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hicle. Each automaker has its own stra- tegy, using new materials and advanced processing technologies to "slim down" vehicles. Toyota, BASF and US Farathane have co- developed resin frames to create ISO dy- namic seats for the first time, which can reduce costs by 20% and weight by 30%. Besides, FORVIA’s latest solution for seat back panels, Skin Light Panel, is made of mono- material polymer (PU) through 3D carving, reducing weight by 20 to 30%. Marelli has also teamed up with Covestro to develop a new light- weight polyurethane foam that reduces T he Chinese automotive market has gradually regained momentum in 2023 where the performance of new energy vehicle (NEV) is particularly eye- catching. Under the trend of “reverse joint venture” and “exporting techno- logy", what are the materials and pro- cessing technologies needed for the NEV sector to bringing a safer, more comfor- table and sustainable experience? According to the data released by the China Association of Automobile Manu- facturers (CAAM), China's automobile production and sales increased by 8% and 9.1% year-on-year from January to October respectively, while NEV produc- tion and sales increased by 33.9% and 37.8%, with a market share of 30.4%; and NEV exports reached 995,000 units, up 99.1% year-on-year. Innovations in lightweighting in- crease driving range: As NEV takes great leap forward, the driving range in- creases at the same time, from more than 500 km to 1,200 km. For every 100 kg of weight reduction in NEV, the driving range can be increased by 10 to 11%, while the costs of battery and daily wears can be reduced by 20%. Therefore, light- weighting has become a focus of innova- tion for major automakers and parts manufacturers because it leads to impro- vement of efficiency of the powertrain and optimizes the driving range of the ve- Plastics Industry Players to Boost Intelligentization, Lightweighting, and Decarbonization of New Energy Vehicle the weight of the main cockpit panel by 40%. High-temperature resistant and flame- retardant materials improve safety : Automakers are raising the bar of voltage system in NEV from 400 V to 800 V. Ac- cording to Joule's Law, the efficiency of the motor of a vehicle increases with a high-voltage system, thus improving driv- ing range and reducing cost of the bat- tery. Under high voltage, the motor and bat- tery with significantly higher operating temperature require better thermal ma- nagement, which means the materials should have the properties of high tem- perature resistance and flame retardant. Major chemical producers, such as Solvay and DuPont, have successively launched high-temperature nylon, PPS, PEEK, po- lyamide film and other materials that are suitable for high-temperature electric drive systems to help motors operate ef- ficiently. A battery module of Audi’s e-tron is pro- cessed into independent injection molded part using EMS-GRIVORY's PA66 which is flame-retardant V0 grade. Suppliers such as SABIC and Envalior have launched cor- responding flame-retardant polymers to ensure the safe operation of motor and battery module. Among them, SABIC’s new extrusion grade flame-retardant po- Every automaker is adopting new materials and advanced processing technologies to "slim down" vehicles (Photo: 588ku.com) High-performance materials have the properties of high temperature resistance and flame retardant to support high-voltage system (Photo: 588ku.com) 24 CHINAPLAS 2024 Extrusion 1/2024