March 2021

MARCH 2021 AFTERMARKET 13 www.aftermarketonline.net the difference that lockdowns made. By contrast, a report published by the Journal of Nature cites how electric vehicles produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars across most of the globe. And while there have been lingering doubts in some quarters concerning the environmental credentials of electric cars centred around the battery, the Nature report goes some way to help alleviate those concerns. Perception So, when people are buying cars in larger numbers again, my prediction is they will buy with the environment and their own personal safety perceptions top of mind - and that means electric. Also, there are other types of pollution – noise pollution for instance. Roads were obviously notably quieter during the first lockdown and as we became aware of other sounds around us, birdsong for example, or just enjoyed the peace and quiet, perhaps this is something that we will seek to retain as far as we possibly can – and that means alternative transport systems, including electric cars. I’ve no doubt at all that now the engines of the economy are restarted, we’ll want to try and preserve these gains and my feeling is that consumers will have much greater awareness of their roles and responsibilities in forcing manufacturers and governments to make the world a better, greener place and again this means giving electric transport options a much higher priority than they were pre COVID-19. Buy well People who are buying will also want to buy well. These global lockdowns and its resultant economic outcomes will be like nothing we have ever experienced, but what many of us have experienced is recession. And in times of recession, warranties have proven greater resonance with both consumers and manufacturers. For consumers, warranties are a sign of quality and they provide reassurance. For manufacturers, they are a powerful selling tool underlining their own belief in their product quality and protecting profit margins. Profitably is also protected further downstream, where warranties allow manufacturers to offer a range of customer services and support, underwritten by their insurance. How can we be sure this is the case? Well, we have been providing damage and breakdown extended warranty and renewable energy insurance for plant and machinery for over twenty years and have navigated ourselves and our customers through huge fluctuations in the market. During such times, warranties have always provided consistent protection. It is fair to say that up until now, developing warranties on electric vehicle batteries has been difficult, due to the technology being so new. Traditional lead acid batteries are underpinned by data and industrial standards that have been developed and refined over many years, and this helps inform investment and warranty decisions. But a lack of data around electric batteries has held back investment decisions: There has simply been too much perceived risk to facilitate long warranties where the product’s performance and longevity is less well tried and tested. Now though, intelligent data gathered in real time from electric batteries and enhanced with AI learning can present past, current, and likely future performance of the battery at an individual cell level. Groundbreaking systems like Altelium can now unlock market potential because armed with this data the battery can be given guaranteed second life uses. Catalyst The warranty is the catalyst for change here. A comprehensive warranty at battery level can include service and breakdown cover for the cell in its second life situation as part of a static energy storage system. This in turn extends the revenue stream for the manufacturer or the owner of the storage facility. It also extends carbon footprint calculations for the car itself because the battery cells will be in operation for many more years. This is entirely in the spirit of the time. During the Great Depression, Bernard London famously put forward a proposal: “Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence.” The approach must now be quite the reverse with electric cars being an exemplar of how to energise the automotive market by ending this instantaneous recession through intelligent planning. www.altelium.com EVs can be plugged and recharged at home where there is no shared contact... ”