Electrification is not just swapping a fuel tank for a battery. According to IEEE Spectrum, the real engineering struggle lies in the interplay of physics—electromagnetics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and more. These coupled phenomena affect everything from battery packs to wireless chargers to electric-motor stators.
At the heart of the matter is how real-world systems differ from simplified lab mock-ups. As Björn Sjödín of COMSOL explains, “you have this combination of electromagnetic effects, heat transfer, and structural mechanics in a complicated interplay.” For example, a battery pack may face thermal runaway issues at the cell level and entirely different structural stresses at the pack level. A purely thermal or purely electrochemical model won’t catch everything.
The article offers concrete applications. Engineers at IAV GmbH used multiphysics simulation to combine sodium-ion and lithium solid-state cells in one pack, managing their heat flows through clever design of cooling and inter-cell thermal exchange. In wireless charging, when coil heating alters conductivity and surrounding structures shift, a combined electromagnetic-thermal model becomes necessary.
The push toward higher power density in electric motors is another case in point. A simulation that couples electromagnetic fields and thermal behavior in stator windings and magnetic materials helps designers optimize for efficiency and reliability. More broadly, when we’re moving toward electric vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft, heavy-duty electrified trucks, and smart grids with intermittent renewables, the need for large-scale, multiphysics simulation grows.
The article argues that the transition to “electrify everything” elevates simulation from a luxury to a necessity. Engineers need tools that can span disciplines and scales; otherwise, many designs will fail under real-world conditions. Multiphysics modeling is positioned not as optional, but as foundational for the next generation of electric systems.