VTE December 2020

VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER

DELINEATE THE FUTURE

Delineate: Drawing on years of experience for a potential new Australian car William Buck: COVID has brought new laws and obligations EV Adoption in Australia: What’s holding us up?

Formula E: the baby formula of the future

December 2020 Issue 26 Representing mobility engineers since 1927 www.saea.com.au

VTE | Contents

Contents December 2020

Drawing on years of experience

14

New Laws & Business Obligations Post COVID

18

Key stumbling blocks for Electric Vehicle adoption

20

Formula E - the baby formula of the future

22

Electromobility is picking up more and more speed

25

Special Features 14

Delineate – Drawing on years of experience

18

William Buck – New laws and business obligations

20

Electric Vehicle Adoption Australia – what’s holding us up

22

Formula E – the new baby formula for the future

27

Electromobility – a new fuel cell powertrain for trucks

VTE News 7

General News

8

Automotive News

10

Truck News

11

Bus & Train News

12

Defence & Aero News

13

Overseas News

Society News 4

Notes from the Chair - Welcome from Adrian Feeney

5

SAE-A News

Technical Feature 27

Technical – The Development of Gear Tooth Micro Geometry Analysis Method for the Transmission Gear Noise Robustness

about the cover Delineate’s Rob Veitch is drawing a new future for Australia’s cars

About the SAE-A SAE-A was founded in 1927 to address the need for further education for all facets surrounding Automotive Engineering, and now encompasses all mobility engineering industries in the Australasian region. The SAE-A is a non-profit organisation that works to serve the needs of its members and to promote the relevance of mobility related technologies to governments, industry and the community in general.

The editor, publisher, printer, the Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A) and their employees, directors, servants, agents and associated or related entities (Publishing Entities) are not responsible for the accuracy or correctness of the text, pictures or other material comprising the contributions and advertisements contained in this publication or for the consequences of any use made of the products, services and other information referred to in this publication. The Publishing Entities expressly disclaim all liability of whatsoever nature for any consequences arising from the use or reliance on material contained in this publication whether caused to a reader of this publication or otherwise. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publishing Entities. The responsibility for the accuracy or correctness of information and other material is that of the individual contributors and the Publishing Entities do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or correctness of information or other material supplied by others. To the extent permissible by law, the Publishing Entities exclude all liability pursuant to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) or other applicable laws arising from statute or common law.

Readers should make their own inquiries prior to the use of, or reliance on, any information or other material contained in this publication, and where necessary seek professional advice. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without the written permission of SAE-A is strictly prohibited.

www.saea.com.au

VTE | 3

Introduction | Secretary, CEO and Chairman Society of Automotive Engineers

VTE Published By: Society of Automotive Engineers - Australasia ABN: 95 004 248 604 Address: PO Box 103, Werribee Vic 3030 Phone: 0403 267 166 Email: info@sae-a.com.au Web: www.saea.com.au

Adrian Feeney

Board of Directors:

Secretary, Chair and CEO Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia

Chairman CEO & Secretary Adrian Feeney Board:

Kin Cheong Greg Shoemark Kate Cousins

Michael Waghorne Bernard Rolfe Noelle Parlier

Membership & Subscriptions Rose De Amicis Email: rose@sae-a.com.au Events Email: events@sae-a.com.au

Magazine Production: Editor Mandy Parry-Jones Trading Terms Media Email: mandypj@optusnet.com.au Mobile: 0409 806 986 Design Brigid Fraser Email: fraseram@optusnet.com.au Mobile: 0413 009 122 Advertising Jill Johnson Jill Johnson Media Email: jj@jilljohnsonmedia.com.au Mobile: 0409 217 624

VTE Industry Partner: Excellerate Australia

4 | December 2020

Dear members, Welcome to the December edition of our magazine, Vehicle Technology Engineer.

It seems like only a few days ago, our States were in varying degrees of COVID lockdown, now as the end of the year approaches, it’s a different world completely. Our State leaders continue to stress that we are not out of the woods yet, but as restrictions relax as we approach Christmas and the talk of a number of potential vaccines being available, we can all look to 2021 with renewed optimism.

As we go to print, Formula SAE is being run in the special, one-off COVID format, on-line, which is something we have all learned to adapt to, so university students are no different. Hopefully, next year our Formula will return to normality at Winton, in the meantime we look forward to our modified competition with 15 entrants, an outstanding number, all things considered.

I am sure we are all looking forward to the festive season and a chance to spend quality time with family and friends and of course some quiet time to reflect. This is certainly the case for our hardworking staff and Board as it has been a year full of challenges, consolidation and growth. It is also a time to recharge the batteries and prepare for another big year in 2021 as it will no doubt be for all of us.

We have had some changes at the Board level with Peter Dale standing down and has now been replaced by Associate Professor Bernard Rolfe (refer article in this edition), who takes over Peter’s portfolio of FISITA representative, a role he is well suited to given his years of involvement with FISITA as a SAE-A member. We are currently looking at future roles for the Board and are

keen to hear from anyone who feels they could contribute to the Society in a meaningful way, if so please contact me to discuss your availability and potential role further.

A big thank you for our staff and contractors for their tireless efforts throughout the year, specifically; •

Rose DeAmicis – Administration & Membership Officer

•

Nadine Laurence – Events Manager

•

Mandy Parry-Jones magazine & E-news

•

Brigid Fraser magazine graphic designer

•

Jill Johnson – sponsorship and advertising

•

Nikola Sanders & Joan Drew – Finances

•

Nadia Kentera – APAC 21 conference organiser

Thank you to all our loyal members, your support is very much appreciated, and we look forward to serving you in 2021. We are about to issue membership renewals and we urge you get your payments in early so as to ensure a strong and healthy Society The Board is about to hold its final meeting for the year, where there will be a heavy focus on planning for 2021 and beyond, so watch out for announcements early next year.

Again, thanks to each one of you for your support, have an amazing time over Christmas and New Year and I look forward to more engagement with you in the coming months Adrian Feeney Chairman and CEO Society of Automotive Engineers - Australasia

SAE | News

SAE-A launches new website and mobile app The SAE-A is excited to launch our new website and membership system which has been done with Member Jungle.

Like our previous website and membership platform, this new website has a modern look with quick and easy links to webpages.

It also means that members can login to member only areas, access a new mobile app and view and edit their details quickly and easily online.

Check out our new membership system and website at www.saea.com.au What our new website offers: •

Members can easily view and register for events online

•

View their digital membership card

•

Easily communicate with SAE-A admin via online website contact form

•

Sign up and renew memberships online quickly and easily

•

Plus members can access the new mobile app.

It is very exciting to be able to offer this new website to members, one that features all these great options.

The new website and system is ready to go in time for the 2021 membership renewal. For now, we will not be accepting online payments via the system, but members are welcome to continue to pay by credit card, cheque and bank transfer. PayPal has been shut down and B-Pay is still being developed Alongside the new website and mobile app there will also be a new and easier to view SAE-A eNews newsletter.

Should you have any feedback regarding the new website please email the SAE-A at info@sae-a.com.au To find the new mobile app – You can now download the Member Jungle mobile app and stay up to date and you can also receive notifications about important

It’s time to Renew your SAE-A 2021 Membership If your SAE-A membership is due for renewal a reminder email has been sent to you via the membership system. If you don’t see it in your inbox, check your junk folder too.

www.saea.com.au

The first thing you need to do is download the mobile app onto your device. Select which device you have and click on the icon below and download the “Member Jungle” app.

Then Search for Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia. Click on your new Member Jungle App icon and open the new app.

We recommend you allow notifications so you can receive important updates from the society.

More information is available on the new website is at www.saea.com.au or for the app go directly to https://www.saea.com.au/app

SAE-A Board vacancies In order to gain a broader spectrum of knowledge and know-how there are now vacancies on the SAE-A board for members who can add their skills to further the work of the society.

In particular the board would welcome applications from members who can provide insight and assistance in the following areas: • events • training and • EV/autonomous vehicles.

When your payment is received and processed, the system will generate a tax invoice/receipt for your records and tax purposes.

If paying by credit card, you will need to provide the card details to our office via email info@sae-a.com.au or call/text 0403 267 166 to be processed.

event reminders and when a website admin adds something new to the website.

Don’t forget to add your name as the reference if making an EFT payment.

For more information about these positions and what they entail please contact SAE-A Chairman and CEO Adrian Feeney on Phone: 0432 689 114 or email: secretary@sae-a.com.au VTE | 5

News | SAE

New board member Bernard Rolfe The SAE-A has been very fortunate in gaining Professor Bernard Rolfe as a board member for 2021, injecting further industry expertise and brings a new expanded view of Australian engineering in manufacturing to the board.

Prof Rolfe is a Professor of Advanced Manufacturing in the School of Engineering at Deakin University. He was the Associate Head of School (Research) from 20142018, responsible for growing research and research culture in the School.

employed as a summer intern at the BHP Research Labs, investigating better control systems for hot strip steel mills. After he graduated, he worked for several years as a business systems consultant with Andersen Consulting (Accenture) before starting his PhD.

