UNDER THE HOOD | AUTOMOTIVE
Engineering plastics groups are keeping up with the automotive transition from engines to electric drives with higher performing materials. James Snodgrass finds out more
Past, present and future: changing auto demands
Like the automotive industry as a whole, the role of plastics “under the hood” has changed significantly over the last few years. Replacement of metal components with plastic counterparts is still the name of the game but the auto industry is now focussing on the efficiency of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) over the efficiency of internal combustion engines (ICEs). Just look at Stellantis, the company formed in
2021 from the merger of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and PSA Group, which has committed itself to selling only BEVs by 2028. In just six years all cars made by Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall will be BEVs. Even Dodge, the US brand that is synonymous with muscle cars with large displacement V8 engines, is going all-electric, now that it is part of Stellantis. Electric propulsion comes with decreased mechanical complexity: no fuel lines, tanks or fuel injectors, no exhaust systems, no clutch or gearbox, and no pistons or spark plugs. But it does come with a lot of excess weight, thanks to the lithium battery
www.injectionworld.com
arrays. And while tailpipe emissions are eliminated, with energy prices rocketing across the board, the need for weight saving is as crucial for BEVs as it is for ICE vehicles. With the cost per kilowatt hour at rapid chargers rising at a similarly rapid rate, BEV drivers are starting to find their cost-per-kilometre approaching parity with the cost-per-kilometre of ICE vehicles. Future BEVs need to shed weight if they are to compete with ICE vehicles on running costs and not merely on emissions. DSM Engineering Materials intends to make electric vehicles safer, lighter and more sustainable by expanding its comparative tracking index (CTI) test laboratory to meet the next-generation, high voltage requirements of its customers. By installing advanced CTI test capabilities, DSM Engineering Materials, aims to help manufacturers in their quest to increase the voltage of EV batteries safely thus shortening charging times. Shorter charging times require higher battery voltages: up to 1,000V or greater. To enable this ultra-fast charging at acceptable safety and reliability levels, manufactur- ers will need to use insulation plastics with better
Main image: Opel’s Manta GSe Elektro- MOD is a one-off
conversion based on the 1970s coupe. But it hints at the direction of a new Opel/ Vauxhall BEV coupe due for a 2025 launch
May 2022 | INJECTION WORLD 51
IMAGE: OPEL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
