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Volvo EX60 – Multi- adaptive safety belt...
While the founding fathers of Volvo had a motto that the firm's guiding principle must always be safety, it did not always lead to financial success. Over the last 30 years, Volvo realised that safety alone does not encourage punters to hammer down showroom doors. Therefore, the firm and has had to introduce a degree of desirability, style and driver engagement. This has led to Volvo becoming a credible but left-field alternative to the German brands. Thankfully, the original principle has not been abandoned and it is pleasing that, while the company is focussing its efforts strongly on ADAS, it remains determined to improve on the humble three- point safety belt – itself a 1959 Volvo invention.
Poised for introduction on the all-electric EX60 SUV in January, the multi-adaptive safety belt is a major update to the fifties' original that is credited with saving at least a million lives. It acts as a smart-belt, using real-time data from interior and exterior sensors to customise protection by adjusting not just to the current situation but also to the profile of occupants, including their height, weight, body shape and seating positions.
This is necessary, because larger passengers in a severe crash will receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the chance of head injuries, while a smaller occupant in a milder crash will receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures.
As is becoming common across the carmakers, over-the-air software updates will be used to improve the belt's responses, as Volvo Cars learns more about how the system reacts to real-world scenarios.
KIA EV3 – Battery passport (trial)...
While it admits that battery passports are not (yet) a production reality, Kia Europe is conducting a battery passport trial for BEVs that is based not on the battery module but on each cell within the pack.
Kia argues that a battery passport enables enhanced live state-of-health tracking and end-to-end traceability across the battery’s lifecycle. For workshops, it says that real-time repair diagnostics are enhanced. This allows individual cells to be replaced, instead of complete battery packs, saving both time and money – although we admit that certain BEV aftermarket specialists do this already.
With real-time State of Health information, accessed through the car's infotainment system, KIA says that BEV drivers benefit from extended battery life and more affordable maintenance, because its customers can identify and address issues early. The net advantage is extended battery life, reduced long-term costs and a higher level of trust when buying or selling used BEVs. The more easily accessible data provides a level of transparency that helps decisions regarding battery reuse and recycling, so says Kia.
For the trial, a Kia EV3 was equipped with a Dukosi battery cell monitoring system. To access the battery passport data collected during the trial, a data-sharing pilot environment was utilised. While a pilot exercise, it shows the importance that the EU is attaching to making battery performance more accessible – something that will benefit aftermarket workshops.
Horse Powertrain – Future Hybrid System...
While it is becoming clear that BEVs are not going to replace liquid-fuelled vehicles entirely in the medium term, it was not that long ago that most people were convinced that every car would soon be electric. Yet the existence of Horse Powertrain is proof that the Europeans and even the Chinese never quite believed the political rhetoric.
As so many OEMs have piled their eggs into one BEV- shaped basket, new combustion engine development has been starved. Now, some brands are faced with making an embarrassing volte-face, as their BEV ambitions turn sour, but with no alternative powertrain to use. To answer their prayers, Renault and the Geely Group pooled resources to create a new Franco-Sino generation of low-emission hybrid combustion engines.
The latest fruit to emerge from this joint venture is the Future Hybrid System, scheduled for launch in 2027. It comprises a revolutionary 'all-in-one' hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre engine, transmission, motor and power electronics that give carmakers a drop-in option of converting their BEV models cost-effectively into self- charging hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or range-extended vehicles.
Available in two sizes, Horse Powertrain claims that the drivetrain is so compact that the Future Hybrid System fits within a typical BEV subframe. This maximises the ability of existing BEV components to be reused and streamlines manufacturing for the carmaker, eliminating costly retooling and process changes, thus saving costs. Horse Powertrain claims that bulky BEV HVAC/air conditioning components, at the front of the car, will not need replacing.
Intended for worldwide use, the 1500cc, four-cylinder, spark-ignition combustion engine boasts a pre-chamber ignition system to support a variety of fuels, including gasoline, E85 ethanol flex fuels, M100 methanol, and synthetic blends.
NIO9 – ZF Steer-by-wire...
2025 saw a rash of new Chinese car brands enter the UK market. Despite NIO proclaiming that it would be one of them, we have yet to find an example for sale on these shores, at the time of writing. Therefore, it is unlikely that you would not have (yet) seen the Tesla-esque NIO9 in the flesh, which is the firm's flagship BEV. Naturally, it is dripping with electro-tech. For instance, its SkyRide chassis comprises a steer-by-wire system for both the front and rear wheels.
Developed by ZF, there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. NIO says that steer-by-wire technology is a key enabler of software- defined vehicles, offering enhanced driving comfort, dynamics, and future-proof technology. ZF views its steer- by-wire as a further development of electric power steering and sees it as suited ideally for both electric and automated vehicles.
The system works by the steering wheel rotation angle being detected by a combined angle sensor and electric torque feedback unit. Apart from detecting steering angle, this sensor reproduces feedback from the road to the driver's hands. The electromechanical actuator, mounted to the steering rack, performs the physical steering action. By eliminating the steering column, software can adjust the steering ratio for driving speeds or modes.
Yet is it worth it? ZF says that steer-by-wire opens possibilities for the development of new, more compact steering wheels that do not require drivers to take their hands off the wheelas they park. This, ZF says, enhances manoeuvrability significantly, because the steering wheel angle is reduced when parking or during slow-driving manoeuvres. Combined with ZF's AKC mechatronic rear-wheel steering, driving comfort increases, especially on long-wheelbase luxury BEVs. Safety is also enhanced, by the column shaft being deleted.
Yet we should remember that production steer-by-wire is nothing new. As Autotechnician covered in prior years, the now defunct Infiniti Q50 boasted the technology over a decade ago.
