Hadi discusses his role and involvement with regards to EV batteries, industry challenges, what he is looking forward to at the event and why it is important for engineers to attend.
Q: Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to electric vehicles?
Hadi Moztarzadeh (HM): I am a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Institution (FIMechE). I have over 20 years' experience in both academia and industry. My background is mainly in innovation and R&D in automotive sector, de-risking innovation to support decarbonisation of the sector, and it’s journey towards net-zero.
I am the Head of Technology Trends at the APC, where I oversee the Technology Strategy and Automotive Council roadmaps. I also look after a portfolio of insights and foresights and thought leadership pieces on strategic technologies (including electrification), and supply chain analysis for the automotive sector.
Prior to joining the APC, I was the Associate Dean (and Director) of Research, Innovation and Enterprise at the University of Salford, and before that, I had a 9-year career with WMG, University of Warwick, most recently led the cross-Catapult programme at WMG High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, where I led the cross-Catapult automotive electrification strategy team. I also led the industrial skill strategy at WMG HVM Catapult, and published the National Electrification Skills Framework.
Q: What are the main challenges facing your industry at present?
HM: There is currently a global race to decarbonise all industrial sectors and the automotive industry is not an exception. The foremost challenge (and I would say opportunity) for the auto industry is the shift towards zero emission vehicles, and mainly electrification. Both consumers and policy and regulations call for cleaner and more sustainable transport options.
The auto industry has shifted dramatically to respond to that. Automotive OEMs are investing heavily in EV technologies, but face hurdles like materials cost and availability and charging infrastructure.
There is also the supply chain resilience for the auto sector. Supply chain disruptions, highlighted by semiconductor shortages during the pandemic, continue to threaten production schedules and costs.
On top of that, competition from tech giants, changing consumer behaviours, and geopolitical uncertainties all compound the challenges, and provide opportunities for innovation. For example, digitalisation is becoming more integrated into the design, development, and production as well as operation and maintenance of vehicles, reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency.
The automotive industry must adapt, innovate, and commit to more sustainable practices across the end-to-end supply chain and the entire vehicle value chain, to thrive in this dynamic landscape.
Q: How would you say the industry has evolved over the past five years?
HM: The automotive industry has been through a profound transformation driven by technological advancements, environmental concerns and directives, and of course shifting consumer preferences. I would say the most notable evolution has been the rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs). Major OEMs have invested heavily in EV technologies, resulting in a broader range of EV models, improved battery performance, and increased affordability. We can see a lot of new EV models with a green number plate on our roads.
Global competitiveness is becoming more challenging for the automotive OEMs and their supply chain, and as such we have seen that major OEMs becoming more interested in upstream supply chain, critical minerals and raw materials for batteries, electric motors and power electronics.
The other significant evolution of the global automotive industry has been the increased integration of automotive products into sustainable transport solutions, aiming to offer a more holistic and environmentally friendly approach to mobility. This has already made auto manufacturers to explore new business models and partnerships. We have seen that auto manufacturers are now evolving system-level thinking around the role of their products and offerings across the broader transport ecosystem.
Q: What developments are going on that may have an impact on the development of future electric vehicles and battery technologies?
HM: There are major advancements and Innovation in battery technology and the whole of EV systems. I would highlight digitalisation as a primary one. We have seen major developments and integration of digital technologies to improve the efficiency of design, development production and service operation of battery systems and the overall performance of electric vehicles, and of course making them more affordable, accelerating the adoption of EVs.
Another aspect of technology advancement is around recycling technologies, to make the whole vehicle systems and specifically battery systems more sustainable across the entire value chain and lifecycle. This will address the growing requirements around sustainability and environmental considerations.
I would also point out the role energy, especially green energy, and renewable energy infrastructure and provision, which impacts the sustainability of battery manufacturing, has on vehicle production, EV adoption and operation.
Q: What will you be presenting at the conference and how will this benefit participants?
HM: At the APC, and on behalf the Automotive Council UK, I am currently leading a major update / refresh process on all automotive technology and system-level roadmaps, outlining the trends and drivers for the future of net-zero technologies and automotive products, in the context of mobility of people and goods.
I will be presenting the latest insights from our electrical energy storage roadmap, covering innovation, trends and drivers, with a peek to the latest version of the battery cell, module and pack roadmap.
I will also unfold the latest APC quarterly demand report, looking at the latest battery demand scenarios for various vehicle segments, and the critical materials forecast from our latest analyses.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join this year’s International EV Batteries conference?
HM: I have been attending this conference for the past couple of years, and have met lots of players from across the battery industry coming together to showcase their latest research and development, from fundamental research through to commercial opportunities and challenges for the EV battery industry.
Battery technology is becoming more and more important to the future of the automotive industry. This IMechE conference provides a valuable platform to gain insights into cutting-edge innovation in this space, and of course a great networking opportunity with industry experts, suppliers, potential collaborators. This will help all of us from across the battery ecosystem to share best practices, and maintain and strengthen the UK’s global position in this transformative journey for the automotive sector.
This year’s International EV Batteries conference will be taking place on 7-8 November 2023 at Aston Villa Football Club, Birmingham. To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/evbatteries.