Sustainable options for Off-Highway Vehicles

Ahead of DZOM – the Sixth Annual Design & Development of Zero-Emission Off-Highway Machinery Summit (May 21-22) –  Dr Jay Al-Tayie, Ricardo Global Technical Authority Head for Power Electronics Machines & Drives, explains how sustainable solutions are driving technological advancements for off-highway applications.  

It is clear that the pressure is on to find more sustainable and cost-effective options for off-highway applications.

Several market drivers are at work here. For starters, global demand for off-highway vehicles is expected to grow by around 20% through to 2030. This is largely due to rapid urbanisation and increased infrastructure investment, but it's also because of the increased accessibility of automation - and the efficiencies it can deliver - in new markets around the world, such as agriculture activities in emerging economies.  

Meanwhile, government policies and incentives are pushing supply chains and end-users towards sustainable designs and practices, a cause helped by the fact that advances in intelligent vehicle technologies, electrification, battery life and charging infrastructure are combining to make sustainable options more feasible.

Options to decarbonise off-highway vehicles 

At Ricardo, we are supporting clients with their off-highway requirements, from analysis and clean-sheet design and development, through to integration and test activities. 

Some of the assignments we have completed include:  

• Fleet decarbonisation strategies - where we analyse existing assets against regulatory requirements, make informed recommendations and provide expert support for delivering low carbon fleets.  
• Technology innovation selection - identifying the innovations that help customers reach their objectives and meet regulatory demands.
• Electrification component and knowledge transfer – through analysis and simulations we help organisations build their capabilities in EDU integration and optimisation, especially in areas that include auxiliaries to ePTO, battery technologies, software, and digital and powertrain customisation. 
• Safety, reliability and profitability –  which includes previous roles ensuring safety and security in projects (e.g. meeting Functional Safety regulations), developing strategies to identify capital investment, and providing specialist advice on industrialisation and sourcing, cost control and TCO, and supply chain management.

The right decarbonisation choice - no 'One-size-fits-all'

Where off-highway vehicles are concerned, there is no 'One-size fits-all' approach to decarbonisation. Instead, we are seeing a range of strategies being put into action.

For example, many observers consider fully electrified or hybrid systems as the most likely option for smaller off-highway applications, because the fast-charge infrastructure exists and the supporting supply chain is now reasonably well-established.  

Fuel cell systems and architecture is often viewed as the likely pathway for larger, heavy duty, power-intense applications, including those in isolated environments and difficult terrains (such as mining). The success of this option in these markets, however, will be dependent on a willingness to invest in self-contained fuel supply routes that serve the individual operator, as opposed to all.    

Meanwhile, internal combustion engines using alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methane, ammonia, biofuel and e-fuels are an option for applications that require consistent high power and where retrofit is financially viable.   

At Ricardo, we have developed a range of sustainable solutions that are fuel agnostic and have the potential to contribute significantly to reduced costs and enhanced reliability.  Two, in particular, are worthy of highlighting here.

Alumotor  

Alumotor is Ricardo’s synchronous reluctance electric motor, featuring aluminium windings and no rare earth elements (REE). Throughout its design, development and testing, we have demonstrated our ability to produce an integrated technology that reduces the cost and increases the sustainability of an electric powertrain by eliminating copper and using aluminium hairpin windings and non-PM materials.  

The technology is fully scalable, and a full industrialised program is deliverable through a sustainable supply chain, which is readily available and independent of geopolitical pressures associated with other rare materials. The use of aluminium, which is the third most abundant element on earth, and has been shown to be infinitely recyclable without loss of integrity, helps to make Alumotor both a commercial and sustainable option.  

VICS (Vehicle Integrated Control System) 

VICS is the brains behind electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, delivering full system integration. It supports torque delivery across power sources and actuators, as well as helping to optimise energy efficiency, power and safety.  

Ricardo has developed VICS with a focus on delivering two levels of functionality, based on specific application. The first being essential for the fundamental operations of any BEV/HEV; and then a more advanced function designed to unlock enhanced performance and efficiency dynamics. In the off-highway market, the use of VICS is especially important in high power applications that require consistent performance for long periods of time - think tractors and mining vehicles that are required to be in use all day, with few stoppages.  

Another advantage of VICS is its connection to other systems, such as predictive energy management to support maximum efficiency, including energy recovery from braking, hydraulic systems and downhill operations. Bespoke thermal management is used to regulate temperature to extend battery and component life, while minimising energy consumption. In addition, VICS supports connected intelligence between vehicles and remote systems, enabling seamless integration with telematics, IoT and fleet management tools. For future-ready designs that are configurable, scalable and able to be adapted to various powertrain, vehicle applications and incorporate new technologies, VICS offers a novel and cost-efficient solution.  

Increasingly we are seeing more intelligent systems used across off-highway applications, with favourable impacts on efficiency and emissions.

When comparing the available sustainable solutions it’s clear that there is still a long way to go, but progress is being made and it’s an exciting time to be part of this evolution.  

Further information

• Solutions for off-highway vehicles
• Fleet decarbonisation support
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