During his leadership, the School of Engineering tripled its quality journal outputs per capita, and almost doubled income and PhD numbers.

Prof Rolfe’s research group has spent 20 years working on the use of advanced metals in sheet forming, primarily for the automotive sector.

Prof Rolfe’s qualifications include a combined Economics and Engineering degree (Honours) in 1995 from the Australian National University (ANU), and a PhD in Advanced Manufacturing (ANU) in 2002.

He was the theme leader for light-weighting at the Australian Automotive Cooperative Research Centre (2014-2017) and sits on the Academic Advisory Board for the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies.

During his undergraduate degree, he was

Prof Rolfe has received four Vice Chancellor awards and has been part of more than 15 successful nationally competitive large research grants, totalling over AUD $24 million in awarded funds. He has published more than 160 refereed articles, and his h-index is 22 (Scopus) and 30 (Google Scholar). Prof Rolfe’s current research focus is the forming of light weight structures, including the development of better material models for metal forming and additive manufacturing.

Holden heritage and concept vehicles to go on display The Managing Director for GM Australia and New Zealand, Marc Ebolo announced that Holden’s heritage collection of production and concept vehicles is going on display in Australia.

The entire collection of more than 80 vehicles and 30 engines will be made available to car museums around the country for public display.

“The vehicles which make up this multimillion-dollar collection have been loaned to a variety of museums and will go on display in the very near future. This will be the first time the entire collection of Holden production and concept vehicles has been released simultaneously for public viewing,” Mr Ebolo said.

Over the past five years, Holden has been working on its substantial heritage collection of cars, engines, manufacturing items, print material, photos and memorabilia with the

help of a dedicated group of Holden retirees in Victoria and South Australia.

The retiree group has spent countless hours helping Holden to preserve and catalogue the collection, which contains items nearly a century old and tells the story of Holden from its origins in 1859, through to becoming

a cornerstone manufacturer of Australian industry and the heyday of when half the vehicles on Australian roads were Holdens.

“We are planning to launch a Holden Heritage Collection website next year which will provide enthusiasts with information about the collection, as well as details of where to view the vehicles,” Mr Ebolo said.

A special grouping of these iconic Holden cars will be exhibited from mid-December at the History Trust of SA’s National Motor Museum in Birdwood, South Australia, the state in which Holden began as a saddlery in 1859.

The special exhibition includes iconic cars such as Holden No. 1 launched by Prime Minister Ben Chifley in 1948, Holden’s first concept car ‘Hurricane’ from 1969, the ‘1,000,000th’ EJ Holden, the ‘4,000,000th’ VC Commodore, the ‘Coupe 60’ concept and former Holden Design Director Richard Ferlazzo’s global masterpiece concept car, ‘EFIJY.’

6 | December 2020

General | News

New collar jobs in digital engineering

Paper on improving fatigue life of aluminium A world-first study by Monash University engineers has demonstrated improvements in the fatigue life of high strength aluminium alloys by 25 times – a significant outcome for the transport manufacturing industry.

With COVID-19 casting a long shadow on the plans of the nation’s school leavers, industry leaders have teamed up with Skills Lab to launch Australia’s first Digital Engineering Apprenticeship as a firm pathway to an in-demand career.

The new apprenticeship will offer tech-savvy school leavers a three-year placement in some of Australia’s top tier organisations under a paid-to-learn model, creating a new wave of para-professional roles recently coined ‘new-collar’ jobs.

The program delivers on growing demand from industry employers for a new way to manage digital workflow. Creation of a new class of digital specialists in the Australian engineering community is predicted to be a win-win response to the fourth industrial revolution skills gap, with the potential to launch the careers of hundreds of school leavers across the country over the next five years.

Apprentices gain a nationally accredited Diploma of Applied Technologies while adding immediate value to organisations through application of learning in tailored micro credentials to current projects.

Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said the Digital Engineering Apprenticeships initiative is an Australian first, combining a Diploma of Applied Technologies with additional competencies in robotic systems, cloud-based data and computer aided design.

This initiative was developed through a Skilling South Australia project, in partnership with the engineering industry.

AMGC welcomes government strategy for manufacturing The Modern Manufacturing Strategy represents a remarkable opportunity for the future of Australia’s manufacturing industry according to Jen Goennemann of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

The improvement in the lifetime of high strength aluminium alloys could be 25 times compared with current state-of-theart alloys.

Aluminium alloys are the second most popular engineering alloy in use today and are important for transport applications because they are light, which improves fuel efficiency, but their fatigue properties are notoriously poor.

Using commercially available AA2024, AA6061 and AA7050 aluminium alloys, researchers used the mechanical energy imparted into the materials during the early cycles of fatigue to heal the weak points in the microstructure (the PFZs).

As part of the Strategy, AMGC will receive an additional $30 million in funding to continue supporting projects in priority areas.

In line with AMGC research, it will help Australian manufacturers transform to The Manufacturing Modernisation Fund is set become more resilient and better able to take advantage of the opportunities in global export to receive $52.8 million for a second round of funding that will focus on larger projects. markets. www.saea.com.au

The team led by Professor Christopher Hutchinson, a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University in Australia, was able to make aluminium alloy microstructures that can heal the weak links while in operation.

“Eighty per cent of all engineering alloy failures are due to fatigue. Fatigue is failure due to an alternating stress and is a big deal in the manufacturing and engineering industry,” Professor Hutchinson said.

He said that there is a clear realisation and recognition that manufacturing is a core capability of any strong economy. A capability that spans across all sectors while emphasising six National Manufacturing Priorities.

With a total investment of $1.5 billion by the Federal Government, the Modern Manufacturing Strategy will build scale and capture income from high-value areas of manufacturing.

Researchers demonstrated that the poor fatigue performance of high strength aluminium alloys was because of weak links called ‘precipitate free zones’ (PFZs).

This strongly delayed the localisation of plasticity and the initiation of fatigue cracks and saw enhanced fatigue lives and strengths.

You can download a copy of the paper at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-02019071-7 VTE | 7

News | Auto

NEW HEAD OF DESIGN FOR KIA Kia has appointed Won Kyu Kang as Vice President and Head of the Kia Design Innovation Group.

Mr Kang will be based at the brand’s design headquarters, Kia Design Centre in Namyang, Korea and will report to Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Centre.

Specialising in advanced design planning, Mr Kang will lead the strategic development of Kia’s design by giving shape to future design plans in both exterior and interior design across the entire product portfolio. His appointment is the latest development in Kia’s move to establish a leadership position in electrification and capitalise on new design opportunities.

Mr Kang’s most recent role was Creative Director at BMW Group Designworks in Shanghai, China. He previously spent much of his career at BMW Group and was the lead exterior designer for the 2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage concept.

MAHLE TO FOCUS ON R&D FOR BATTERY AND HYDROGEN Mahle will focus on research and development activities by expanding its global competence centres, including those in Germany and China.

The key development areas are battery systems and hydrogen applications. Mahle has recently begun to install hydrogen testing infrastructure at its headquarters in Stuttgart. The company sees the use of hydrogen as key when it comes to shaping carbon neutral mobility both in fuel cell technology and in the combustion engine.

STELLANTIS LOGO Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revealed the Stellantis branding, the new group that will result from their 50:50 merger.

The logo symbolises the heritage of Stellantis’ founding companies and the combined strengths of the new group’s portfolio of 14 automotive brands. Along with the Stellantis name whose Latin root “stello” means “to brighten with stars” it is the visual representation of the spirit of optimism.

The unveiling of the logo is the latest step towards the completion of the merger project, which is expected to occur by the end of the first quarter of 2021.

8 | December 2020

New CEO for BMW Australia Wolfgang Buechel, Head of MINI Germany, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia with effect from January 1st, 2021.

Mr Buechel is an experienced automotive professional who started his career at BMW Group’s headquarter in Munich 25 years ago.

Over that time, he has held a number of senior general manager and managing director leadership roles for both the BMW and MINI brands that includes: strategy, marketing, sales and general management.

In recent years, he led the Niederlassung (company-owned) branch in Berlin and since 2018, he has been head of MINI Germany.

Mr Buechel’s past international experience includes serving as area manager for BMW Asia based in the company’s Singapore office.

“I am delighted to be appointed to this new role at a time of great challenge and progress, in particular within the realm of electro mobility.

“Consistent innovation coupled with impeccable customer service is a trademark of the BMW Group and a driving factor behind

its ongoing success. I see my appointment as an exciting opportunity to drive this forward and to contribute to BMW Group Australia’s continued growth,” he said.

Mr Buechel will replace Vikram Pawah. In 2018, Mr Pawah was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New Zealand. He will relocate to India where he will focus solely on the BMW Group business across the Indian market.

Lotus upgrades test site Lotus is revealed the latest upgrades to its Hethel site, which will help drive a new era of success for Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business.

The multi-million-pound investment is the latest chapter in the ongoing transformation of the Lotus company and brand.

