Lightweighting

 

Tesla Model S weighs 2250 kg, of which the battery contributes 540 kg, a whopping 24%. A vehicle that weighs more will proportionately consume more energy. Thus a quarter of Tesla’s battery charge is expended on its own transportation. Auto makers are seized of this weight problem and are looking to offset the increased weight due to battery by reductions elsewhere. This is where new age materials – plastics and composites – are likely to play a huge role.

Volkswagen is in the process of developing high performance materials at its polymers laboratory attached to its Chattanooga plant in USA. One of the innovative solutions to come out of this lab is a lightweight polypropylene door frame. Other auto makers are pursuing similar objectives. The main challenge before the auto makers is in substituting sheet metal. How much metal can they take out and replace with plastics and composites.

Car designers are adopting lightweight materials for building chassis, interiors, powertrains and under the hood applications. Among the materials being tried out are aluminium, carbon-fibre composites, high-strength steel, and a host of polymers and rubbers, including natural fibres such as bamboo and jute. A report by McKinsey suggests that carbon-fibre composites could become the spine for the auto industry’s lightweighting strategy in this decade.  

Lightweighting is a concept followed by many industries, wherein they seek to reduce the weight of components with a view to improve performance while simultaneously reducing the environmental footprint The auto industry has already adopted lightweighting as its key strategy to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The EV revolution is further expected to catalyse lightweighting. The global market for vehicle lightweighting technologies was $130 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 13% to reach $250 billion by 2024.

As lightweighting gathers momentum, the chemical industry will play a key role in the development and manufacture of new age polymers and composites.