Powering the Future: Advanced Plastics in EV Batteries and Chargers

| January 23, 2025

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Advancing EV Charging Solutions with High-Performance Plastics

With electric vehicles (EVs) driving a new era in sustainable transportation, the demand for efficient, durable, and safe charging infrastructure is growing. Advanced plastics have emerged as essential materials for EV chargers, often addressing critical needs in safety, performance, and design flexibility. In this post, we explore the transformative role of materials like polycarbonate (PC), ABS, PBT, and specialty nylons in creating EV chargers that are cost-effective, lightweight, and sustainable.

Tackling Key Industry Needs

The EV sector requires materials that not only meet the rigorous standards of the electronics and automotive industries but also withstand a range of environmental factors.[1] From outdoor charging stations to EV battery housings, advanced plastics offer durability, electrical insulation, flame retardancy, and impact resistance. By leveraging materials designed for dimensional stability, moisture resistance, and UV tolerance for EV charging equipment, manufacturers are better positioned to meet consumer expectations and regulatory demands while enjoying significantly more design freedom.[2]

Broad Material Solutions for Diverse Components

Nexeo Plastics provides a comprehensive portfolio of advanced plastics for every component of an EV charger:

  • Structural Components: Housings, covers, and mounting systems benefit from high-impact, weatherable materials, such as PC and ABS.
  • Functional Parts: Charging plugs and connectors can utilize PBT and PA materials, which are valued for their impact resistance, electrical insulation, and flame retardancy.
  • Aesthetic Elements: Display lenses, light guides, and user interface components gain durability and clarity from materials like PC.

These components require varying levels of safety, durability, and flexibility, and our product portfolio can help meet these needs while facilitating the development of lightweight, high-strength structures that can be optimized for mass production.

Key Benefits of Advanced Plastics in EV Chargers

  1. Safety and Reliability
    Plastics used in EV chargers must meet stringent safety standards for flame resistance and electrical insulation. A number of Nexeo Plastics’ materials are certified to the UL94 flame protection standard, which helps provide essential security and reliability in charging environments.
  2. Durability and Weather Resistance
    Whether exposed to moisture, UV rays, or temperature extremes, these materials have been designed with challenging environments in mind to promote reliable performance. This feature is critical for public and outdoor chargers, which require high resistance to vandalism, rust, and temperature fluctuations.
  3. Design Flexibility
    A broad selection of forms, colors, and textures allows companies to create chargers that reflect their brand identity and appeal to EV consumers. Polycarbonates, for example, offer smooth, high-gloss finishes and customizable opacity, giving designers the freedom to make chargers both functional and visually appealing.
  4. Sustainability
    Increased sustainability is a focal point for the EV industry. Advanced plastics like PC offer recyclability and can be produced with recycled or renewable content, supporting eco-friendly practices across the product lifecycle. Nexeo Plastics’ sustainable offerings help EV charger manufacturers to reduce environmental impact while achieving technical performance goals. [4], [5]

Market Demand and Growth Potential

With the U.S. charging network set to expand from 4 million to 35 million charging points by 2030, EV infrastructure development is on the rise. [3]  This expansion opens up significant market potential for durable, high-performance charging solutions. Nexeo Plastics provides end-to-end assistance for EV charger OEMs, from material selection to regulatory compliance support, helping to ensure a smooth path to market for innovative EV infrastructure products.

As EV adoption continues to grow, plastics will remain a crucial part of the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future. From safety and performance to eco-conscious design, advanced plastics are helping to power the EV charging stations of tomorrow.

 

Learn more about our EV Solutions here.

Learn more about our Automotive & Mobility Solutions here.

 

[1] https://www.plasticstoday.com/automotive-mobility/ev-charging-infrastructure-demands-high-performance-plastic-solutions

[2] https://solutions.covestro.com/en/highlights/articles/stories/2020/covestro-tough-lightweight-materials-ev-charging-stations

[3] https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/industrial-products/library/electric-vehicle-charging-market-growth.html

[4] https://www.kdproductdev.com/blog/sustainable-electronic-design-how-green-technologies-are-shaping-the-industry/#:~:text=Utilizing%20components%20that%20consume%20less%20power%20is,operating%20costs%20and%20a%20smaller%20carbon%20footprint.

[5] https://www.startresponsible.com/stories/sustainability-in-consumer-electronics/

 

 

 

About the Authors

Andrea Charif, Ph.D. | Application Development Engineer

Andrea Charif, Ph.D. | Application Development Engineer

Andrea is a polymer scientist with several years of experience in the thermoplastics sector. She joined Nexeo after working for 7 years as an ADE at 3M Company in the Advanced Material Division. She holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Akron and obtained her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering in her hometown of Bogota, Colombia.

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Christian Sodeikat | End Market Manager - Mobility

Christian Sodeikat | End Market Manager - Mobility

Christian has obtained his MBA and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Lawrence Technological University. Having over 15 years’ experience, he is genuinely passionate about the future of transportation and intrigued by major disruptors such as EVs, Autonomy, and V2X technologies.

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