Site enhancements include the installation of numerous new and upgraded state-of-theart engineering test facilities. These will be used by Lotus Engineering as it expands its portfolio of consultancy services and its client base and will complement the Lotus Cars business as it prepares to deliver a new range of performance cars, the first of which will be unveiled next year.

Improvements include an all-new Electric Drive Unit (EDU) test cell, plus upgrades to the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) test and development cells, the Propulsion Prototype build workshop and the vehicle emissions lab.

The famous 2.2-mile Hethel test track has also been upgraded. These latest improvements are in addition to the all-new sports car factory which will be home to an all-new Lotus model starting next year, and in addition to the new assembly hall dedicated to the Lotus Evija allelectric hypercar.

The Evija was shown Goodwood Speedweek; one a Solaris Yellow and the other two prototypes wrapped in black and gold.

Lotus Engineering’s new home will be on the Wellesbourne campus of the University of Warwick, part of an all-new advanced technology centre for Lotus being established in the West Midlands.

The new electric Drive Unit test cell at Hethel allows engineers to test EV powertrains including the motor, gearbox and supporting electronics. Lotus software can communicate with the motor control system and load the powertrain as if it were in a vehicle, to test, develop and validate its performance.

Auto | News

Marc Ebolo succeeds Kristian Aquilina at GM Australia Marc Ebolo has been appointed Managing Director of GM Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 November 2020.

The newly formed GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV);

•

Isuzu New Zealand; and

•

The Holden Aftersales operation for Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Ebolo’s experience in leading markets and working across sales, strategy and product planning in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia will be significant assets through the launch and development of GMSV, as well as driving performance in the aftersales and Isuzu businesses.

Currently he is managing director of Holden New Zealand, Mr Ebolo will succeed Kristian Aquilina, who is moving to a new role in GM – as Managing Director Cadillac International Operations and Cadillac Middle East, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“GM continues to see significant opportunity in Australia and New Zealand,” said Mr Kiefer. “We are confident that under Marc’s

New charging technologies for electric vehicles (EVs) will be available to households under a Government-backed trial aimed at supporting consumer choice in future fuels.

The Government will support a trial of various smart and managed EV charging methods on 300 users across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

GM Senior Vice President and President GM International, Steve Kiefer, said Mr Ebolo would lead GM’s operations across Australia and New Zealand: •

GOVERNMENT ON THE CHARGE

The trial aims to accelerate the commercialisation of different charging technologies by better understanding how consumers use them at home.

leadership, our GMSV business is ready to compete in key niche segments, including the Silverado light and heavy duty, as well as the C8 Corvette, coming next year.”

“In Australia and New Zealand, we will work very closely with our key partners – the soonto-be-appointed GMSV dealers, Holden service outlets, Walkinshaw Automotive Group and Isuzu – to grow our businesses and theirs,” Mr Ebolo said.

Century Batteries invests after COVID-19

The project will lead to a better understanding of how an EV plugged in at a home can be used to store energy and provide it back to the grid, known as vehicle-to-grid. This is the first time this type of trial will be conducted in Australian homes.

The trial will also look at shifting EV charging to off-peak periods to reduce pressure on the grid, lowering costs for consumers and maximising the use of renewable energy.

PILOT RUN OF DELIVERY BY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE EIT Digital-supported innovation activity Last Mile Autonomous Delivery (LMAD) has developed a software platform to operate multiple types of autonomous delivery robots (ADRs). After operating the solution in France, the LMAD startup has successfully operated in Finland.

There are more than 300 automotive companies manufacturing in Australia, with a combined annual revenue totalling $4 Billion, employing close to 10,000 people.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that in times of crisis, international supply chains can be threatened or otherwise affected, impacting businesses reliant on imported products. The tough times locally have also strengthened the country’s desire to buy Australian made products as a way of supporting our economic recovery.

Century Batteries was one company well positioned to weather and benefit from this challenging economic environment.

Demand for their batteries increased as international supply chains were affected and a surge of support arose for locally made products. Now the company is investing further in their Australian manufacturing capability.

The company will invest $7 million in their Queensland based manufacturing facility, which upon completion should increase production to over 1.3 million batteries a year, using components almost exclusively sourced locally.

www.saea.com.au

A pilot was run at Aalto University Campus, a parkland-style area at the core of Espoo’s Otaniemi district home to several high-tech companies, the school’s buildings and a student village with more than 4000 residents.

The local K-Market Otaniemi grocery store offered customers the option of ordering groceries online and having them delivered by means of LMAD’s autonomous vehicle.

LMAD will be deploying a full delivery service at Nokia’s campus in the outskirts of Paris by the end of the year, another test drive of the platform in Finland in November with additional new pilots is being planned elsewhere, to test the platform with robots made by various manufacturers.

VTE | 9

News | Truck

Hyundai forges ahead with XCIENT fuel cell trucks

Volvo Australia roll out of new trucks The biggest launch ever for Volvo Trucks has begun in Australia. The new Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FH and Volvo FH16 have been designed with the driver in mind and offer unparalleled levels of comfort, driveability and safety.

Hyundai has delivered the first seven units of its XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck, to customers in Switzerland, with a total of 50 to hit the road shortly.

The entire range of new Volvo models will be built at the Volvo Group production facility, Wacol, Queensland.

“Australia is a big country,” Tony O’Connell, Vice President, Sales Volvo Trucks Australia said.

The delivery of XCIENT Fuel Cell marks the official entry of Hyundai’s commercial vehicles in the European market.

Production capacity of the XCIENT Fuel Cell will reach 2000 units per year by 2021 to support its expansion. The increase in capacity will be backed by a US$1.3 billion investment in addition to a previously announced US$6.4 billion stake in establishing a hydrogen ecosystem to support creation of a hydrogen society.

In the US, Hyundai is collaborating with logistics leaders to supply mass-produced fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.

Hyundai is partnering with companies to build a complete hydrogen value chain covering everything from hydrogen production and charging stations to service and maintenance. Hyundai expects more than 12,000 fuel cell trucks to hit the US roads the company is working with parties in China to get one million hydrogen vehicles on its roads by 2030.

Three fuel cell electric trucks are scheduled for launch in China: a medium-duty truck in 2022, a heavy-duty truck in in a couple of years, and another heavy-duty truck strategically designed for the China market.

As part of its production expansion plan, Hyundai expects to supply 1600 commercial fuel cell trucks by 2025.

To support the growing hydrogen ecosystem, Hyundai has a business case for more than 100 hydrogen fuelling stations in Switzerland, which is enough not only for commercial vehicles, but also passenger fuel cell electric vehicles.

10 | December 2020

“Long haul drivers don’t just drive our trucks; they often live in them however, even in an urban distribution environment driver’s also need a safe comfortable workplace.”

For some it is the modern office with every convenience at hand, for others it is also a home.

This new generation of Volvo Trucks has been

designed from the inside out with the driver in mind.”

The new Volvo FH will have the option of Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions levels across the range in both 13 litre and 16 litre capacities as well as a complementary range of horsepower options.

The Volvo FM features an all-new cab as well as Euro 5 and 6 options in 11 and 13 litre engine capacities.

Emissions, efficiency and safety unsurprisingly feature highly across the Volvo Trucks line-up in addition to a significant focus on the driver environment.

IVECO Telematics system for Australia and New Zealand IVECO has launched its new IVECO Telematics system in Australia and New Zealand, the company says it provide several major benefits over programs offered by competitors.

Designed and manufactured in Australia specifically for local and New Zealand markets, IVECO Telematics provides fleet operators with access to an extensive array of information-rich data (up to 70 channels) to help streamline and bring greater efficiency to their vehicle movements while minimising running costs and unforeseen downtime.

The system is now fitted as standard equipment on every heavy duty Euro6 ACCO, Euro6 X-Way and Euro5 Stralis model in the IVECO range, effective with vehicles built from September 2020, and also comes with a 12-month complimentary subscription.

Although primarily designed with Euro6 vehicles in mind, customers with existing applicable heavy duty IVECO models will also be able to have the system retrofitted through IVECO dealerships.

The telematics components, comprising a

small telematics module and GPS antenna, are fitted to the trucks at IVECO’s Melbourne manufacturing facility and connected to the vehicle’s CANBUS interface via a secure, standardised and data-rich FMS (Fleet Management System) output, and the ignition.

Once the system is linked and activated for the customer, it’s ready to transmit information, via the high-speed Telstra Machine-to-Machine (M2M) 4G network, to the database server (housed in Australia).

The data can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Bus & Train | News

Bombardier to supply 18 more VLocity trains to Victoria The Victorian Government has exercised an option for 18 more Bombardier VLocity trains.

Intelligent transport a bus ride away

In a program jointly developed by SAGE and BusTech Group, SAGE’s IoT data capture device, SAGE Edge, has been installed onto buses and vehicle infrastructure such as bus stops.

Data captured by the device provides a range of information to benefit drivers, operators and passengers alike, such as real-time traffic condition updates and traffic event notifications.

