QEV Tech: Electric Mobility
27-09-2020 | Posted by Principia
Proud of our customers
Spanish electric vehicle developer QEV Technologies (QEV Tech) works with global automotive OEMs to accelerate the transition to electric mobility. To scale its business, the company adopted the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to integrate product development data, consolidate its knowledge base, and enable effective collaboration.
QEV Tech is on a mission to transform the world through electric mobility.
Its roots are in racing: it managed the China Racing Formula E Team to victory in the inaugural 2014/15 Formula E championship, and in 2021 it plans to run a team in the Extreme E championship. Off the racetrack, the company is busy sharing its expertise with the wider mobility industry and helping global automotive OEMs accelerate their transition to electric technology.
“The motorsport industry is where we started out,” said Joan Orús, COO of QEV Tech. “It’s where we have our know-how and it’s a great marketing platform for us to diversify the activity of the company. Our second line is electric hypercars, offering our services to manufacturers and working with them to build prototypes; for example, Hispano Suiza partnered with QEV Tech to design the electric powertrain of the Carmen Boulogne hypercar. And our third line is the electric bus, where we sell our e-kit platform to manufacturers, or work with them to develop a complete e-bus. We want to apply this technology to change the world and have clean cities.”
In the Philippines, QEV Tech worked with local manufacturers to convert thousands of minibuses, called jeepneys, into e-buses using its Astrokit, which includes all the electronic components for converting combustion vehicles into fully electric ones.
But transitioning from a start-up to a team of more than 100, the company needed a platform to bring everyone together, streamline workflows and collaborate on complex designs, while ensuring access to the most up-to-date product information. “It was difficult to manage all the information we have across our facilities,” Orús said. “With that and having to monitor all our products and manage all the related data, we were having to contend with changing file names and locations. This is fine as a small company with three people, but far more complicated at the level we are now.”
The company already used Dassault Systèmes’ design application CATIA and felt the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform could fit its needs. Working with Dassault Systèmes’ business partner Principia, they assessed how the platform could deliver the collaboration, simulation, integration and project management capabilities it required.
Principia listened to the QEV Tech’s specific requirements and suggested the move to the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud with the CATIA and ENOVIA applications. “Our relationship with Principia has been really positive,” Orús said. “They came to us and studied exactly what we required and presented a really compelling solution that considered everything, including training and role definition. It didn’t feel like just a commercial transaction; they have been a true partner.”
One of the biggest drivers for choosing the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud was to improve collaboration, both within QEV Tech’s business and with its clients, by defining a common way of sharing information and knowledge. A cloud-based implementation suited the business, allowing it to get up and running quickly without additional servers and hardware. Most importantly, it meant that users could access the platform at any time and from any place and any device, while ensuring that all data and intellectual property was protected from data loss and unauthorized access.
Principia worked with QEV Tech to get them on cloud as quickly as possible. By week 10, everything was in place and the first training phase was complete. The following week, Spain was locked down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. “It was an amazing collaboration,” Orús said. “We held regular virtual meetings with Principia to ensure all the processes were correct and they made sure we had everything we needed. We had to switch to working from home and I’m so happy we implemented the system just in time.”
