Institution news
Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to this conference?
Fergal Harrington-Beatty (FHB): My role at HSSMI is as a Programme Manager leading all projects in the Midlands. My experience as a Production Engineer at Potenza Technology manufacturing battery packs and electric vehicles, is now used leading collaborative R&D and commercial projects with major automotive OEMs. I led the development of our CPD-accredited EVPS training programme and deliver it as a trainer to others.
Q: What are the main engineering challenges currently facing the industry and what are the most common issues you hear from colleagues?
FHB: The adoption of EVs by existing automotive OEMs and their supply chain is the main challenge I see experienced by my project and commercial partners. It is not just a design challenge launching an electric vehicle, but a manufacturing, training, logistical and environmental one too. As the highest cost item in an EV, the battery contributes to this significantly.
Q: What key topics are you excited to speak about?
FHB: I’m already seeing some really exciting innovation in the UK to overcome these automotive electrification challenges, and how second-life battery deployment can reduce costs for manufacturers in the first instance.
Q: Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme, and why?
FHB: I’m excited to get an update from Ilika on solid-state cells and hearing how close they are to commercial rollout. Also, the aerospace speakers as I think there is a lot of potential in collaboration between the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
FHB: Compared to other countries such as China and Germany, the UK is particularly bad at sharing ideas amongst industries and the firms within the EV industry, hence we fall behind by repeating R&D and not collaborating. Shows like this are vital to disseminate the learnings amongst the engineers involved working on batteries and EVs.
Q: What developments are you most interested in for the future and why?
FHB: I really believe the next 5 years will define the next 25 years in the UK as to whether we manufacture cells, modules or packs at a high volume, or whether this industry remains offshore and we lose out as a result. Hence, I will be watching the progress of firms such as AGM, Hyperbat and Hyperdrive very closely and with my fingers crossed for all of them!
International EV Batteries 2019 will be taking place on 5-6 November at the Kia Oval in London.
Join this conference to:
- Hear over 16 hours of content on electric vehicle battery development from pioneering users of battery technology including Jaguar Land Rover, Renault, Aston Martin and Ford Motor Company
- Network with battery research, design and systems engineers as well as battery management systems experts
- Invest in cost-effective battery technology by gaining insight into the latest cell, module and pack designs
- Gain insight into the latest technologies in thermal management to mitigate the risk of thermal runaway
- Receive an update on the status of battery manufacturing in the UK and the supply chain across the world.
To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/evbatteries.