aluminium profile exhibition | Aluminum profiles are winning the race for electric vehicle battery casings

The battery casing of electric vehicles, also known as the frame, shell, or battery pack, serves a simple purpose: to secure and protect the battery modules. With a variety of shapes and sizes, these casings can easily adapt to the distinct characteristics of different battery modules.

Aluminum alloy, a light metal material, is widely used in various fields such as aviation, aerospace, automotive, machinery manufacturing, shipbuilding, and modern industry, owing to its excellent properties like lightweight, high strength, corrosion resistance, good ductility, and easy processing. China, being a major producer of aluminum alloy, has seen a steady growth in its production in recent years. According to data from the aluminium profile exhibition, in 2022, China’s cumulative aluminum alloy production reached 12.183 million tons, representing a year-on-year growth of 13.9%. It is forecasted that in 2023, the production will reach 13.547 million tons. The exhibition predicts a decrease in battery system costs (currently accounting for 30% to 50% of the total cost of electric vehicles) in the future.

Lightweight and high safety have made the aluminum alloy battery pack shell the mainstream choice for power battery shells. The use of aluminum material in power battery shells offers easy processing and forming, high temperature corrosion resistance, as well as good heat transfer and electrical conductivity. Therefore, when using aluminum alloy casings for lithium-ion batteries with the same capacity, they are thinner and lighter in relative mass compared to steel casings. Additionally, in the event of a battery explosion, aluminum casings have weaker bursting force than steel casings, resulting in lower potential harm.

Just like other automotive components, battery casings have become a stage where various materials compete for prominence, including aluminum, advanced high-strength steel, carbon fiber, and magnesium. Although casings are currently made from steel or a combination of aluminum and steel, in the long run, aluminum seems to have the upper hand, primarily due to its lightweight properties and favorable technical characteristics.