So far, lagging consumer adoption of Electric vehicles (EVs) may have been because they just couldn’t match the performance consumers could get from a petrol engine. But that is changing, and adhesives are helping to solve some of the challenges that have come to light as automakers scramble to develop better, greener cars.
Overall weight is a serious concern, not only for the performance of the vehicle, but for the range of the battery. Adhesives are making it possible to use new, lighter-weight materials and to dispense with heavy mechanical fasteners.
Adhesives have also overcome the many problems involved in bonding dissimilar substrates giving designers greater freedom in materials choices. But consumers also want a pleasant ride, so noise and vibration – among the only sounds you’ll hear in an electric vehicle – need to be damped down too, and once again, adhesives offer solutions. Finally, the heart of the electric vehicle, its battery, is protected from the environment with the help of adhesives and coatings which also play a role in thermal management.
Henkel says it is working with its clients to solve consumer concerns that are slowing the adoption of EVs. Longer battery ranges, affordability, and the need for quiet interiors are among these, and adhesives could be the key.