–10, 2025, the 7th edition of “The Automotive Battery – Key Technology for Electric Vehicles” will take place at the SZ Tower in Munich. The event delivers deep industry insight, strategic guidance, and networking opportunities for professionals in the automotive battery ecosystem. Benjamin Müller
“Analog workflows create blind spots” In the lead-up to the Automotive Battery Conference, we spoke with Erik Reiter, CEO and Co-Founder of Digital Automotive IT Manufactory. With over 25 years of international management experience in the automotive supplier industry, Reiter has held various leadership roles. Benjamin Müller
What’s ahead at the Automobil-Elektronik Kongress 2025? On 24 June, it's finally that time again: Decision-makers in the fields of electricity, electronics, and software in cars will meet in Ludwigsburg for the Automobil-Elektronik Kongress, the annual networking event of the industry. Sabine Synkule
What Drives Battery Development in Germany Battery technology is entering a new era: In the strategies of German players, topics such as higher energy density, 800V, battery recycling, re-use, and data passports dominate. What are the next steps? Find the answers here. Andrea Hoffmann-Topp
What’s ahead at Charging & Battery ASEAN 2025? As Southeast Asia positions itself as a future EV growth region, Bangkok will host the 4th Charging & Battery ASEAN Conference from June 17–18, 2025. With a speaker lineup spanning OEMs, suppliers, energy strategists, and tech innovators, the event covers the full EV value chain. Benjamin Müller
“Distribution grid operators need transparent guidelines” In the run-up to the ChargeTec Conference, we posed three questions to Johannes Pallasch, Head and Spokesman of the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure (NOW). The 5th edition of the international event will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich. Benjamin Müller
“V2G services most likely start with fleet operators” In the run-up to the ChargeTec Conference, we interviewed Simon Haverkamp, Manager e-mobility at Accenture. The 5th edition of the international event will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich, Haverkamp is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
“We must avoid over-regulation” In the run-up to the ChargeTec Conference, we posed three questions to Alexander Funke, Expert Energy Markets at BMW. The 5th edition of the international event will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich, Funke is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
From Basic Charging to Intelligent Energy Distribution E-mobility is key to a sustainable future, and as the number of electric vehicles continues to grow, so does the demand for reliable and efficient charging infrastructure. This article explores the challenges and solutions involved in optimizing charging networks—covering load and charge management, cost-saving potential, the integration of renewable energy, and forward-looking technologies such as vehicle-to-grid. Peter Guse and Melina Danieli
“Pooling resources with market leaders” In the run-up to the ChargeTec Conference, we interviewed Detlef Hell, Manager Home Charging & Energy Services at Ford. The 5th edition of this international event will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich, Hell is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
This was the 13th Conference Bordnetze im Automobil The 13th Conference Bordnetze im Automobil (Automotive Wire Harness & EDS 2025) brought the industry back to Ludwigsburg. International industry experts gathered in the tranquil town near Stuttgart to explore the latest innovations in vehicle wiring systems, E/E architectures, and Software-Defined Vehicles. Benjamin Müller
Charging Infrastructure in Focus: 4 Perspectives from Experts What's the actual benefit of bidirectional charging? Is China a risk or an incentive? And why is the charging network still struggling? Industry experts provide surprisingly clear answers - and show where consensus and conflict lines lie. Dr. Martin Large
“Sandstorms and lots of dust in the air” In the run-up to the ChargeTec Conference, we asked Wulf Schlachter, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, DXBe Management, three questions. The 5th edition of this international event will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich. Wulf Schlachter is one of its speakers. Benjamin Müller
Volkswagen Unveils China-Exclusive Electric Models At Auto Shanghai 2025, Volkswagen debuts AI-enhanced vehicles designed for the Chinese market, aiming to boost sales with NEVs. Benjamin Müller
3 Questions for… Dr Axel Sprenger, Managing Director, USCALE In the run-up to the 5th International Conference ChargeTec, we asked Dr Axel Sprenger, Managing Director, USCALE, 3 questions. The conference will take place on 27 and 28 May 2025 in Munich, and Dr Sprenger is one of the speakers. Benjamin Müller
Elecq Enters German Market The Chinese charging technology company Elecq is entering the German market this May. Founded in 2023, the company provides both AC wall-mounted chargers and DC fast-charging stations. Benjamin Müller
Thermal imaging cameras monitor thermal events in EV batteries Thermal runaways can make electric vehicles hit the headlines. But how can such an event be predicted? Thermal imaging cameras can help with this. What scenarios are there and what are the results. Nicole Ahner
Why is the switch to 48-volt electrical systems important now? The tension is rising: VW and Audi are pushing the switch to 48-volt electrical systems. At the 12th Automotive Wire Harness Congress, Dr. Bodo Specht from VW and Dr. Uli Mende from Audi discussed the challenges and opportunities of switching to 48 V in the automotive industry. Dr. Martin x Large
All Information on the 13th Automotive Wire Harness Congress The wiring systems industry is undergoing extreme changes: There are software updates instead of cables, 800-volt technology instead of standard power, and many more changes... At the Automotive Wire Harness 2025, you can see who is leading the way. What can participants expect? Dr. Martin x Large
General Motors imagines electric-powered Corvette General Motors has revealed a design study Chevrolet Corvette concept car developed by the company’s UK team. It has EV battery technology embedded in the structure. Benjamin Müller
Uncooled DC charging cables for realising a wide range of charging solutions With a comprehensive and reliable DC charging infrastructure, charging electric cars on medium and long-distance journeys at semi-public and public electric charging stations is more than suitable for everyday use. Long charging times are a thing of the past. Florian Grothaus
With These Cars, Nio and GAC Want to Conquer Europe Nio and GAC have understood that European customers operate somewhat differently than those in their home market of China. It requires long-range and highly technological models that could occupy niches neglected by European OEMs until now. Jürgen Zöllter
Concepts for the Development of Battery Management Systems Current Battery Management Systems (BMS) must efficiently process voltage, current, and temperature measurements to ensure a safe operating state. More computing power and the advent of edge processing can be a solution here. Sabine Synkule
All the Information on Solid-State Batteries in Electric Vehicles The race for long-range solid-state batteries is gaining momentum. While the technical challenges of the batteries of the future still need to be overcome, these automakers are positioning themselves with the help of research and startups. Götz Fuchslocher
The Development of the Battery Raw Materials Market The European industry remains too dependent on risky imports from abroad for battery materials. This is shown by a recent analysis, which is exclusively available to Automobil Produktion. Werner Beutnagel
These are the Future Platforms of Car Manufacturers Never before has a platform strategy been so important and at the same time so easy to implement as with the electric car. But what new modular systems are German manufacturers planning and when will they hit the market? We summarise. Thomas Geiger
