INSIGHT: EV transition to supercharge innovation in plastics with US a key hub

TROY, Michigan (ICIS)–The electric vehicle (EV) transition will supercharge innovation and investment in plastics for lightweighting, heat resistance for critical components and to reduce noise and vibration. And the US will become a hub for massive new investment in the sector, with the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) the driving engine.

What makes the EV sector such a hotbed of innovation? It is of course still an emerging industry with only about 7% market share in the US in terms of passenger vehicle sales, according to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR).

But a key aspect related to being a relatively new industry is the lack of standardisation for auto parts and systems for EVs – in both design and materials.

For the plastics industry, this offers a big opportunity to innovate and offer new problem-solving components targeted to EVs – in the form of composites made from polypropylene (PP), polyamide (nylon), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and more.

Plastics producers and parts suppliers discussed ideas and showcased new products and concepts at the Plastics in Electric & Autonomous Vehicles Conference (EAV) hosted by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in Troy, Michigan, US.

FOCUS ON THE BATTERY PACK
One particular area of focus is the EV battery pack – a huge system with multiple components requiring various levels of high-temperature and high-voltage resistance along with other properties.

The use of PP as the primary resin in EV battery packs should lead to global PP consumption in light vehicles surging from around 61 kilograms (kg) per vehicle today, to 99kg per vehicle by 2050, said Kevin Swift, senior economist for global chemicals at ICIS.

In terms of volumes, global PP consumption from light vehicles would rise from 2.57m tonnes/year, to 10.3m tonnes/year market by 2050, he added.

This takes into account greater global EV penetration from 10% in 2021, to 61% by 2050 in his base case scenario. Other materials poised to benefit include polyurethanes and polycarbonate (PC).

From battery trays to enclosure covers, busbar covers and module casings, “there are so many opportunities for us in this space”, said Dave Sullivan, senior manager, Vehicle Electrification Marketing, Americas at SABIC.

“There is not a lot of standardisation in this area,” he added.

SABIC has been working with compounder Sanko Gosei in producing a 1.6 metre (5.2 feet)-long glass fibre-reinforced PP battery pack cover with flame retardants for Honda’s CRV plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) being produced in China. The injection moulded component weighs about 6kg and is meant to provide passengers protection from thermal runaway in a battery pack that causes fires, among providing other properties.

PROECTION FROM THERMAL RUNAWAY
“When fires do occur, EVs with lithium-ion batteries burn hotter, faster and are harder to extinguish,” Sullivan explained.

Thus, heat management and protection is a critical opportunity in EVs for the plastics sector.

Polyamide is also being used to address thermal runaway challenges in EVs, said Kai Becker, global application leader at Ascend Performance Materials.

Ascend’s polyamide 6,6 (PA66) with flame retardants can significantly extend the melting point of PA66, making it suitable for busbars to maintain electrical insulation connection throughout a thermal event, said Becker.

It can also be used in battery module enclosures to protect against fire spreading from one module to the next, he added.

These are just some of the examples where innovative plastic composites can be used to solve challenges unique to EVs.

US EV MARKET SHARE TO SURGE WITH IRA
US sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to jump to 41% by 2030, driven by incentives in the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and a huge ramp-up in EV-related investments by OEMs and suppliers, according to the head of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR).

The US IRA provides tax credits of up to $7,500 per passenger EV for vehicles made in North America and thresholds for battery components and critical minerals sourced from North America and countries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with the US – 50% for battery components and 40% for critical minerals starting on 18 April 2023, rising to 60% and 50% by 2024 and higher in out years.

It also provides incentives for used and commercial EVs as well as for component and minerals suppliers.

Automotive OEMs are leading the charge with record investments in North America, with EV and EV battery investments making up 87% of the total $134bn in announced projects across the region from 2019-2023 year-to-date, said Alan Amici, president and CEO of CAR.

2022 was a record year for announced North America automotive investment with over $50bn in projects, according to CAR.

“As a supplier, this reduces your risk, as the OEMs are putting big dollars in EVs. The EV transition is happening – there is no turning back,” said Amici.

