Lightweighting

Lightweighting

Strategic lightweighting of vehicles has always been a means of improving vehicle performance and range. The relatively high energy capacity of internal combustion engine drivetrains allowed for a range of weight for various vehicle configurations, but there has always been a value proposition for lightweighting to improve performance or make room for new components on the vehicle.

While any vehicle can use lightweight materials, they are especially important for hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and electric vehicles. Using lightweight materials in these vehicles can offset the weight of power systems such as batteries and electric motors, improving the efficiency and increasing their all-electric range.

This aluminum composite foam technology is designed to meet the need for improved passive structural safety in vehicles, while at the same time creating a new playbook for lightweighting in many structural areas of the vehicle, such as electric vehicle (EV) battery packs.