Lighter Components Allowing EVs to Travel Further

Due to distance limitations with electric vehicles, weight concerns are a major issue. The less the car weights the further it can go in a single charge. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute have therefore embarked on a mission to lighten the components of EVs.

Their first success has been to significantly reduce the weight of the protective box surrounding the EV’s lithium-ion battery. Currently these boxes weigh on average some 45 kgs – a significant load. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute reduced the weight of the protective shell by replacing the heavy steel components with new fiber-reinforced composite materials. The result is a 25% lighter component. These new boxes not only provide the same level of protection with less weight, but for the first time ever, they can now be mass-produced.