A new composite material for the cases of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles to make them safer, more efficient and sustainable is coming out of Enea laboratories. This is the first result of the Fenice project, coordinated by Enea, whose 10 partners include FIAT Research Center (CRF).The new fiber-reinforced composite material is based on a recyclable pre-preg patented by the Italian company Crossfire, a project partner, and may be a promising alternative to materials currently on the market for making battery boxes. Beginning with the sports car and racing sector, automakers have been engaged in a technological challenge in recent years to reduce the weight of vehicles, especially electric ones, to increase their range and contain CO2 emissions, so much so that the market for lightweight composite materials for motor vehicles is experiencing exponential growth. "However, composite materials suitable for mass production must be able to be produced quickly and without generating waste or toxic substances during production," explains Claudio Mingazzini, a researcher at the Enea Materials Technology Laboratory Faenza and coordinator of the project. "In addition," he adds, "the raw materials must be low-cost, recyclable and, preferably, come from a European supply chain. The Italian company Tacita, which specializes in the development of electric motorcycles and vehicles, has already carried out a series of tests in real-world conditions and experimented with the solution in the sporting arena by testing it as a replacement for the current aluminum battery boxes, including on motorcycles that participated in the Paris-Dakar 2024.
|