Technology partnership with E-Works Mobility - SGL Carbon supplies battery case made of glass fiber reinforced plastic

The Munich-based company E-Works Mobility, which specializes in the development and production of electrically powered vans, is pushing ahead with the evolution of the E-Works HEERO, the high-performance e-transporter in its class: the engineers recently focused on the complete redevelopment of a new battery box to replace the previous aluminium construction. The E-Works team found what they were looking for in the fiber-reinforced plastics expert SGL Carbon. The company is now supplying the first battery boxes made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic to E-car manufacturer following extensive prototype tests. And these highly stable protective battery casings offer several advantages - above all in terms of energy and raw material efficiency and in the safety-relevant area.

"SGL Carbon is one of the world's most innovative and efficient companies when it comes to high-strength plastic solutions: Whether in the automotive, aerospace, semiconductor technology, LED, solar and wind energy or lithium-ion battery industries - SGL Carbon solutions are used in particular where future technologies are involved. We are all the more pleased that we have found a new partner in SGL Carbon for our battery boxes, which are no longer made of aluminum, but of particularly light and at the same time very stable glass fiber-reinforced plastic," says Dominik Ashkar, Managing Director of E-Works Mobility GmbH. "It is certainly not a matter of course that a world-renowned company would take on the challenge of embarking on complex development work for small series production at great expense. This makes the result, which offers us and the vehicle user several advantages, all the more remarkable."

Technology is regularly evaluated and adapted

The newly developed battery housings not only offer considerable weight savings, but also better battery insulation and fire protection thanks to the significantly lower heat conduction compared to aluminum or even steel. The material is fire-retardant and only transfers heat to neighboring components to a very limited extent after an accident, for example. What's more, GRP is highly resistant to corrosion and has high electromagnetic compatibility.

"The use of plastic-based composite materials is extremely sensible, especially for electric vehicles, and leads to increased product and system efficiency. In series production, they offer significantly reduced costs compared to metal processing. Due to the lighter weight with comparable or even better stability, the material even contributes to better dynamic driving performance and ultimately a longer range. For us, the collaboration with E-Works is an excellent opportunity to prove many of these advantages in tough everyday use," says Jürgen Joos, Head of Program Management Materials in SGL Carbon's Business Unit Composite Solutions.

To ensure that this succeeds, the current project between the two innovation leaders will be regularly evaluated and further developed.

About E-Works Mobility:

Founded in Ismaning in 2017, E-Works Mobility GmbH develops and builds customer-specific electric vans and electric drive components. With the HEERO, E-Works Mobility offers a high-performance electric van that is superior to the competition in terms of range. It covers ranges of up to 500 kilometers and has a permissible total weight of 3.5 to 5.5 tons. With a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tons, it is one of the most powerful electric vans on the market. The "Made in Germany" hardware and software developed in-house for this purpose enables both the construction of new vehicles and the electrification of existing vehicles with combustion engines. Another advantage: by using used vehicle parts, the vehicle prices are significantly lower than the prices of comparable vans in the competitive environment of the large mass manufacturers and, even with the extensive standard equipment, significantly lower than the price of the basic version of the competitors.

The mission of E-Works Mobility GmbH is to actively shape the mobility transition in the commercial vehicle sector by offering advanced, customized solutions for the electrification of vehicle fleets. The focus is on reducing the environmental impact of conventional combustion engines while increasing economy and efficiency.