Turkish Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Association (TEHAD) President Berkan Bayram, in his assessment of the technical features of electric vehicles and batteries, said that the charging network has increased exponentially every month, thanks to the constructive and correct guiding steps of the state in the charging sector.
Reminding that the charging station sector reached a real legal structure last year, as the final result of the intensive work of the Energy Market Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the working groups in which it is a participant as the TEHAD Charging Committee, Bayram said that with the support package announced by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in 2022, investments will be made. He said that the way was open.
122 companies obtained charging network licenses
Bayram stated that in the sector where only 5 companies were involved before 2020, 122 companies have now obtained a charging network license.
Stating that charging station investments continue throughout Turkey, Bayram said, “Thus, the number of units in the charging network, which is circulating in numbers of 1000, has reached 6,500 today. The charging network has increased and the demand for electric vehicles is high. We cannot say that this number is sufficient. Togg’ Considering that the demand for pre-order is 100 thousand in 1 week, we need to state that we need much more charging stations. I predict that our total charging network will reach 10 thousand by the end of the year.” used the phrases.
Emphasizing that the goal in electric vehicles is to have batteries with higher energy density in a lower volume, Bayram said:
“But at the same time, the absence of security gaps and longevity are other goals. That’s why we see a continuous advance in technology in the rechargeable battery sector because the long-term goal of all countries in the world is to switch from fossil fuel vehicles to new generation electric vehicles that do not pollute the air and our living spaces. .
Electric vehicles should also have low-cost energy demand and equivalent range distances at least as fossil fuel vehicles. The most important factor that determines the range data in an electric car is the battery capacity in the vehicle. Like the fuel tank in fossil fuel vehicles, electric vehicles also have a battery pack made up of cells.
Battery packs are planned according to the range range targeted by the automaker, and the number of cells corresponding to this range is included in the battery pack. With the developing battery technology, the amount of voltage and energy density that we could get per 1 cell 10 years ago has increased approximately 3 times. In other words, while 10 years ago we could travel 110 kilometers with a battery pack consisting of the same number of cells, today we can travel approximately 400 kilometers from the same battery pack.”
Lithium-based batteries are at the forefront
Bayram said that in the transition from lead acid batteries to new generation battery technology, lithium-based batteries are the type most preferred by manufacturers in electric vehicles.
Stating that it is possible to see lithium-ion cells in the battery component of almost all electric car brands and models, Bayram said, “The most important advantages of the lithium-based battery are that it has the highest cell voltage per unit cell, the highest energy density per unit mass, and no memory effect. We can count them as having a high cycle life, being more physically durable, having the highest charging efficiency and requiring less maintenance.” he said.
Recalling the results of the TEHAD workshop held in 2020, Bayram used the following statements:
“In our study, it is mentioned that as the next step after lithium-based battery technology, we are working on Solid state batteries, Sodium-ion and Lithium-air battery technologies simultaneously. While we can measure the fuel tank in fossil fuel vehicles in liters, we measure the battery pack in electric cars in kilowatt-hours. Today, an electric car has an average of about 50-60 kilowatt-hours of battery pack. The average range data of such a vehicle is in the range of 300-450 kilometers. It is possible to see various battery pack versions, from the lowest 11 kilowatt-hour electric car to the highest 120 kilowatt-hours. We know that 2 different battery packs, 52.4 kilowatt-hours and 88.5 kilowatt-hours, will be used. These battery packs provide range data of 314 kilometers and 523 kilometers. It has been announced that the long-range version will set off in the first place. This range data will depend on weather conditions and user usage. We have to point out that it can vary according to the shape of my life.
“Electric vehicle batteries do not fail frequently”
Bayram said that the battery, which is one of the most important components of the electric car, is not an element that causes frequent malfunctions.
Stating that in case of an accident or electronic malfunction, the battery may need to be checked and repaired, Bayram said, “It is possible to fix these problems in Turkey. It is possible to intervene from fault detection to the problematic battery pack or the problematic cell. We should point out that there are few technicians for certain brands yet. because battery repair and battery intervention is a topic that should be evaluated within the scope of high security. In the Electric Vehicle Technologies Training Program we organized as TEHAD, we explain what should be done especially at the point of battery intervention. The dangers of high voltage and the use of safety equipment are of vital importance in case of intervention.” said.
Pointing out that the kilowatt-hour cost per cell in the battery pack in 2011 was around 1100 dollars on the manufacturer’s side, Bayram said:
“Every next year, we saw that this manufacturer’s cost decreased by 100 dollars. This decreasing trend in costs continued at the same pace until 2020. When we came to 2021, the battery kilowatt-hour cost on the manufacturer’s side reached 110 dollars. It has been at this level for the last 2 years. I don’t expect much cost reduction after that, because the emerging electric car demands and the battery factory investments that have started to be established to meet this do not reduce the total product cost. On the other hand, the demand for and supply of raw materials and the processing of raw materials have created a situation that stabilizes the costs. In parallel with the developments, we see that the expected total cost of purchasing the electric car has not decreased, because while the range of vehicles has increased, they have started to become a much more technology-intensive communication tool. This increases the pressure on vehicle prices and prevents any appreciable price improvement.”
