E-mobility Technology Winter 2020

e-mobility Technology International | Vol 7 | Winter 2020
Total lifetime cost reduction
Battery efficiency and economics is what will
differentiate one EV automotive manufacturer over
another, as the technology moves further mainstream.
Battery costs have come down from US$1000/KWH in
2010 to just US$156/KWH today. The projections are
that these costs will drop even further to US$73/KWH
by 20302.
One key factor influencing the total lifetime cost
of EV battery packs concerns assembly speed. In
general, to optimize throughput, material solutions
should have high flow rates, allow for fast curing
and be compatible with large-scale manufacturing.
In particular battery cell architecture can create a
bottleneck in the assembly process: around 4,000
cylindrical cells are required to make a typical 80KW
battery pack. Since some OEMs are already producing
over 0.5 million cars a year in North America alone,
simple math dictates that over 2 trillion cells will
have to be manufactured and assembled to meet this
demand. In order to allow for the superfast assembly
of EV battery cells, Henkel collaborated with Covestro
on the development of a total system solution.
Hereby cells can be fixated in a UV-translucent carrier
within 5 seconds, through the use of a Loctite AA 3963
cure-on-demand adhesive (image 5).
It’s clear that TIMs, adhesives and sealants are
of substantial importance for the assembly and
operation battery packs. All materials should be
manufacture friendly, economical, compatible and
compliant when used together in line with relevant
local regulations. Henkel’s broad portfolio as such
is helping to drive change so that EVs can go even
further into the mainstream.
Image 5: 3D model of fixed cylindrical cells inside
a plastic carrier using the LOCTITE AA 3963 battery
assembly adhesive
The total cost of an EV will also depend on how
easily serviceable the design of the battery system
is, which is influenced by whether the gasket used
to seal the battery is reopenable or not. Since the
battery is the most expensive part of the EV,
having the ability to rework it easily without
having to take the battery out of the car body
can reduce these costs significantly, which is
where advanced gasketing technologies come
into play (image 6). Sustainability is another
key consideration to bear in mind. Ultimately
all materials that have been scraped off after
the battery has been repaired or serviced
will need to be disposed of with minimal
environmental impact. This is again where an
innovative materials supplier has a role to
play.
Image 6: 3D model of a gasketing material being applied
on the flange of a battery pack
Sources:
http://www.miit.gov.cn/n1146285/n1146352/n3054355/n3057585n3057592/c7590708/part/7590715.pdf
2.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/06/30/fcc-calls-chinese-telecom-giants-huawei-zte-threats-to-nationalsecurity/#68828f9378d5
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