Molex Global Automotive Electrification Study Reveals Accelerating Pace of Innovation

Molex Global Automotive Electrification Study Reveals Accelerating Pace of Innovation

• 93% of respondents believe that electrification is about to have a major breakthrough

• 91% of respondents said they have difficulty gaining expertise in vehicle electrification innovation

• Increased collaboration between automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers, as well as increased R&D and capital investment, will drive progress in electrification

• 84% of respondents believe that Zonal architecture will become the standard in the future

Lisle, Illinois - December 1, 2021 - Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, today announced the results of a new survey of global automotive industry practitioners to identify the key trends and barriers affecting electric vehicle (EV) innovation. As a major driver of changes to the entire vehicle architecture (including charging stations), successful electrification requires increased collaboration between automotive OEMs and suppliers, increased R&D and capital investment, and the design, development and delivery of breakthrough technologies in power control and battery management.

“Vehicle electrification is a complex undertaking that goes far beyond the transition from an internal combustion engine to an electric motor,” said Kevin Alberts, senior vice president and general manager, Molex Power and Signal Business Unit (PSBU). “Highly sophisticated engineering and fully integrated manufacturing processes leveraging ultrasonic welding, sustainable production and automation are accelerating the delivery of next-generation electrification solutions, increasing the pace of innovation in all aspects of electrification.” 

Molex commissioned Dimensional Research to conduct a survey on automotive electrification innovation in October 2021 with 204 participants, including automotive companies, Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers, and charging station suppliers from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific, with positions ranging from R&D, engineering, products, innovation, strategy, manufacturing to supply chain. Survey participants answered questions related to electric vehicles and in-vehicle power systems (such as power electronics, wiring harnesses, sensors, battery management systems, etc.) and out-of-vehicle electrification solutions (such as charging stations).

Key findings include:

• 94% of respondents believe that electrification is more than just switching to electric motors; 93% of respondents believe that electrification is about to have a major breakthrough 

• Respondents cited increased government policy support for electrification, improvements in battery technology, and a wider selection of electric/hybrid vehicles as the top three growth factors 

• Over the past two years, automakers and their suppliers’ focus on electrification has increased significantly in terms of customer experience (55%), operating performance (51%), leadership focus (50%), and expected speed to market delivery (48%)

• Despite strong momentum towards electrification, 92% of respondents said their design teams were having difficulty with electrification, while 91% reported challenges acquiring much-needed expertise

Top functional innovations are ready to go 

Respondents agree that innovations in electrification will lead to broad improvements in vehicle functionality, including autonomous driving and driver assistance (53%), safety (43%), total cost of ownership (41%), vehicle charging time (39%), and vehicle range (37%). Nevertheless, challenges remain in improving vehicle charging time (31%), increasing vehicle range (29%), and improving autonomous driving and driver assistance (29%). Respondents also reported progress in batteries, modules or packs (51%), motors (47%), and powertrain electronics (45%). However, they have difficulty innovating controllers (37%), wiring harnesses, connectors and busbars (34%), cameras and sensors (33%), and powertrain electronics (26%). 

Zonal architecture will become the standard

84% of respondents said that with the strong support of automakers and suppliers for the electronic and electrical architecture (E/E), the Zonal architecture will become the standard in the next five years or more. Zonal will not only reduce the network harness of traditional vehicle architecture, but this innovation will also significantly reduce the number of electronic controllers (ECUs) in the vehicle, while significantly reducing the length, weight and cost of the harness.

Collaboration is the key to success in electrification

Survey participants face a range of issues in acquiring much-needed expertise to drive their innovation practices. Traditional automotive Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers often lack electrification expertise, while automotive OEMs face increasing competition from technology giants, making their internal hiring targets more challenging. Automotive OEMs see increased collaboration with suppliers as the biggest driver of innovation; suppliers believe that increased investment in R&D and capital (e.g., tools, machinery, factories) is most likely to drive progress in electrification.

Molex Power and Signal Expertise 

Molex's proven portfolio of innovative interconnect products and solutions is driving the development of next-generation powertrain motor controllers, electronic controllers and battery management systems. With more than 30 years of experience serving leading automakers and suppliers in the automotive industry, Molex is committed to designing and providing key electronics, power, signal and connectivity solutions that form the central nervous system of future electric vehicles.