This is part of the Rollingstock Manufacture and Supply Agreement signed with the Victorian Government in 2018 to deliver 54 new VLocity carriages to public transport operator V/Line for operation across the regional rail network in Victoria, Australia.

The option on the existing contract provides certainty to the Victorian rolling stock supply chain, as well as local jobs in Dandenong, with all 54 carriages to be built at the facility using around 69 percent local content.

The new VLocity trains will be a mix of broad and standard-gauge vehicles and represent another positive for Bombardier as an already

strong market participant in Australia, where Bombardier boasts the only end-to-end train manufacturing capability in Australia.

These will be the first VLocity trains to run on standard gauge tracks on Victoria’s regional network and will run from Melbourne to Albury/Wodonga for the first time following the completion of the $235 million North East Line Upgrade and a rigorous testing program.

Earlier this month, Bombardier’s VLocity platform was awarded two prestigious Australian Good Design awards for Best Interior and an overall Gold award - both in the Automotive and Transport Category.

Nexport to build manufacturing plant at Moss Vale Electric bus manufacturer Nexport announced plans for the production of electric vehicles in a new plant in New South Wales to initially produce buses, but later other types of vehicles such as cars, trucks and vans.

Nexport is a subsidiary of the clean-tech investment group TrueGreen and it has chosen a site 51 hectare site near Moss Vale to commence manufacturing. Investment in the plant is expected to cost around $700m and create around 2000 new jobs in five years.

The location between Sydney and Canberra was strategically chosen because the company expects the greatest demand in these cities, according to several media reports.

Nexport is involved in the procurement of 8000 electric buses for the NSW’s public bus network. The NSW government is to electrify its total fleet of buses.

Nexport aims to combine local production with the import of key components. The company has an existing partnership with the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, www.saea.com.au

Passengers will ultimately have access to in-vehicle infotainment services and real-time service updates such as vehicle arrival time, seat availability and security alerts.

Transport network operators will obtain a dashboard view of vehicle placement on the grid, real-time and trend data on passenger numbers on services and waiting time at bus stops, as well as vehicle performance telematics data such as mileage wear on components, suspension, vehicle speed and powertrain health, assisting with predictive maintenance scheduling decreasing vehicle downtime.

Passengers will ultimately have access to in-vehicle infotainment services and real-time service updates such as vehicle arrival time, seat availability and security alerts.

which will supply its drives and initially also the chassis for the electric buses.

Currently the company assembles buses in China and Malaysia, but the company has said it intends to close the assembly plant in Malaysia in favour of Australia.

Nexport also wants to make a name for itself as an importer and so it is creating an import platform called EV Direct. Plans include importing the BYD Tang SUV, the BYD Song PHEV crossover and the BYD Qin compact sedan, with Nexport carrying out all the necessary technical upgrades on-site. Further car brands are to follow.

SAGE Automation’s General Manager for Transport, Damian Hewitt, says that the solution is a natural next step in the evolution of a smarter transport system.

“This partnership with BusTech Group will see learnings from the broader transport industry launch the bus sector into the future with data supporting improved passenger experience, vehicle performance and fleet efficiency,” he said.

BusTech Group is an Australian bus group delivering integrated, low-emission mass mobility solutions enabled by technology. Its buses are designed, built and manufactured in Australia.

VTE | 11

News | Defence & Aero

Over 100 companies register interest in Attack Class Submarine program More than 100 companies in Australia have applied to Naval Group to manufacture 23 specialised items of submarine equipment for the Morrison Government’s Attack Class Submarine Program.

Queensland first production home for Loyal Wingman Queensland is poised to take another bold step in aerospace and advanced manufacturing with an historic opportunity to be the final production home for unmanned defence aircraft – the first military aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new partnership with Boeing Australia means more high-skilled jobs, local supply opportunities and defence industry stimulus as Queensland continues to recover and grow from the COVID downturn.

“The creation of additional new aerospace capability could see unmanned defence aircraft produced here by the middle of the decade, with prototype testing and certification taking place before that,” the premier said.

“Our investment in this advanced manufacturing project will provide critical skills for suppliers, academia and Boeing, and culminate in Queensland becoming the primary final assembly facility for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, conditional on orders.

This follows the call for expressions of interest from Australian industry for hundreds of millions of dollars in work packages for the program.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the work packages will support hundreds of Australian jobs and create new opportunities for Australian businesses.

“These Australian companies will compete for work that has been assessed by Naval Group as being worth up to $900 million,” Minister Reynolds said.

“They have formally lodged interest to become part of the Attack Class Submarine Program as tier one suppliers for equipment, ranging from the submarine’s main shaft line to the weapons handling system.

“Already, almost 2000 Australian businesses have registered their interest in broader supply chain opportunities through the Industry Capability Network portal.”

As the design of the Attack class submarine progresses, there will be more opportunities for Australian industry to register interest for the supply of major equipment throughout the program.

12 | December 2020

“Supporting this project is a significant investment in the Queensland defence and manufacturing industries and will strengthen ties between Australia and the global defence market.

“The unmanned teaming aircraft is Boeing’s first military aircraft to be designed and developed outside the US and uses artificial intelligence to extend the capabilities of manned and unmanned platforms.”

The first aircraft prototype, called the Loyal

Wingman, was unveiled with the Royal Australian Air Force in May this year.

Boeing has 1700 staff in Queensland and supports 400 Queensland-based suppliers.

Loyal Wingman will mean even more highly skilled advanced manufacturing jobs, further reinforcing Queensland’s status as a centre for defence industries.

Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific President Brendan Nelson said the partnership with the Queensland government to develop an advanced manufacturing capability was a significant milestone for the company.

“It’s one that will build cutting-edge skills to stimulate the innovation ecosystem in Queensland,” he said.

“This includes introducing technologies such as advanced robotics; investment in universities, small-to-medium enterprises and start-up companies; as well as creating global export opportunities for Australia’s supply chain.

“This investment could unlock global defence and aerospace opportunities for Queensland to gain future work share in other Boeing programs.”

Delivery of optimised aircraft sustainment for RAAF SA Northrop Grumman Australia and Airbus Australia Pacific have entered into a strategic teaming agreement to cooperate in the delivery of advanced and optimised aircraft sustainment capabilities at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Edinburgh in South Australia.

“With the imminent arrival of ground-based infrastructure for the MQ-4C Triton unmanned system, we are already working on expanding our presence at Edinburgh,” Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia said.

“This agreement underscores Northrop Grumman’s commitment to Australian investment across advanced capabilities, skills and jobs in support of the country’s strategic defence programs.”

Northrop Grumman and Airbus will collaborate in the sustainment and maintenance of new capabilities that will call RAAF Base Edinburgh home. The companies also bring an array of proven Australian industry partners to this arrangement that will augment those capabilities and expand access to specialty competencies.

Overseas | News

Automotive materials from a greener world A broad portfolio of renewable materials is available now that can help the automotive industry reduce its carbon footprint.

Many of these new materials exceed the performance of traditional plastic composites, and more are constantly coming online. This was the message from Dr Deborah Mielewski, senior technical leader of sustainable and advanced materials at Ford, during her recent “Greener materials for a greener world” virtual keynote at the 2020 SPE Automotive Composites Conference.

Ford already has more than 10 renewable materials in production, including natural fibre reinforced composites such as wheat straw, rice hulls and tree-based cellulose fibre that exceed traditional material performance.

Dr Mielewski initiated the biomaterials program at Ford in 2001, and her team was the first to demonstrate soy-based foam that met all automotive-seating requirements.

Polestar winners of inaugural design contest The winners of Polestar’s first annual design contest have been chosen.

Their designs will soon embark on a global exhibition, being displayed virtually and in Polestar Spaces around the world.

Ford launched soy-based foam on the 2008 Mustang, and soy seat cushions, backs and headrests have since been employed on every North American-built Ford vehicle.

The Ford biomaterials research team works to expand the use of sustainable plastic materials in vehicles to reduce dependence on petroleum, create new markets for agricultural products and reduce vehicle weight to reduce vehicle emissions.

The Polestar Design Contest invited both professional and student designers to create a vision of future mobility with the theme of “purity”. They were asked to present a new Polestar that exhibits the purest of designs; a vision of Polestar’s evolution in the year 2040 that follows the Polestar design philosophy. The vision did not need to be a car.

Wireless charging of electric vehicles SAE International announced publication of the first global standard that specifies, in a single document, both the electric vehicle and supply equipment (EVSE) ground-system requirements for wireless charging of electric vehicles (EV).

The new standard, SAE JJ2954 helps pave the way for charging without the need for plugging in – widely considered to be a key enabler for accelerating the adoption of EVs and autonomous vehicles.

The new standard was more than a decade in the making. SAE kicked off its pioneering pre-competitive research at a time when few contemporary electric cars existed and wireless power transfer (WPT) systems for EVs were an unproven concept.

