In this interview, we talk to Ashish and Rita authors of the book EV Batteries, Chargers, and Subsystems We discuss the motivation behind writing the book, the target audience, the most useful aspects of the book, the challenges of writing the book, and advice for other engineers who are considering writing a book.
1.Could you summarize the main content of your book? What are the key topics addressed?
At a high level, all electric vehicles (EVs) on the road today have the same sub-systems. A high voltage Li-ion battery that powers an electric motor and a way to replenish the stored energy in the high-voltage battery. This book aims to provide the reader with an in-depth review of these sub-systems. This in-depth review includes understanding how the various sub-systems function and are tested to ensure safety and reliability. The key topics in the book include:
- An overview of Li-ion cells and how they are manufactured
- The architecture of high-voltage Li-ion batteries in EVs including aspects that must be considered for safe operation
- EV Li-ion battery chargers – what they do and what can go wrong
- The many available options for electric motor topologies for EV applications
- Safety and reliability testing typically performed on EV sub-systems
In addition, the book also takes an in-depth look at advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which are ubiquitous in EVs making their discussion especially relevant when discussing EV sub-systems.
2.What is the primary purpose of your book? How do you envision it helping readers in their work or studies?
The primary purpose of this book is to provide engineers, technicians and other personnel that are looking for a deeper technical understanding of sub-systems in EVs a single resource to get up to speed not just with the technology itself but with current standards and regulations that directly impact the design, development and validation of these sub-systems.
3.What sets your book apart from other works in the same field? Are there any innovative concepts, methodologies, or insights that make it stand out?
What sets this book apart from other works in the same field is the diverse nature of subjects that are covered in a single book. The in-depth discussion in the book focuses on a variety of EV sub-systems and covers technologies from Li-ion cells that power all EVs today to motors and ADAS features that are also standard in EVs. The discussion of regulations, standards and testing protocols typically followed during the design and validation stage allows the reader to understand the full gamut of specifying, designing and validating EV sub-systems in a single reference.
4.Who is the intended readership for your book? Are there specific industries, professionals, or fields of study that would benefit most from this content?
While the target audience for this book is anyone working with EVs and EV sub-systems, this book will be especially useful for quality, test and regulatory engineers that are new to the field of EV sub-systems or transitioning from working on one EV sub-system to another. The book does not intend to address every single aspect of every EV sub-system but aims to provide readers with a sufficient level of understanding that allows them to start specializing in one or more EV sub-systems.
5.What are the most important lessons or insights you want readers to take away from this book?
The most important lesson or insight that the readers will hopefully take away from this book is the many different considerations that must be addressed when developing or validating EV sub-systems. From the precise production processes required to manufacture Li-ion cells where any manufacturing anomalies can give rise to safety issues to the large number of tests that must be performed on EV batteries to validate the safety infrastructure built into the batteries. EV sub-systems require extensive testing and validation to ensure safe operation in the field. In addition, the discussion on the technology used in ADAS features incorporated into these vehicles will provide readers with a better understanding of the state of the technology as it exists today, what it can do, and equally important, its limitations.
6.Does your book include any original research, case studies, or data? If so, could you highlight some of the most significant findings?
The book does not really include any original research as that was not the intention or the target audience of the book. The book is meant as a resource for practicing engineers to help them better understand the state of the relevant technology for EV sub-systems and the practical considerations when designing and validating these sub-systems. As such, the focus of the book is on the current state of the art technology rather than a discussion of new research or other technology that is yet to make its way into EV applications.
7.Does your book address any new or emerging trends in the field? How does it prepare readers for future developments?
Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features are becoming more common in all automobiles including in EV applications. The book takes an in-depth look at the technology behind ADAS features and the limitations of these features. This is a relatively new and emerging field and its discussion in the book provides valuable insight into this topic that is not commonly discussed in books dealing with EVs.
8.What personal experiences, if any, have shaped your perspective or approach to the topics discussed in your book?
The topics covered in this book are directly relevant to our day-to-day jobs which deal with performing risk assessments, hazard analysis, design reviews, validation testing and field-failure analysis on EV sub-systems that are in the field today. As such, our experience in this field has allowed us to identify topics of relevance to other engineers working with these sub-systems and the level of in-depth knowledge that is essential for all engineering professionals in the field.
Ashish Arora holds a B.S. in Engineering with First Class Honors from the University of Canberra, an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, and an M.B.A. from Indiana University. He is a seasoned engineer specializing in electrical, electronic, and computer systems. With extensive expertise in designing, testing, and analyzing complex technical systems, he has contributed to diverse industries, including consumer products, automotive, aviation, and medical devices. His work spans design reviews, failure analysis, and product liability investigations, with a particular focus on automotive embedded control systems and energy storage solutions.
Dr. Garrido Menacho is a condensed matter physicist with specialties in semiconductor/superconductor nanofabrication, surface characterization, and electrical testing. At Exponent, she employs her experimental background to assist clients with failure analysis and safety design reviews of consumer products, automotive electronic systems, and energy storage systems. Her work focuses on evaluating lithium-ion battery quality and design, battery pack protection circuitry, and overall product design safety through electrical, thermal, and mechanical testing. Dr. Garrido Menacho is experienced in performing root-cause failure analyses of field-returned units as well as assessing potential failure modes in new consumer products. Additionally, she has assisted in investigations involving automotive electronic system failures and recall-related matters. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Garrido Menacho obtained her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her experimental research focused on designing, performing, and analyzing cryogenic temperature resistivity measurements of nanoscale superconductor-based devices.
Learn more about the book on our websites:
ARTECH HOUSE USA : EV Batteries, Chargers, and Subsystems
ARTECH HOUSE U.K.: EV Batteries, Chargers, and Subsystem
More Communications content here: Power Engineering – Artech House Insider
