MACHINERY LUBRICATION- INDIA MARCH-APRIL 2020 | Page 35

MLI
Lubricant Consumption for Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) Vehicles, Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles
completely electric vehicles intensifies, other
product groups will also be affected. Whole
new demands will be placed on gear oils,
coolants and greases, partly because they
will be in contact with electric modules,
sensors and circuits, and will be affected by
electrical current and electromagnetic fields.
Moreover, motors in electric cars also emit
a lot of heat, which will need to be led away
from the electric module. Here, effective
cooling concepts will be increasingly
important. It is also likely that the electric
motors will be driven at higher speeds
in order to increase efficiency. Already
brand new motors are being designed,
and different lubrication and cooling
concepts are being discussed. With high-
speed electric motors, the Revolutions per
minute (RPM) in the drivetrain will need
to decrease. New reduction gears with less
gear steps are therefore being implemented,
with potentially higher input speeds. Since
the reduction gears can be combined
with electric modules, their gear oils too
must work well with the chosen module
materials. This transition is a major
challenge for developers of lubricants, since
it involves a considerable change in lubricant
specifications.
There are two pressing issues which India
should focus on. First, get prepared for
the coming disruption in the automobile
industry. Fully adopted EVs will kill most
of the auto component firms. Survivors will
have to move to an industry 4.0 format.
India would also need to reskill a large
number of motor mechanics. They cannot
repair EVs because of the sophisticated
electronics. Second, and, more important,
India should use the next ten years frame to
become a leader in next-generation battery
technology. This is an honourable way to
pursue EV dreams without being critically
dependent on any country.
PRICE: THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE FOR EVs
According to BloombergNEF (BNEF),
electric cars won’t achieve price parity
with gasoline-powered cars until the early
2030s. “Mass adoption of electric cars in
India will not happen unless the gap in
upfront prices of electric and ICE vehicles is
brought down," said Shantanu Jaiswal, head
of research for India at BloombergNEF.
“The Budget is not quite favourable for
us. While the government is pushing
manufacturing of EVs in India within
set guidelines and urging everyone to go
eco-friendly, a huge amount of taxes is
being slapped on the import of batteries
and other important components needed
to assemble an EV. All this has delayed
the aim of making EVs the future of our
country”, says Srinivas Reddy, director of a
Pune-based start-up.
While the companies are ready to electrify
the automotive market in India, we can
say that EV ecosystem is yet to take
shape. Though 100 percent electrification
seems to be a far-fetched concept, 2020
will in all prospect be a turning point for
the automobile market. Over to the EV
manufacturers.
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