The SAE J2954 Wireless Power Transfer and Alignment Taskforce worked since 2007 to thoroughly vet and test the technology, in partnership with government agencies, regulatory bodies and private-industry groups including the American Association of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), US Dept of Energy (DoE), the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and many others. www.saea.com.au

WPT systems work by parking a vehicle in a wireless charging spot, with the vehicle positioned over an SAE J2954-compatible ground assembly pad.

After a communications handshake, charging begins automatically without a physical corded connection.

Power is transferred by creating a magnetic resonance field between the transmitting pad on the ground (wired to the grid) and a receiving pad fitted on the underside of the vehicle.

The energy crosses an air gap (the ground clearance between the pads) and is then converted from AC into DC on the vehicle to charge the vehicle batteries.

The technology is a safe and efficient method for transferring power from the AC grid supply to the electric vehicle.

Winner of the professional category was Konrad Cholewka from Poland with his “Polestar MMXL” design – an inclusive, autonomous pod with a flexible interior design, pure in its combination of two geometric shapes.

The student category was won by Siddhesh Bhogale from India with his “Polestar 40” design – an airship that looks ahead 20 years by combining Polestar design with a 21st century aviation approach.

An honourable mention goes to Arthur Martins from Brazil for his “Spänning” electric yacht, the design of which shows the potential for an electric cruiser that offers a true alternative to conventional craft, as Polestar cars do in the automotive world.

VTE | 13

Feature | DELINEATE

Drawing on years of experience It takes more than just a good imagination to design a car, though a good imagination certainly helps.

14 | December 2020

When you take off the rosy glasses and put on a more sedate pair of engineer’s spectacles it becomes obvious that the SAE-A police car’s initial design is more a flight of fancy than a hardcore stamp for an emergency vehicle. But unless you’re Elon Musk and the general media hang off every word and design that you allow to be slipped to them then the only way to get their attention is with an eyepopping design, which is what Delineate delivered.

Delineate, owned and operated by Robert Veitch – who by the way did work for Tesla as a 3D Modeler as well as on Google’s self-driving car, was asked to deliver that design. Like a great many engineers in Australia Rob started his career with Holden and was there from 1990 until 1998, then he returned a couple of times to work on particular projects so all up he spent roughly 10 years with the company.

Rob completed a drafting traineeship at Holden; three days a week at Holden and two days at university for two years. That’s where he learnt how to do manual drafting. When his cohort had finished their traineeships, most went to work in Holden’s engineering department, but Rob was chosen to work in the design studio. Rob continued to study an engineering degree for six years until his career took him overseas.

DELINEATE | Feature

“When I started there, it was not technology focused it was drawing boards and clay models, during the time I was there they started using a software originally designed for animated movies – they were going to use that to make computer generated models rather to complement the clay process” Rob said.

“A lot of the more experienced guys who worked in the studio didn’t really want to have a bar of it, they weren’t interested in doing it.

I was young and I was interested and happy to try something different. I got in at a good stage, I was doing these computer models and creating images that were very realistic from the CAD models.

“I did that for quite a long time. Then I worked www.saea.com.au

in Europe for a while with SAAB, Renault, BMW, Opel – I was in the right place at the right time.

It was a time when everyone wanted to know how to do these computer-generated models and I was lucky with my timing.”

Rob has also worked in Asia and then spent six or seven years in the US mostly in the automotive industry. Now back in Australia he set up his own company making 3D models for anyone or any industry that needs them which includes trains, trams, buses, military vehicles, aircraft, guitars, fitness equipment. However, he says that about three quarters of the business is in automotive.

“When you pick up a car brochure nowadays the car photos are not really car photos

anymore, they use CAD data and we create virtual environments and virtual materials,” he said.

“We can create images that look like photographs from the CAD data. On car websites, by using this method you can spin the car around, change its colour, put different wheels on it. Because it’s very easy to create many images at once.”

The company also gets involved in ergonomics particularly when it is asked to work on public or general transport vehicles like trams or trains making sure the environment is as comfortable as possible for drivers and passengers.

On the 3D modelling side most of our customers are making their own

g VTE | 15

Feature | DELINEATE

prototypes, often directly from our CAD data- whether it be CNC machining, 3D printing or some other process.

For something like a bodykit we can go in and scan a real vehicle because maybe the CAD data isn’t available. And we’ll recreate the vehicle from the scan as a basis for the design.

“We also get involved in doing virtual reality particularly for a car interior where you can look around and experience how far away things are, and what you can see outside and discover any potential problems like the A pillar – is it causing a blind spot?”

Typically Delineate would specify the shape of the material as they have an influence on the design, though it would be the job of vehicle engineers to decide what materials would be used according to strength, weight and those pesky cost targets.

How many iterations of one design that are completed depends on the customer according to Rob, when he was with Holden there were a lot, but typically there are somewhere between three and 10 design modifications.

“In a fixed price quote, we would do one really quick model to capture the design, so that everyone can look and see if this is what they meant,” Rob said.

“To go forward we would create a second model with plus or minus five to 10 mm and have manufacturing criteria incorporated into it.”

The client could then look at it to say yes that’s about right. Then the third and final model would be when everything is refined, making sure all minimum radius requirements are met, that all the reflections are perfect that all the gaps and margins are perfect.”

Making the police car a reality Taking the police car project to the next step would be a redesign step because at the moment the car is not very realistic; you couldn’t get in and out of it easily and there is virtually zero ground clearance, and very little space to store the multitude of equipment now being hauled around by police. As Rob said the concept design was good to get attention but to make it more of a reality there would be changes to make it more utilitarian.

“We would start proportioning the vehicle and getting something that looked as good as it could within whatever constraints we were given. We may negotiate some of the constraints – we might say this is really restricting the appearance or function so can we move it around or can we rotate it to make it fit better, can we find a smaller component to use. This is a typical scenario.

“We work collaboratively to try to meet all the engineering constraints, along with also getting it looking as good as it can. We are the middle of that process.

“I would think that if we got funding, then the first thing we would do is generate some ideas about how this thing might look, and what functional elements it needs to have.

If you needed to lock up criminals in the back, we would use a digital mannequin to see how much room is needed.

“Then we would come up with an idea of what it could look like, it would likely end looking more like a twin cab pick-up than the sleek sporty sedan we designed.

“If we were to design it further the first thing we would do is start with a package, put the wheels on and decide where the engine will be – if it’s electric it may be in the wheels. We’d get a 3D mannequin and position all those components to build around.”

16 | December 2020

DELINEATE | Feature

Electric may well be the way to go with the Police Car project as it would be representative of the future of automotive design, but just as importantly it would provide a lot more freedom with design and interior space. Rob said his recommendation would be to use an electric skateboard platform not dissimilar to the platform being developed by another ex-Holden employee Julian Broadbent and his company AEV Robotics or by most of the auto OEMs these days.

A panel of engineers and associated professionals has been assembled by the SAE-A to start the process with the SAE-A Police Car.

One of the best things about an electric skateboard platform that could make it the top choice for this Police Car design is that it not only offers excellent internal space but compared with traditional cars there are a large number of options for a body. You can transform the basic platform from a police car to a police divisional van, to an ambulance, from an ambulance to a fire fighting vehicle by changing the pod.

As Rob pointed out it would be a great thing to reintroduce manufacturing to Australia. You would need to get buy in from the police to look at the design, to see what they need in it but also what they find difficult to integrate at the moment, or what don’t they have that they would like to have or find useful but can’t fit in the current designs. In car companies they do this in market research clinics. This is what needs to happen with the police car.

www.saea.com.au

“The panel should spend time on what the vehicle should be and the applications. That would help with the government funding – the more options it has the more it becomes attractive. The story that goes with it is important – this is how it would work; this is the problem it solves,” Rob said.

“I think if we got some information like it’s going to be a police car, a fire fighting vehicle an ambulance then we can do quite a lot of research. This is what’s currently working and what’s common for all such as the front lighting – everyone is going to need roof mounted lighting,” Rob explained.

“Then there would be some things that would be conflicting, a pursuit vehicle may need to be low, fast and sleek and a fire fighting vehicle would need good ground clearance and aerodynamics are not important at all. We’d have to find the solutions to those problems like one platform with variable height suspension.”

If you wish to discuss any project with Rob you can call him on 0409 256 095 or visit www.delineate.com.au

VTE | 17

Feature | William Buck

New Laws & Business Obligations Post COVID

This is summary of what was discussed during that webinar.

Laws have changed for business since COVID-19 hit and the SAE-A was on top of it with help from William Buck, a firm of accountants and financial advisers.

A webinar was run on 18 November 2020 by Garth O’Connor-Price and Laurie Fitzgerald from William Buck that provided practical advice on how to protect your business and yourself in this post pandemic economy.

Garth O’Connor-Price of William Buck’s Restructuring & Insolvency team joins Vehicle Technology Engineer Magazine to answer some commonly asked questions to demystify the world of restructuring and insolvency.

When is the government going to lift the protections put place to protect the economy from COVID-19?

A critical date for business owners and directors is 31 December 2020. This is important for two reasons the first being that after this date the automatic moratorium to insolvent trading liability for directors that continue to trade their businesses while under distress stops and secondly creditors will be able to enforce their rights with respect to outstanding debts through the court system in a more timely manner.