For tracked auto suppliers, from 2020-2023, there have been $82.3bn in announced investments, with 75% going towards electrification, he said.

The forecast for the US reaching 41% market share for EVs – which include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) – is up from 30% in pre-pandemic 2019. During the pandemic and before the IRA, the forecast came down to just 21% on greater economic uncertainty, Amici pointed out.

Today, EVs comprise just around 6.9% of auto sales, according to CAR.

EV LIGHTWEIGHTING MORE CRITICAL
While the percentage of plastics and composites in the material composition of vehicles has been relatively flat for five years at 8.9%, there is “a terrific opportunity” in this space as plastics play a key role in the challenge of reducing weight, said Amici.

A passenger EV is typically 500-1,000kg (1,100-2,200lb) heavier than a traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle, creating a host of challenges beyond driving range – tyre composition and design, braking, crash characteristics and suspension geometry, he pointed out.

BATTLE OVER EV RANGE
“The battle over EV range has increased the importance of plastics significantly,” said Jamie Brewer, executive chief engineer, Ultium Upscale SUVs at US-based automaker GM.

“The push to EVs has forced all the OEMs to reflect on where all the opportunities are, to take advantage of future innovation,” she added.

Using thermoplastics in EV coolant systems can deliver high performance and also over 60% lighter weight than traditional rubber hose systems, the executive noted.

Other applications for plastics in EVs include in the motor connector ring (high-temperature), liftgate system, instrument panel, flow-through spoiler, exterior front lighting, rear-lamp light blades and front panels (grille), said Brewer.

While many of the applications can also be used in traditional ICE vehicles to lightweight, the heavier weight of EVs and the quest for greater driving range per charge is driving greater innovation in this area, she said.

GM is investing $35bn in EVs and autonomous vehicles (AVs) through 2025 with a goal of launching 30 new EVs globally by 2025. It is also investing $750m to support the buildout of charging infrastructure.

OPTIMISING SYSTEMS
It’s not just lightweighting that can boost EV range. Celanese is working on an ambitious project to design a new higher energy density battery structure that will take up less room and provide more power, said Pat Granowicz, EV battery application engineer at the company.

Celanese’s 3-in-1 approach for a more efficient pack involves a cooling system comprised of polyphthalamide (PPA) glass reinforced material, electrical interconnections using aluminum bonded to a nylon frame, and a PPA structural frame, he noted.

The new structure would allow OEMs to add more battery pouch cells to the pack, significantly boosting range, said Granowicz.

CARBON FOOTPRINT
While EVs themselves will go a long way in lowering carbon emissions, automakers are also considering the sustainability of the materials that go into the vehicle to meet ambitious targets.

The greatest impact on a vehicle’s sustainability and carbon footprint is made in the early stages of product development through concept and design, an executive with US-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian said.

“Rivian is actively embedding design for sustainability into the product development process,” said Dean Stevenson, senior director of interiors at Rivian.

Part of this is considering the carbon intensity of inputs with an emphasis on recycled or bio-based materials. The company aims to create a sustainable chain of suppliers with sustainability ambitions, as well as local suppliers for efficient logistics where possible, he added.

Rivian uses life cycle analysis (LCA) in assessing alternative materials in early design stages.

For example, for a certain auto part, in place of a wire and stamped assembly, it used an injection moulded nylon bracket with 50% recycled content which reduced CO2 equivalent emissions by over 30%, Stevenson pointed out.

The company evaluates both the carbon emissions in manufacturing, and in usage (for example: power savings).

For its rear seat cushion structure, Rivian replaced the traditional tubular and stamped steel structure with an expanded PP structure, reducing CO2 equivalent emissions by over 30% and reducing vehicle weight by 10kg (22lb), said Stevenson.

Rivian also designed sustainability into its NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) systems, using cotton and 70% recycled PET instead of the traditional EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). This resulted in 70% lower CO2 equivalent emissions and weight reduction of about 4kg, said the executive.

“We’re willing to pay a cost to get more PCR (post-consumer recycled material) into vehicles, but over time, that will become cost-neutral,” said Stevenson.

Insight article by Joseph Chang