Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is ramping up its efforts in automotive analysis to advance electrical mobility and sustainable transportation innovation in the US. Key to this endeavor is the Volkswagen Innovation Hub in Knoxville, Tennessee, the place built-in groups collaborate with the College of Tennessee (UT) and Oak Ridge Nationwide Lab (ORNL) on cutting-edge analysis.
On the Innovation Hub, researchers are specializing in three key areas: automotive light-weight composites, recyclable inside supplies, and EV wi-fi charging. By means of groundbreaking analysis, they’ve developed modern options that may considerably enhance electrical automobile (EV) efficiency and sustainability.
Within the pursuit of light-weight supplies, the workforce created a modular repeating construction, 3D printed from liquid resins, that’s 60% lighter than standard metal frames whereas exceeding their power absorption capability. This breakthrough might improve the vary of EVs and enhance total automobile effectivity.
Moreover, the researchers have turned their consideration to recyclable inside supplies, exploring paper-based composites that not solely supply environmental advantages but in addition present designers with better flexibility and artistic freedom.
On the EV charging entrance, Volkswagen’s workforce patented a singular coil and charging pad design utilizing silicon-carbide supplies to optimize charging velocity and security. By means of this innovation, they purpose to make charging EVs as handy as parking in an everyday storage spot.
“We’re accelerating innovation inside electrical autos and contributing to extra sustainable transportation in America by focusing our efforts on a few of the most transformative automotive analysis being finished within the nation,” mentioned Pablo Di Si, President and CEO at Volkswagen Group of America Inc.
“Our know-how groups in Tennessee are a terrific instance. There, we’re tapping American ingenuity fostered by the distinctive mix of world-class tutorial analysis and Volkswagen’s main trade capabilities.”
The influence of the Knoxville Innovation Hub’s analysis extends past the lab. Bentley and Lamborghini have already adopted the workforce’s light-weight supplies and molding processes of their autos, demonstrating the sensible applicability of those improvements.
Come and tell us your ideas on our Fb, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages, and don’t overlook to join our weekly additive manufacturing publication to get all the most recent tales delivered proper to your inbox.