The logic behind these changes was to

prevent an increase in premature insolvency appointments stemming from directors acting to protect themselves rather than focusing on saving their company and foregoing all of the benefits such as creating jobs, paying taxes and other non-tangible benefits businesses in the SMEs market bring to the Australian economy. The protections have provided companies and their directors with a bigger runway to turn around their businesses without being drawn into complex and costly legal disputes.

The post COVID economy will be challenging to navigate. How do I protect myself from personal liability as a director?

Good advisors are going to be worth their weight in gold in this challenging post COVID economy and as with any tool in any trade choosing the right one will lead to the best outcome.

When dealing with a distressed business a specialised restructuring and insolvency practitioner should be your first stop for the right advice. Engaging an appropriately qualified advisor will provide you protection from personal liability for potential losses suffered by creditors. In other words, your Safe Harbour Advisor eliminates the personal risk that director’s bear when attempting to turn a business around.

With personal risk removed from the equation, your Safe Harbour Advisor will help you develop a turnaround plan, assist with the execution of that plan and ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria prescribed in legislation.

18 | December 2020

William Buck | Feature

The pressure is building with my creditors.

What are my options?

taking on responsibility for trading the business whilst a turnaround plan is developed.

Even the best laid turnaround plans can sometimes go awry and as the pressure builds from a company’s creditors, a directors’ focus can be taken away from leading the company through a challenging period.

I’m lending money to my company.

How do I protect it?

These kinds of situations may require more forceful methods to maintain viability.

Voluntary administration has long been a powerful tool to allow a company to gain a brief period of respite from its creditors to assess its options and propose a formal plan to restructure its affairs. This plan is then reviewed by an independent administrator and then put to creditors to vote on whether the company should be permitted to undertake the plan. The power of this method comes from the ability to legally bind all creditors to the turnaround plan even those dissenting creditors, if the majority of creditors approve the plan.

One downside to voluntary administrations is that they can be complex and costly, which often puts the process out of reach of many businesses in the SME market.

The government has anticipated that more businesses will require some restructuring of their affairs following COVID-19 and has attempted to address this problem by imminently introducing of a new process called the Small Business Restructuring regime from 1 January 2021.

This new regime will be available to businesses with liabilities of less than $1,000,000 and adopts a “debtor-inpossession” style of restructuring particularly prevalent in the USA. This process follows a similar path to a voluntary administration in that it provides breathing space for a company to develop a plan for creditors to vote upon however it streamlines the process by reducing some administrative tasks required of an administrator. No meetings are held during this process with voting on the proposal completed virtually and the director remains in control of their business as opposed to an administrator

www.saea.com.au

Many businesses will need recapitalising off the back of the challenging conditions created from COVID-19. If you are the source of this funding either in your capacity as director, shareholder or related entity the one thing that you need to remember is that the Personal Properties Security Register (‘PPSR’) is your friend when it comes to protecting your money.

The PPSR was created in 2012 and dictates the priority to the assets of a company in the event of liquidation. There have been countless challenges to this law in the ensuing nine years and invariably the courts have ruled against the party that has not registered their security interest correctly on the PPSR. With this in mind the simple steps of documenting the financial arrangement, including a clause granting the financier (or supplie /vendor) the right to register their interest in a company’s assets on the PPSR and registering this interest for a minimal fee prior to the completion of the contract will save a lot of heartache down the track if the arrangement doesn’t play out as expected.

This becomes even more important in a challenging post COVID economy where nothing should be taken for granted.

The William Buck website regularly features interesting articles for business the most recent: •

Are we really “all in this together”? – Victorian State versus Federal Budget agendas

•

How does the 2021 Victorian Budget support Victoria’s Small and Medium sized businesses?

•

Take advantage of grants, subsidies and support.

Garth O’Connor-Price Garth O’Connor-Price is a principal in William Buck Melbourne Restructuring & Insolvency team and brings more than 10 years’ mid-market experience to the team. He is known for his ability to quickly build rapport with the clients he works with, often juggling multiple jobs with equal attention to ensure he surpasses his client’s expectations.

Driven by his passion for analytics and working through in-depth financial reporting his clients appreciate his attention to detail and ability to see every aspect of their business.

For more information: www.williambuck.com garth.oconnorprice@williambuck.com Telephone: 03 9824 8555

There is also a number of other resources available on the site at www.williambuck.com

VTE | 19

Feature | Electric Vehicle Adoption Australia

Key stumbling blocks for Electric Vehicle adoption in Australia The largest study of Australia’s fleet marketplace on Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption has found limited action from Federal Government, high purchase costs and limited availability as leading causes for the slow adoption of EVs within Australia.

Many organisations have set targets to become carbon neutral but given transport emissions contribute almost 18 percent of Australia’s total emissions, converting their fleet is going to be challenging.

Earlier this year the Australasian Fleet Management Association and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment worked together to take the pulse of organisations to understand: •

Where they are in their EV journey

•

Any barriers and roadblocks they are encountering

•

What assistance they need to transition to zero emissions vehicles.

The Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA) is a not-for-profit industry body operating throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

AfMA’s membership base is represented across all industry verticals including Federal, State and Local Government who are responsible for the management of many hundreds of thousands of fleet vehicles.

Around 177 organisations representing many industry verticals and levels of government who control almost 70,000 vehicles responded.

Thanks to ACA Research and support from AGL, AfMA’s Electric Vehicles in Business Fleets Report has been prepared and is available free.

The information and insights in this report are designed to provide a status check for organisational transition to zero emissions vehicles, inform and empower suppliers of

products and services to Australian fleets, as well as policy makers at all levels of government.

Key takeaways that resulted from the report are that: •

Larger fleets are most likely to have reached a higher level of EV maturity

•

Challenges stopping fleets from implementing EVs earlier are as follows –

- -

-

•

Less than a third of respondents are currently operating electric vehicles; this suggests most are still reviewing the suitability of these vehicles for their fleets.

EV purchase cost (60%) cost of setting up workplace infrastructure (45%) limited choice (34%)

Despite COVID, 53 percent of respondents indicated their purchase decisions are business as usual whilst 25 percent said its watch and wait.

In this report Mr Hartley said that while many private and public sector organisations choose to ‘go green’ by reducing vehicle emissions, their underlying motivations can vary significantly ASX listed organisations are driven by corporate social responsibility including

the influence of large investors such as superannuation funds (who are in turn driven by their members).

Local governments are driven by the demands and expectations of their rate payers.

State governments are driven by the need to provide leadership, although this can take multiple forms; establishing policy frameworks to facilitate the uptake of zero emission vehicles, setting their own zero emissions targets, and leading the transition While the Federal Government can in theory be motivated by each of these, their approach to date has been to advocate for a market-led solution, with limited active involvement and no policy announcements to drive a transition to zero emission vehicles.

Downloading the report is worthwhile since it covers areas such as: • • • • • • • • •

the EV maturity scale the current EV charging infrastructure fuel types number of EVs vehicle types home garaging EV integration timeline EV acquisition methods and concerns around adoption and government policies to promote adoption.

Link to the report which is free to download is available at: https://bit.ly/3oyKw6y 20 | December 2020

Feature | Formula E

Formula E the baby formula of the future Back in 2014, Formula E (now officially known as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship) was the new baby and not taken seriously but like many pioneering concepts it continued on with a clear foresight of what the future looked like for both racing and street cars – and it has become electric in more ways than one.

Formula E is a single seater championship that uses only electric cars, it was conceived in 2011, and the inaugural championship commenced in Beijing in September 2014.

This series is a city-based, singleseater electric car championship that has really taken off, so much so that the FIA announced that Formula E would be given

world championship status for the 2020– 2021 season.

Formula E or FE met the FIA criteria for receiving world championship status by featuring four manufacturer teams and holding races in three continents to join the ranks of Formula One, the World Endurance, World Rally and World Rallycross championships.

This is the first single-seater racing series outside of Formula One to be given world championship status. Quite obviously it is a sign of the times.

FE is bound to be a game changer for so many reasons; its technological advances for a start but also it is shedding a bright new light on electric vehicles as consumers can see that electric doesn’t mean it has the performance of a golf cart.

And as was the case when petrol cars were in their heyday it is opening doors to new technological advances very quickly, the old ‘improving the breed for daily use’ scenario is very much a thing with FE. Collaboration between the race engineers and the

22 | December 2020

Formula E | Feature

Formula E and FSAE EV have a lot in common; one is today’s engineers working in Formula E the other tomorrow’s engineers in FSAE EV production engineers is already happening with racing able to ‘speed’ up testing of new materials and technologies by putting them under extreme conditions.

According to current statistics an electric engine is 75 percent efficient, about three times the 25 percent efficiency of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine figure has not changed very much over the past 100 years.

Once it was the case with F1 that racing improved the breed but it’s probably not so relevant any more with the increased push for EVs around the world, this is the future of tomorrow’s cars and it may be closer to Australia than first thought.

