Automobile manufacturer NIO and German supplier SGL Carbon presented battery casings made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for high-performance electric vehicles at the Autoshow Shanghai. They are roughly 40% lighter than conventional aluminum or steel battery casings. What’s more, the casings display a high degree of stability and around 200 times less thermal conductivity than those made of aluminum, whereby the battery is better protected against cold and heat.

SGL Carbon lists the optimum water and gas tightness as well as resistance to corrosion as further advantages. According to NIO, the battery casings – still only available as prototypes – are designed as such so that they can be switched at the automobile manufacturers’ changing stations within three minutes. SGL Carbon predicts a heavy increase in demand for lightweight battery case solutions over the next few years due to the growing number of electric cars.