In race for efficient EVs, Mercedes taps F1 team to keep up with Tesla

To speed up development timeframes for more efficient mass-market electric cars (EVs) and keep up with Tesla (TSLA.O), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) has integrated its Formula One team into the technical process.

The technology used in Formula One races constantly seems to make its way into regular cars. However, Mercedes’ partnership with F1 to develop faster, more efficient electric vehicles that embed a racing mentality and technological expertise is the first of its kind.

After dominating the internal combustion engine market for decades, established automakers like Mercedes have fallen behind Tesla in the electric vehicle market. According to Steven Merkt, head of transportation solutions at major cars supplier TE Connectivity (TEL.N), Mercedes’ F1 team can help it get back in the race.

Mercedes, “feels the pressure more than anyone else” to be the market leaders in terms of innovation, according to Merkt. If they don’t release it, they’re not Mercedes.

Mercedes-AMG’s Formula One (F1) team in England collaborated with the German premium automaker to create the EQXX concept car, an ultra-efficient electric vehicle with a range of more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles). It was presented last year.

Fast iterative development of the EQXX’s engines, electric motors, aerodynamics, and rolling resistance was made possible thanks to the F1 team’s expertise, the business claims.

Mercedes CTO Markus Schaefer: “We have an advantage here with Formula One that others don’t have.” Tesla lacks this capability. No other groups have access to it.

When asked for comment, Tesla remained silent.

Newer entrants, led by Tesla, may produce or modify models at a much faster rate than established automakers, making speed an increasingly essential factor. Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are releasing cutting-edge, affordably priced cars in Europe after slashing the average development period to 2.5 years.

Car manufacturers are under pressure to cut the price of electric vehicles (EVs) by reducing their weight, increasing their range, and using fewer of the precious battery components that are in limited supply. According to vendors, automakers have begun including efficiency clauses in EV contracts in an effort to lower prices.

Effectiveness, Schaefer argued, is a “key enabler” for increasing the worldwide use of electric vehicles.

In 2024, Mercedes will put into production a new electric vehicle (EV) platform that incorporates lessons learnt from the EQXX in areas such as aerodynamics, the powertrain, and the car’s software system.

According to Schaefer, Mercedes has reduced the typical 58-month period between the conception of a vehicle and its mass manufacturing to “the low 40s” by adopting an F1-style methodology. The goal is “the low 30s” for derivative models, which are copies of existing platforms.

According to Schaefer, the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) team that worked on the F1 engine is now creating batteries, invertors, and new generations of motors for mass-market Mercedes cars.

“SET TO RUN THE NEXT RACE”
While on vacation in the Isle of Wight in August of 2020, HPP advanced technology director Adam Allsopp received the phone call from Mercedes HQ in Stuttgart that launched the EQXX project. Specifically, the task was to create an electric vehicle (EV) that could travel 1,000 kilometers (km) on a single charge.

Allsopp explained that F1’s 2014 fuel restrictions pushed HPP to “chase every single watt of loss” from two electric motors in order to maximize performance.

“Being prepared for the next race is integral to who we are,” Allsopp explained.

With a racing mentality and a flexible approach that allowed them to move forward with development before the EV’s batteries were ready, F1 engineers in Brixworth and adjacent Brackley collaborated with a team in Stuttgart to construct the EQXX.

The EQXX’s battery pack, electronics, and operating system were all more compact than those found in Mercedes’ flagship EQS SUV. With its efficient aerodynamics and battery technology, it was able to go over 1,200 miles (from Stuttgart to Silverstone in England) on a single charge.

Alternatively, Tesla claims that the long-range Model 3 only consumes 16 kWh per 100 km.

The German automaker has created a digital model of its plant in Rastatt — the same car will also be built in Hungary and China — to “simulate the assembly process,” and thereby speed up the physical changeover to build the new electric vehicles, according to CTO Schaefer. This is necessary to maintain speed for bringing elements of the EQXX to mass production in 2024 on its new compact Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) vehicle platform.

Automakers typically perform “mid-life” improvements on vehicle models every three to four years, but Schaefer predicted that “updates to EVs will be way more frequent.”

The most important thing is to be efficient.
The automotive industry as a whole is stepping up its pursuit of faster and more efficient vehicles.

According to CEO Jim Farley, F1 provides “an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas, and technologies,” so Ford Motor Co (F.N) has revealed plans to return to F1 racing in 2026, following Mercedes’ lead.

Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has stated that it plans to reduce the average time it takes to bring a new model to market in China from four years to 2.5 years, in part by conducting more R&D in China.

Liam Butterworth, CEO of supplier Dowlais (DWL.L), whose sideshafts are used in nine of the world’s top 10 selling EVs, commented on the increasing emphasis on efficiency among automakers by saying that some now contain fines for suppliers who fail to reach efficiency targets.

Silicon added to the anodes of electric vehicle batteries by OneD Battery Sciences makes batteries lighter, cheaper, and more quickly rechargeable. Both companies announced that General Motors (GM.N) has invested in the Palo Alto, California-based firm and is investigating using the technology in the U.S. automaker’s Ultium batteries.

CEO Vincent Pluvinage has stated that more partnerships with automakers looking to produce cheaper and more efficient EVs will be announced during the second quarter. He was unwilling to elaborate on the transactions.

Pluvinage emphasized the importance of “increasing performance while reducing costs.” “Car manufacturers are no longer interested if you have a technology that works but you’re asking for a premium.”

To date, automakers have increased EV range by installing additional batteries in vehicles, worsening a shortage of essential minerals like lithium and cobalt. HPP’s Allsopp, however, argued that manufacturers may employ smaller batteries in more eco-friendly and cost-effective electric vehicles by increasing the vehicles’ efficiency.

Allsopp remarked, “Just throwing batteries at it is not an intelligent solution.” Customers, automakers, and the environment all benefit from creative solutions that maintain the same driving range.