It has been reported in the motorsport media that due to the cancellation of the Adelaide 500 Supercars’ race there may be an opportunity to hold a Formula E race on the city’s street circuit. After all, F1 races were held on the street circuit there for many years.

It is understood that the organisers of FE are in discussion with various cities around the world in the hopes of holding future events especially once the COVID-19 issues are out of the way. www.saea.com.au

Already Chile and Saudi Arabia have a round allocated for 2021 with the later holding races under lights, which will be the first night event for the championship and the first for any all-electric series. Saudi Arabia has already produced several exciting races for FE but none at night. Chile will host the opening round on 16 January 2021.

Racing generally takes place on temporary city centre street circuits of between 1.9km to 3.4km in length.

During the first four seasons, drivers were forced to make one mandatory pit stop to change cars. With the introduction of the Gen2 cars this is no longer necessary because the battery lasts for the full race distance of 45 laps. In race mode maximum power is currently restricted to 200 kW (268 bhp). And Gen3 cars are just around the corner.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the championship was suspended in March 2020 and all scheduled races were cancelled.

The season was completed in August with six races at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in Berlin, Germany, using three different layouts. The overall winner was team DS TECHEETAH a Chinese motor racing team

under ownership of SECA, the China Media Capital.

Next season Pre-season testing was held in Spain during November with hopes that 2021 would allow a lot more racing than this year.

Formula E is currently contested by 12 teams with two drivers with teams from a lot of the very big names in the car industry like Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, Nissan, Mercedes, Audi and Mahindra.

Audi, on one hand revealed its new FE car for next season the e-tron FE07, and on the other hand stated that it will bow out of FE after that.

Its new e-tron can sprint from zero to 100 in 2.8 seconds and has more than 95 percent efficiency within the whole car, it will also house the new Audi MGU05 motor-generator unit, which was developed from scratch. This is an electric single speed drivetrain with an internal rotor concept, external magnets and six electrical phases, and weighs less than 35 kilograms.

Tristan Summerscale, Formula E Project Leader at Audi Sport said that if you were

g

VTE | 23

Feature | Formula E

to compare the company’s MGU with an internal combustion engine delivering a comparable power output of 250 kW, the MGU’s efficiency is twice as high.

team is in place for the next season with the team moving to Banbury in Oxfordshire and it has hired Josef Holden from Mercedes powertrains and has a new driver line up.

Once it leaves FE the company will continue as a supplier of powertrains. The company has said it wants to leave FE to return to competition at Le Mans and the Dakar.

Jaguar Racing has revealed its brand-new electric FE race car, the Jaguar I-TYPE 5, ready for the next season featuring a new powertrain developed in-house, which will run for the next two seasons.

Mahindra has been on the FE grid since the first 2014 season and was in fact the first team to commit to FE’s Gen3 rules which will run until 2025 but will not come into being until the 2022-23 series. Restructuring of the

24 | December 2020

Jaguar Racing engineers have focussed on efficiency gains, reduced weight and lowered the centre of gravity of the I-TYPE 5’s powertrain. New suspension will provide

greater adjustment from track to track and a more efficient invertor will improve switching speeds and performance. The state-of-the-art invertor also features 24 carat gold due to its highly conductive properties.

According to reports Tesla could be a starter in FE in the future but at the All That Matters Online 2020 event FE CEO Jamie Reigle said that the company is not in hunt just yet because all teams are using a standard battery. Tesla on the other hand uses a different battery technology.

Bosch | Feature

Electromobility is picking up more and more speed Electromobility is an important element in reducing CO2 emissions from traffic but how economical is it to operate heavy-duty trucks with 40-ton payloads over long distances using only battery-electric power?

Given the battery weight, long charging times, and limited range of today’s technology, electric powertrains aren’t the first choice.

Nevertheless, even 40-ton trucks will be able to travel more than a thousand kilometres in all-electric mode in the near future.

The key to this according to Bosch is their new fuel-cell powertrain.

When powered with hydrogen produced using renewable energy, this powertrain enables the climate-neutral transportation of goods and commodities.

So, Bosch is taking the first step by developing a fuel-cell powertrain primarily with a focus on trucks, and the company plans to start production in 2022–2023.

Once they have become established in trucks, Bosch fuel-cell powertrains will then find their way into passenger cars.

Seven reasons why fuel cells and hydrogen are crucial building blocks of tomorrow’s mobility: 1) Climate neutrality In a fuel cell, hydrogen (H2) reacts with oxygen (O2) from the ambient air. The energy this reaction releases is converted into electricity, which is used for driving. Heat and pure water (H2O) are other products of the reaction.

H2 is obtained using electrolysis, in which water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen with the aid of electricity. Generating this electricity from renewables makes the fuelcell powertrain completely climate-neutral.

Especially for large, heavy vehicles, fuel cells have a better carbon footprint than exclusively battery-electric powertrains if the CO2 emissions for production, operation, and disposal are added together.

All that fuel-cell vehicles need in addition to

their hydrogen tank is a much smaller battery for intermediate buffer storage. This greatly reduces their carbon footprint in production.

2) Potential applications Hydrogen has a high energy density. One kilogram of hydrogen contains as much energy as 3.3 litres of diesel. To travel 100 kilometres, a passenger car needs only about one kilogram; a 40-ton truck needs seven.

As with diesel or gasoline, it takes just a few minutes to fill an empty H2 tank and continue the journey.

Bosch is working with other companies to build a small fleet of fuel-cell trucks and put them on the road. In addition to mobile applications, Bosch is developing fuel-cell stacks for stationary applications with solidoxide fuel-cell (SOFC) technology.

One intended use for them is as small, distributed power stations in cities, data centres, and charge points for electric vehicles 3) Efficiency One of the decisive factors for a powertrain’s eco-friendliness and profitability is its efficiency. This is around a quarter higher for fuel-cell vehicles than for vehicles with combustion engines. Employing recuperative braking further increases efficiency.

Battery-electric vehicles, which can store electricity directly in the vehicle and use it for g propulsion, are even more effective.

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4) Costs The cost of green hydrogen will come down considerably when production capacities are expanded, and the price of electricity generated from renewables declines.

The Hydrogen Council, an association of over 90 international companies, expects costs for many hydrogen applications to fall by half in the next 10 years making them competitive with other technologies. Bosch is currently working with the startup Powercell to develop the stack, the core of the fuel cell, and make it market-ready, with manufacturing to follow.

The goal is a high-performance solution that can be manufactured at low cost.

5) Infrastructure Today’s network of hydrogen filling stations doesn’t offer complete coverage, Companies in many countries are cooperating to push ahead with the expansion, often supported by state subsidies. In Germany politicians have recognized the important role of hydrogen in decarbonizing the economy and have anchored it in the National Hydrogen Strategy. For example, the H2 Mobility joint venture will have built around 100 publicly accessible filling stations in Germany by the end of 2020, while the EU-funded H2Haul project is working not only on trucks but also on the filling stations required on its planned

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routes. Japan, China, and South Korea also have comprehensive support programs.

6) Safety The use of gaseous hydrogen in vehicles is safe and no more hazardous than other automotive fuels or batteries. Hydrogen tanks do not pose an increased risk of explosion.

It is true that H2 burns in combination with oxygen and that a mixture of the two beyond a certain ratio is explosive.

But hydrogen is about 14 times lighter than air for example, any H2 that escapes from a vehicle tank will rise faster than it can react with the ambient oxygen. In a fire test conducted on a fuel-cell car by US researchers

in 2003, there was a flash fire, but it quickly went out again. The vehicle remained largely undamaged.

7) Timing Hydrogen production is a proven and technologically straightforward process.

This means it can be ramped up quickly to meet higher demand. In addition, fuel cells have now reached the necessary technological maturity for their commercialization and widespread use.

According to the Hydrogen Council, the hydrogen economy can become competitive in the next 10 years, provided there is sufficient investment and political will.

Technical | Feature

Jae Hyuk Choi, Hyun Ku Lee, Hyun Seung Suh, and Soo Hong Lee, Hyundai Motor Company

The Development of Gear Tooth Micro Geometry Analysis Method for the Transmission Gear Noise Robustness

ABSTRACT Transmission error has been well known as the main source of excitation about transmission gear whine noise. To minimize transmission error in the gear system, various analysis methods have been studied and applied for long time.

Many researchers were focused on gear micro geometry to achieve the low level of transmission error. But, if the gear is misaligned by several factors such as clearance and manufacturing tolerance error, then the gear noise can rapidly and unexpectedly be increased.

To overcome this problem, this new analysis method has been developed and introduced.

A transmission system simulation model was constructed, which considers various factors of transmission components such as clearance, stiffness and so on. The deformation and vibration characteristics of finite element models were validated by making comparison with frequency response function experiment.

TABLE 1: Placket-Burman Experiment (6 factors with 2 levels).

Introduction

Simulation Model

Transmission gear whine noise is a high frequency tonal noise. It usually cause unpleasant to passengers of a vehicle.

