BATTLE FOR THE BOX

EV battery enclosures are a hotbed of subsystem design, materials innovation and vehicle integration.

Whether you call them packs, boxes or trays, the structures that envelop and protect EV battery cells and their supporting electrical and thermal-management hardware are among the industry's top subsystem priorities. Optimizing the battery pack involves a host of manufacturing and material choices, mass and package tradeoffs, safety provisions and structural design/engineering challenges, OEM and supplier experts told SAE Media.

“Do you want the battery pack bolted into the vehicle or integrated into the body structure?” asked Darren Womack, senior department manager, body and structures, at Magna's global R&D group. Hot stamping, cold stamping, roll-forming, hydroforming, casting and steel, aluminum, composites and thermoplastics - are all raising “lively discussions” in pack development, he noted at a recent meeting of analysts.