Preface

During the last 10 years, the modern world has seen at least the second attempt to electrify the powertrains of road traffic vehicles. Beyond the battery, which is a key component in this electrification process, all other parts have been further developed. All power devices have made a huge step forward. The combination of powerful control devices and semiconductor enhancements are providing adequate functionality from a customer point of view. Much research has been conducted on the electrochemical level, and there has been progress made on energy density and cost as well. However, currently there is no electrochemical energy storage system available that fulfils the energy demand of today’s drive trains and the related passenger comfort functions. Of course, it is simple to blame the battery and argue that this technology does not cover the needs. On the other hand, we can see that society is embracing the need to be more efficient when using energy, a need which is particularly strong in the area of mobility. Thus, the trend towards the electrification of drive trains is revealing the essential weakness of today’s vehicle concepts. In the past, the availability of fossil fuels, with their high energy density, fostered drive vehicle evolution. Due to the limitation of on-board installed energy in storage systems, public awareness of the low efficiency of current vehicles has been growing, and the automotive industry has grasped the demand for more efficiency. Two developments are anticipated: