Under the Hood - European Edition
by Don Monn
First off, a big shout out to all who responded to the pop quiz that was in the last Taiyo America newsletter and a heartfelt "attaboy" and a pat on the back to all those who answered the four questions correctly. I learned that perhaps the questions were a bit more difficult than I originally imagined but fear not, there will be plenty more opportunities to win valuable and much sought-after swag from Taiyo America!
We (my boss) decided that Under the Hood should focus on Europe this issue, and who am I to disagree? Now I got a questions for you, Which automaker in Europe sold the most cars in 2020? If you guessed Volkswagen, you would be correct. Okay now on to question number two: What was the number one selling car in Europe for calendar year 2020? If you guessed the Volkswagen Golf, you are correct again.
Volkswagen sales are so much greater than the competition. They sold over 20% fewer cars in 2020 than they did in 2019, and they still sold two times more than their next closest competitor, wow! Makes me wonder; are their cars that much better? Are they safer? Do they hold their value better than the others? Or are they leaders in technology? Because at the end of the day, I believe its about value. People find value in a variety of areas. It depends on what you consider value.
Looking into new car registrations in Europe shows some interesting facts, that should not come as a surprise to any of us. Electric Vehicles (ECV) and Hybrids (HEV) are quickly gaining market share over the long-established diesel- and petrol-powered cars. For instance, in 2019 over 89% of all the new cars registered in Europe were powered by these two fuels. In 2020 that number dropped to a bit less than 76%. In comparison, the electric and Hybrid sector has almost tripled in the same time period.
As these two vehicle types grow so will the need for stronger, longer lasting batteries. As these batteries are asked to do more and more, they will generate more heat, which needs to be removed. This is one great example of why we at Taiyo America continue to develop new solutions for the thermal management of printed circuit boards. In this case, our solution for thermal management is an ink we call ThermoCool.
Watching and reading about the electric vehicle demands brings home the reason for such a product. It is not the only thermal management idea available, but options can offer new and potentially better ways of doing things. Next month, back to the United States to see what types of cars are being registered there.
Source: ACEA
