Achieving climate neutrality is a mammoth task. Capital reports on innovations on the way there. This time: connecting elements for lighter and more efficient electric cars.
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Challenge
The heart of an electric car is the thermal management, which is used to cool or heat the battery. For this, long and complex pipe systems are used in a very small space. The many turns of the pipes lead to a loss of pressure. However, a consistent flow is crucial for the efficiency of the battery. This is why stronger pumps or thicker rubber pipes are usually installed. Both lead to higher weight, higher costs – and a shorter range.
innovation
The SDax company Norma Group relies on lightweight and flexible plastic solutions. The self-developed flexible smooth tube TP Flex reduces pressure loss by 55 percent, which makes the car more efficient. These and other lightweight plastic compounds come from three sustainable sources: P11 from castor oil, recycled production waste and old plastic, which is fished out of the oceans, for example.
In practice
An electric car has an average cooling system that is 20 meters long. Depending on the model, the use of plastics can save up to five kilograms in weight, which can increase the range of an electric car by several kilometers.
How does plastic make your industry greener?
Many people do not realize how important weight is for the efficiency of electric cars and thus for a climate-friendly transport sector. Plastics are significantly lighter than rubber – which is usually used. In addition, recycling processes are getting better and better.
What proportion of all newly registered electric cars use Norma technology?
About 15 percent. In total, that’s an incredible amount of weight saved and therefore our biggest lever.
How does China’s current economic weakness affect you?
China is and remains the center of gravity in electromobility, including for us. However, the biggest challenge currently facing the expansion of e-mobility is not China: it is the high costs and the need for expandable charging infrastructure.
Source: Stern
