Steel can make a difference in electric cars
Interest in electric vehicles is rapidly growing. One “hot potato” in electric cars is the range they can be driven without charging. Whereas one important question, of course, is how to make energy-denser batteries, we can boost the driving range of electric cars also by making them lighter. One cost-efficient solution to this dilemma could be SSAB’s cold-formed Advanced High Strength steels (AHSS).
Keeping component weight and costs to a minimum is a main focus as electric cars become increasingly more popular. This means demand for SSAB’s cold-formable AHSS will become more important than ever in driving innovation towards a more sustainable future.
“Side impact beams, bumpers, pillars and seats are some of the traditional automotive components made using SSAB’s Docol steel. However, Docol steel has much greater potential, especially in electric cars, where new components, such as battery protectors, come into play”, says Arnaud Guerendel, Head of Global Automotive Sales in SSAB Europe.
Strong, lightweight steel as a sustainable alternative
In 2010, the average CO2 emission per vehicle was 140 g/per km in the EU. New EU targets for 2025 aim to halve average vehicle emissions compared to 2010. Electronic vehicles will be one of the major driving forces behind achieving this target.
Since car weight affects vehicle rolling resistance, the use of strong, lightweight steel solutions will be very important. As stronger, cold-formable AHSS grades become available to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), it will be possible to reduce the weight of complex components without the costly and energy consuming process of hot forming.
Competitive advantage for car manufacturers
Electric car batteries are expensive and need to be protected from road debris or leaking hazardous material in the event of a collision. Battery protectors made from Docol AHSS can help to ensure the strongest protection with the lowest possible weight – and cost-efficiently.
Together, cold-formable AHSS and electric vehicles make a good combination to reduce global emissions and improve vehicle performance, thus providing car manufacturers with a competitive advantage.
Docol 980CP: http://www.ssab.com/products/brands/docol/products/docol-980cp#!accordion=downloads
Docol 1500M: http://www.ssab.com/products/brands/docol/products/docol-1500m
An electric car is an automobile propelled by one or more electric motors, using electrical energy stored in rechargeable batteries or another energy storage device. The first practical electric cars were produced already in the 1880s. Since 2008, a renaissance in electric vehicle manufacturing has occurred due to advances in batteries and energy management, concerns about increasing oil prices, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car
Tags:
