New mobility needs high-performance materials. Expert Axel Tuchlenski explains why the right innovations will strengthen our competitiveness.
The transition from combustion engines to electric mobility is forcing the automotive industry and suppliers to break new ground. Plastics are becoming increasingly central to the debate surrounding sustainable mobility – and not just as a way of enabling lightweight construction. Because as the following examples illustrate, plastics offer durability, design freedom, safety and efficiency:
- Strong electric currents inside cars prompt a whole range of safety concerns: protection against high voltages and fire is a fundamental requirement here. This means that the materials have to offer good electrical insulation and effective flame retardant properties. This combination of properties is possible thanks to high-performance plastics.
- The charging and discharging of batteries generates heat that can lead to temperature peaks in the electric powertrain, impairing the performance and service life of the battery. This is why targeted temperature regulation in electric vehicles is so important. Plastics are more commonly known for their heat-insulating properties, but innovative new plastics possessing good thermal conductivity help here.
- Autonomous driving will mean more sensor technology in modern vehicles. The process of choosing the right materials for sensors and electronic components is extremely complex. Resistance to temperature and moisture as well as factors such as dimensional tolerance, weldability and transparency for lasers and radars are just some examples of the requirements that have to be fulfilled over the entire service life of a vehicle to ensure that components do not fail prematurely.
The material transition: a decisive step
Even today, modern electric powertrains mainly comprise metallic materials, so anyone seeking to replace materials such as sheet steel and aluminum with plastics and composite materials is breaking new ground – and the substitution potential is enormous. The key benefits:
Rethinking the entire vehicle architecture
Many OEMs and suppliers are still unsure about the optimal material mix for electric vehicles. The complex material behavior of plastics in particular needs to be carefully considered. The entire vehicle architecture is now being scrutinized to find ways of making the electric powertrain of the future lighter, more efficient and ultimately more competitive.
This is why we support our customers in a number of ways, including:
- Offering advice regarding the choice of materials;
- Offering advice regarding component design;
- Providing key figures for the design of important load cases;
- Providing our customers with clarity regarding the profitability of the innovation through analyses of feasibility, costs, weight and production – this is crucial for their future investment decisions.
We need top standards for electric mobility
One major challenge is that for many applications of electric mobility and autonomous driving, the requirements are still either undefined or under discussion – and these can vary depending on the country, automotive manufacturer and supplier.
LANXESS works closely with development partners from the automotive and E/E industry to establish plastic-based applications on the market and so contribute to the definition of standards. This benefits our innovation hub and anyone who wants safe, sustainable and affordable vehicles.
Plastics offer durability, design freedom, safety and efficiency.
“Plastics play a key role in new mobility. Substituting metallic materials with plastics improves the cost efficiency of electric vehicles.”
“Providing our customers with clarity regarding the profitability of the innovation through analyses of feasibility, costs, weight and production – this is crucial for their future investment decisions.”
Axel Tuchlenski is responsible at LANXESS for global product and application development in the High Performance Materials business unit and is a member of the Board of Management of kunststoffland NRW.
