- A joint research project between the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology, and its 15 industry partners, such as Daimler, have revealed a prototype EV battery enclosure, designed for the next generation of EVs to hit our roads.
- The overall goal of the project, called COOLBat, is to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emitted from manufacturing EV battery enclosures by 15% – but this work has realised several other benefits.
- By also reducing mass, this new battery enclosure could not only increase the sustainability of EVs, but also lend a helping hand when it comes to range.
The next generation of EV battery enclosures, imagined
The project has been a breakthrough for EV battery casing, with focus traditionally having been on the battery cells themselves. Built out of a fibre composite material in place of traditional steel, not only does this reduce CO2 emissions in production, but reduces the mass of the enclosure itself by 60%, all while meeting the current safety standards of battery enclosures. For reference, a conventional battery casing from a Mercedes-Benz EQS EV was used for comparisons.
Looking further into the project, the team is also looking at combining multiple elements within the battery, to further save weight. This includes, for example, combining both the cooling element and underride protection into a single base plate at the bottom of the battery case.
Rico Schmerler, Project Manager and Scientist in the Battery Systems department at Fraunhofer IWU, commented:
“The energy density of present-day battery systems has plenty of room for improvement, and battery enclosures are a key aspect there. Integrating new lightweight construction methods and more functions in a smaller installation space with fewer interfaces makes it possible to reduce weight while also cutting carbon emissions,
Reducing mass lets us increase energy density, and thus range, even as the number of battery cells stays the same. By making the enclosure lid out of a fiber composite material, we were able to reduce the mass by more than 60 percent compared to the reference out of steel.”
