Lightweighting/Cost Reduction

Vibracoustic SE (Vibracoustic) designed, developed, and produced switchable two-chamber air springs for the new XPENG G9 BEV. XPENG is the first Chinese OEM customer and vehicle program to adopt this Vibracoustic’s advanced technology.

The two-chamber air springs provide two distinct levels of stiffness, allowing the vehicle to adapt to different loads and road conditions. They maintain vehicle levelness regardless of load, improve aerodynamics, and enhance comfort and driving dynamics. They can also optimize airflow under the car for passive battery cooling and to maintain a minimum ground clearance for battery protection.

The system was designed, developed, and manufactured in Hamburg using an innovative hot gas welding process, which enables weight reduction of the ‘top pot’ of up to 30% and efficient packaging within the suspension volume.

In addition, Vibracoustic also provided the rear jounce bumpers for the G9, which sit directly on top of the air spring. They were manufactured locally at its plant in Wuxi, China.

(From a press release dated April 24, 2024)

On April 17, Huntsman announced a new lightweight, durable SHOKLESS polyurethane foam technology to the company’s battery solutions portfolio that has been developed for the potting and fixation of cells mounted in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. New technologies will be officially unveiled at the Battery Show Europe in June 2024.

The product family includes a range of low to high-density foams that can be used via common polyurethane dispensing processes and can offer a wide processing window for extra handling flexibility. These new solutions can help provide thermal as well as structural protection at a cell, module, or pack level combined with fast processability compared to non-polyurethane alternatives.

It can offer very good compression and tensile performance with high elongation to failure. Elastic performance can remain stable at different operating temperatures ranging from -35ºC to 80ºC. SHOKLESS polyurethane systems are generally compatible with several different manufacturing methods such as open- and closed-pour (injection) and cold-cure molding.

Based on Huntsman press release

On April 18, Hyundai Motor Group signed an agreement for strategic cooperation with Toray Industries, Inc., a pioneer in carbon fiber and composite material technology, to advance material innovation for a new era of mobility.

The partnership with Toray Group plays a key role in the Group’s future mobility strategy, aiming to secure capabilities to develop lightweight and high-strength materials for environmentally friendly and high-performance vehicles. The joint R&D area includes carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) parts expected to improve the performance of EV batteries and motors. Hyundai Motor Group is adopting a comprehensive approach by pursuing fundamental advancements in material technology, in addition to electrification and software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

(Hyundai press release on April 18, 2024)