Lightweight Construction and Ecological Design for Electric Vehicles

Project Goal: Greater Range and Lower Weight Thanks to Multi-Material Platform

In order to improve the efficiency and range of electric vehicles, the weight of the overall vehicle has been reduced. In addition, the upcoming stricter EU regulations require the optimization of the production process towards a more sustainable circular economy – here the entire life cycle of the vehicles and the supply chains were taken into account. The companies and research institutes also worked together on the sustainable life cycle of an e-vehicle platform. This includes intelligent recycling and possible options for material recovery.

The project has defined very specific goals: To meet the challenges, ALMA has developed a new type of battery-electric vehicle structure for a passenger car, achieving a weight reduction in the vehicle structure of over 20 percent compared to the current baseline – at comparable costs. To this end, the researchers jointly developed a modular multi-material platform based on a combination of Advanced High Strength Steels (AHHS), Advanced SMC and steel hybrid materials and relying on multi-scale modeling tools.

Project Progress: Close to the Finish Lign

In order to realize the project goals, work packages were formed in which all participants developed, simulated and implemented various solution approaches. Four of these packages are:

• Materials (high-strength steels and SMC composites)
  The (further) development of state-of-the-art materials has achieved considerable mass savings with comparable crash performance.
  
  
• Whole multi-functional eco-design
  The development of the most promising multi-material structure for vehicles enables cost-effective weight reduction with the highest possible performance.
  
  
• Recycling and recovery
  Solutions for recycling and recovering the materials used were developed and tested.

• Experimental and model-based characterization
  Our contribution to the project included the numerical modelling of SMC materials whose stiffness and strength depend on the fiber reinforcement direction. A precise prediction of material properties through accurate simulation models enables the designer to optimize and minimize the use of materials.
  The tool FLUID was extended to the SMC manufacturing process. The prediction of fiber orientation distribution was validated using CT analyses of the microstructure of SMC materials.
  The simulation tool FeelMath was used to make predictions about the mechanical behavior of components manufactured from SMC depending on the fiber orientation. At the same time, the experimental effort required to calibrate the model is kept as low as possible. Using a three-stage multiscale method, we have calibrated material cards for commercial FE tools. The accuracy of the material model obtained in this way was validated by selected tests at component level . Finally, the team used the models for the virtual validation of the crash behavior of plastic components developed by project partner BATZ as a replacement for steel components.
  

All these approaches have led to the remarkable weight reduction of 160.5 kg in the concept vehicle, which corresponds to a weight saving of 22 percent compared to the BEV base vehicle. This means that the project goal of a weight reduction of over 20 percent has been achieved.

Project Partners

• Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia, CTAG (Spain) is responsible for project management and material characterization.
• ArcelorMittal Maizières Research, AMMR (France) is dedicated to the development of advanced steels for automotive applications.
• Ford-Werke (Germany) is working on the project from an end-use and CAE analysis perspective.
• Innerspec Technologies Europe (Spain) contributes solutions for non-destructive testing.
• BATZ S. Coop. (Spain) is on board as an automotive supplier.
• RESCOLL (France) specializes in adhesives and polymers.
• The research organizations TNO (Netherlands) is developing Live Cycle Management together with the International Solid Waste Association, ISWA.
• The International Solid Waste Association, ISWA (Netherlands) has set itself the goal of promoting sustainable waste management and the transition to a circular economy.
  

Project Duration

The project was scheduled to run for three years from February 2021 to February 2024.

ALMA has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no.: 101006675.