Various methods have been studied and applied to the transmission development to improve this problem. Programs such as pRMC (planetary Run Many Cases) and RMC (Run Many Cases) are used to find gear macro specifications for low noise at the early phase.[1] At the detailed design stage, it is necessary to consider gear misalignment caused by system deformation. Thus, system simulation is performed.[2] However, this system analysis mainly focuses on finding the tooth profile that makes the tooth surface load distribution uniform and minimizes the transmission error.

Normally, transmissions are operated with a number of parts interacting. Therefore, it is necessary to model the whole transmission system instead of the subsystem model.

Misalignment has a large effect on the gear noise.[3] To predict correctly, it is important to create a model that can include bearings, bushes, spline clearances, and stiffness of components related to gear support as shown in Figure 1. [4] This simulation model considered these components.

The gear whine noise may increase rapidly while the alignment changing. However, when modifying tooth micro geometry, it is difficult to review all factors which effect on the misalignment. Therefore, a new analysis method is needed to overcome this problem In this study, a new methodology and results are presented in order to improve the transmission gear noise robustness. www.saea.com.au

A finite element model is used to account for transmission deformation and vibration characteristics. Since the transmission system model is large and complex, it is important to find appropriate mesh sizes for finite element models. The frequency response function results using simulation were compared with the experimental results to reduce the simulation load and to show the vibration characteristics of the parts as well.

By comparing these results, the mesh size of the finite element model was determined.

Figure 2 indicates that the simulation and measurement results are well matched.

Through the Placket-Burman screening method, the lead slope was found out one of the most sensitive factor for the transmission error. Full factorial combination analysis for the lead slope was performed under the various driving conditions. As a result, the transmission error distribution map according to the gear tooth modifications and various torque conditions was introduced. The transmission error map proposed by this analysis could make it easy to find the correction of gear micro geometry which is robust to noise.

After all, vibration distribution of new planetary gear could result in 5dB reduction compared to former transmission. HyundaiMotors 8 speed automatic transmission was developed successfully by using this new analysis method.

Screening Key Factors of Gear Micro Geometry As shown in Figure 3, the gear tooth micro geometry could be represented by lead slope, lead crown, lead relief, profile slope, profile crown and profile relief. The simultaneous analysis of the six factors is unreasonable in terms of simulation time and efficiency.

So, Plackett-Burman experimental design, a representative DoE screening method, was used to identify the key factors.[5,6] The experiment was planned as shown in Table 1.

An analysis was performed separately by VTE | 27

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torque conditions and gear types to check a sensitivity of the gear type and driving conditions.

As an analysis result, the lead slope was founded as a significant factor for the transmission error at all the torque conditions regardless of the gear type as shown in Figure 4. And the lead crown is sensitive factor in heavy torque conditions. The profile slope is important at the low torque conditions. And the profile crown is identified as an influential factor in gear B. Therefore, the lead slope that has the greatest influence on a transmission error was chosen as a control factor in this study. At first, the detailed analysis of the lead slope was performed, and the analysis was carried out progressively about the lead crown, profile slope, profile crown, etc.

Interaction between Drive and Driven Gear Lead Slope If there is strong interaction between the lead slope of each gear, the full factorial combination analysis need to conduct.

FIGURE 1: Composition of transmission analysis model

The analysis was performed about a double pinion gear set of the Hyundai Motor Company 8 speed automatic transmission as shown Figure 5. Figure 6 indicates transmission error distributions between the lead slopes. Transmission error values are not constant at the area where the difference is equal between inner pinion gear and outer pinion gear lead slopes, such as diagonal dotted lines. Therefore, the full factorial combination analysis was conducted.

P-Diagram Figure 7 is P-diagram for analysis. Since the gear noise is varied according to the driving condition, signal factors were set to various input torque conditions to consider various driving conditions. The response is a transmission error that is well known as the source of gear whine noise.[7] Noise factor is manufacturing tolerance. That could be naturally checked at the full factorial combination analysis.

The transmission error was calculated about the lead slope of a sun and pinion gears. In case of an annulus gear, the lead slope value was fixed, because annulus gear broaching, a general cutting process, is hard to change lead slope. For a set of double pinion gears, the full factorial combination analysis of the sun gear, inner and outer pinion gear lead slopes were needed as shown Figure 8.

Transmission Error Map

FIGURE 2: FRF results comparisons between measurements and analysis

FIGURE 3: Gear micro geometry 28 | December 2020

For effective analysis of the simulation result, transmission error results are expressed as color maps, which are represented in different colors according to the magnitude of the transmission error. The horizontal axis is a lead slope of the drive gear, the vertical axis is a lead slope of

FIGURE 4: Main effects plot for transmission error

Technical | Feature

FIGURE 5: Double pinion gear set of 8 speed automatic transmission the driven gear. This transmission error map is positioned according to the gear type and torque conditions as shown Figure 9.

The frame of the tolerance range was constructed to take the manufacturing tolerances into account. Since a lead slope value of the gear is the same regardless of the driving conditions, the frame is placed at regular intervals for each map.

FIGURE 6: A transmission error analysis result between inner pinion gear and outer pinion gear

On overlapping the frame with the transmission error map, it is convenient to check the magnitude of transmission error by considering various driving conditions in a particular lead slope as shown in Figure 10.

It is important to avoid areas with higher transmission errors rather than to select areas with lower transmission error for minimizing the gear noise problem under various driving conditions. Especially, it is significant to avoid areas where noise can increase dramatically due to misalignment changes. This method makes it easy to check how the transmission error changes near of the frame placed in the transmission error map.

Review of Other Factors As mentioned above, lead crown, profile slope and profile crown are also important factors depending on the gear type or operating conditions.

The analysis for the adding specific factors was performed within the predetermined lead slope range. And the values of the factors analyzed were determined by reviewing the transmission error map in the same way. Figure 11 is a review example for the lead crown. There is a difference in transmission errors according to the torque, so the lead crown avoiding high transmission error zone could be chosen.

FIGURE 7: P-Diagram

Experiment Result By applying this new analysis methodology, the 8-speed automatic transmission has been developed successfully. Figure 12 shows distribution of planetary gear vibration about the 1000s of the 8-speed and 6-speed automatic transmissions. The 8 speed automatic transmission could accomplish 5dB reduction compared to the 6 speed automatic transmission.

Conclusion This new methodology was developed to improve the robustness of the transmission noise quality. We conclude followings:.

1. For reliable analysis, a transmission system simulation model has been constructed in which various factors are taken into account. www.saea.com.au

FIGURE 8: Double pinion gear set full factorial combination

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FIGURE 9: Transmission Error Map of 8 speed AT double pinion gear set In particular, to validate the finite element model, the vibration characteristics have been compared to the frequency response function measurement results.

2. Through the Placket-Burman screening method, the lead slope has been found as one of the most significant factor for the transmission error. And it was identified that there is an interaction between the lead slopes of each gear. So, it is necessary to conduct analysis of the full factorial combination.

FIGURE 10: Review of the tooth shape considering overall driving condition and gear mesh

3. Transmission errors are simulated in wide range lead slopes including the manufacturing tolerance, and the transmission error map was constructed under the various driving conditions.

This map could make it easy to find the correction of gear micro geometry range which is robust to the gear noise.

4. As a result of measurement, vibration distribution of gear was reduced by 5 dB compared to former transmission. And Hyundai Motors Company 8 speed automatic transmission was developed successfully by using this new analysis method.

References 1. Lee, H.K., Kim, M.S., Suh, H.S., Kim, J.H. et al., “Research for the Development of a pRMC Program for the Planetary Gear Noise,” KSNVE 23-7:669-674, 2013.

2. Shin, W., Kanase, A., Hwang, S.W., Baek, S.B. et al., “6 Speed Automatic Transmission Vibration Magnitude Prediction and Whine Noise Improvement through Transmission System Modeling,” SAE Technical Paper 2011-01-1553, 2011, doi:10.4271/2011-01-1553.

FIGURE 11: Review of lead crown

3. Houser, D.R. and Harianto, J., “The Effect of Micro- Geometry and Load on Helical Gear Noise Excitations,” SAE Technical Paper 200501-2295, 2005, doi:10.4271/2005-01- 2295.

4. Harris, O.J., Douglas, M., James, B.M., Woolley A.M., et al.

“Predicting the Effects of Transmission Housing Flexibility and Bearing Stiffness on Gear Mesh Misalignment and Transmission Error,” 2000 5. Hyundai Motor Company MBB Education Material, Screening DoE. 6. Plackett, R.L. and Burman, J.P., “The Design of Optimum Multifactorial Experiments,” Biometrika 33(4):305-325, June 1946.

7. Chung, C., Steyer, G., Abe, T., Clapper, M. et al., “Gear Noise Reduction through Transmission Error Control and Gear Blank Dynamic Tuning,” SAE Technical Paper 1999-01-1766, 1999, doi:10.4271/1999-01-1766.

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank our team leaders and members for the support of the work.

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FIGURE 12: Vibration measurement result