Modern cars are one of the most complex and widely available products. The endless race of producers to offer customers increasingly reliable and well-fitted cars at an attractive price enforces technological complexity with the implementation of technical innovations at short notice. The transformation of the automotive industry that is based on collaboration and sharing technology opens up unprecedented opportunities for new players to enter the market. This allows for implementation of the Polish project of a new brand of electric cars, which is based on strategic technology partnerships.
Our aim to create a Polish brand of electric cars is in line with contemporary market trends. From the viewpoint of engineering, this is a substantial challenge in terms of technology and design, which would be impossible to complete without the appropriate support of experienced companies. In response to the rapid developments in the market, we have set ourselves the goal to develop and refashion the models of electric cars that can compete with other acclaimed brands.
Are automotive companies exclusive car cars designers on the market? What is a technical integrator?
ElectroMobility Poland is a young and vibrantly growing company, which is currently unable to independently design and produce the planned model range of cars in the same way as large car companies can. Such companies are usually aided by large teams and have a longstanding experience which our team has yet to gain. Therefore, our company focuses on developing the concepts of the brand, marketing and technical specification of the planned vehicles. The design projects are carried out in close cooperation with experienced external partners, both in terms of design, style, and the implementation of necessary technologies.
It is a common misconception that only automotive companies design popular cars. Independent specialist engineering companies in Europe are commissioned by automotive concerns in order to help them select the aspects of design work and in some instances to design a car model in full measure.
These companies are most often used in the absence of sufficient internal resources. Some well-known car models have been entirely designed by a technical integrator, and their production takes place in independent factories within contracted manufacturing. For example, Asian companies are increasingly using these resources and are designing their cars using European engineering companies at an early stage of development. ElectroMobility Poland cooperates with a prestigious engineering company which will be responsible for technical development of the vehicle, collaboration with the stylistic studio and factory design. Such a complex project requires meticulous coordination of tasks, so all of the pieces of this complicated puzzle of the electric car design fit together perfectly.
What is a platform and how does it define a car in terms of technology
The process of car design and production involves a complex system of hundreds of components that need to be coordinated, assembled and tested before the car can be sold. The increasing pace of introducing new technologies and optimizing costs means that companies are compelled to modify their car design strategies and implement a modular approach to the construction process. This approach allows for an introduction of a wide range of models with maximum sharing of components and reduced expenditure on their integration in the car.
A proper understanding of the technology and modern design techniques facilitates a broader application of this strategy at the level of individual components and entire systems, as well as the so-called technology platforms. Technology platforms can be understood as scalable integrated systems of key car systems that comprise the structure which is used in the construction of the entire model range.
Few major car manufacturers have overlooked the benefits of using technology platforms. Nevertheless, the enormous costs associated with their implementation has led many manufacturers, who aim to optimize their expenses, to either develop technology with other partners or to purchase licenses from corporations that already have such platforms.
Such market trends also change the approach of components suppliers. Increasingly, suppliers who have recently offered individual components, currently offer either modular systems that are relatively easy to integrate or enter into partnerships with other technology suppliers. By continually developing their professional competencies, they offer car manufacturers almost complete platforms, ready for adaptation and integration. This is particularly evident in the era of electromobility. The high costs of developing new technologies cause company holders to search for optimal financial models and consequently offer complete technological solutions to the market, which has become standard practice. Electromobility Poland is also working on acquiring a technology platform dedicated to electric cars, which will be the basis for building its own model range.
Is it possible to develop a brand identity based on the acquired platform?
The fact that the construction of Polish cars will be based on the purchased platform technology raises questions about how unique the features of the vehicle are. The platform is only a part of the entire car that constitutes the technological value of the car. The modular approach to designing the platform’s architecture as well as its vast configuration options allow for the development of the unique character of the car’s properties from the viewpoint of users. The exterior design, proper arrangement selection of interior materials as well as the configuration of functionality and user interface largely determine the character of a given brand.
The brands have been sharing technology with the same concerns for a long time, and it has not stopped them from building their unique brands. In terms of technology, Citroen differs slightly from Peugeot, which belongs to the same concern. The role of the Polish ElectroMobilty Poland team is to define the functional and stylistic attributes of the new brand for future buyers to identify the “DNA structure” of the Polish cars. The distinctive features of the Polish brand of the electric car are the recognizable and attractive external appearance, the spatiality and ergonomics of the interior, functional user interface and non-technical aspects related to the warranty, and the costs of using while maintaining the highest quality standards expected in a given price segment.
How to use the potential of Polish engineers to build their own technological solutions?
The design and construction of cars require a vast knowledge of technical, preliminary and organizational areas. Intellectual property and competencies of staff are crucial factors which enable the company to develop and implement advanced technologies and also are indispensable factors for the development of the automotive industry broadly. The use of experienced foreign partners to implement the project, allows for a significant reduction of project risks that are related to quality and compliance with the work schedule. It is essential to appropriately use the potential of such cooperation to build competence in the company and among local partners. That is why ElectroMobility Poland focuses not only on close cooperation with foreign partners but also on ensuring proper knowledge transfer through the integration of its teams with teams of experienced partners. Gradually, along with the development of our staff, the project will increasingly be implemented by our teams.
We are also planning to build our local competencies in key areas that relate to technical integration and maximum involvement of Polish engineering companies. These companies, which act as subcontractors, already collaborate with the international automotive industry. These companies are dynamically developing and building competences in the areas of modelling and simulation, in CAD and CAE environments and the areas of development of control systems or advanced testing. In the long term, the construction of a new car brand in Poland will make possible the development of competencies and specializations in the most promising fields connected with modern motorization, that is the development of electric drive, battery technologies and also ICT and driver support system. These systems are increasingly used in cars, and in the future, they will play a more and more critical role in defining cars and customers’ buying choices.
The inception of a local car brand also creates opportunities for cooperation with the academic world. Graduates of our technical universities have a vast potential that can be used for developing advanced technologies which are used in the construction and modernization of automotive parts and systems. The project of the Polish automotive brand might allow for more efficient allocation of research grants and focus on projects that can be used for industrial and development purposes.
The development of a supply chain for the Polish electric car
At present, practically most of the car parts can be made in Poland. We believe that the design of the Polish electric car will contribute to the development of our homegrown enterprises which already cooperate with the automotive industry.
The construction of the Polish automotive brand is one of the most complex, but at the same time perspective, projects that are currently being implemented. This is a considerable challenge in financial, organizational and technical terms. ElectroMobility Poland is fostering its own practical approach to engineering. By inviting renowned international partners to cooperate, we provide technical quality and an international standard for the production of cars, which we hope will “hit the road” soon. The project also has a long-term aim to integrate the homegrown engineering potential and to create its own technological solutions which will allow us to compete on the current rapidly changing automotive market.