Paris-based global aluminum products manufacturer Constellium has announced that its aluminum Intensive Vehicle Enclosures (ALIVE) collaborative research project has achieved weight savings in its aluminum EV battery enclosures.
The project reduced the weight of enclosures between 12% and 35% compared to existing aluminum and steel OEM designs, while meeting or exceeding performance targets.
The £15 million project began in 2020 and was part-funded by the UK's Advanced Propulsion Centre. Our main partner was Constellium's University Technology Center (UTC) at Brunel University London. Other industry partners were BMW, EXPERT Technologies Group, Innoval Technology, Powdertech and Volvo. The university's two technical partners were Brunel University London and the University of Warwick.
The goal of developing a novel high-performance, lightweight and cost-effective aluminum battery design with OEM partners, BMW and Volvo, was pursued by investigating various fusion and fabrication technologies combined with Constellium's advanced alloys—Constellium HSA6 and Constellium. HCA6—and by creating a full-scale battery prototyping line.
Several prototype enclosures have been developed that have passed rigorous crash/side impact, penetration, acceleration, shock, vibration and leakage tests. Constellium researchers are now adapting the project's design philosophies to other types of enclosures, including chest-mounted battery packs for trucks and SUVs.
Source: Constellium