Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from automobiles is a major challenge for the current automotive manufacturers in the world. The United States' Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard and the European Union's relevant regulations are all required to reduce fuel consumption. These standards are themselves aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the automotive industry. Emissions. Taking into account the growing global automotive demand, Europe has set a key target for a low-emissions strategy - by 2050, reducing CO2 emissions from 1990 levels by at least 60%.
To cater to this trend, Global Chemicals is committed to the development of advanced plastics or composites as substitutes for metals, automotive parts, or adhesives as an alternative to connecting different materials to support the lightweighting of vehicles to achieve emissions reductions.
Car weight loss is the key to emission reduction
Car weight loss is the key to reducing emissions, because a vehicle with a weight loss of 10 kilograms is equivalent to a vehicle traveling on a highway for 1,000 kilometers and reducing CO2 emissions by 1 kilogram. Weight loss can take many forms and often includes the use of various types of thermoplastics or Composites take the place of steel. Taking into account that 75% of fuel consumption is related to vehicle weight, relevant agencies expect that demand for plastics, foams and fiber-reinforced materials to replace metal parts will continue to increase in the next 10 years.
Lightweighting is an important solution for reducing emissions in the automotive industry. It is also a major trend in the development of the global automotive industry today. This means that more lightweight materials will be used in the future car production.
James Truskin, Technical Consultant of Fiat Chrysler USA, said: “The development trend of the automotive industry is to integrate different materials into the body to balance the weight, performance, cost, and manufacturing processes. This is driving new connections and manufacturing processes. The development promotes the integration of multiple materials, especially for larger vehicles.
Rapid development of electric vehicles
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is also driving changes in automotive transmission systems, such as the production and development of electric vehicles (EVs). According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) data, the global electric vehicle inventory (mainly by electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid Electric vehicle components) More than 2 million vehicles, an increase of 60% from 2015. According to IHSMarkit's data, by 2025, electric vehicles will account for 33% of the world's total vehicle production.
EricHaiss, executive vice president of Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), a subsidiary of Teijin, Japan, said that China is expected to be the region with the largest growth. In 2017, China produced about 500,000 electric vehicles. By 2020, this number will reach 2 million vehicles. IHSMarkit predicts that by 2025, the output of electric and hybrid vehicles in China will exceed 4.5 million.
Some traditional automakers are also seeking to develop electric vehicles. Ford CEO Jim Hackett stated that Ford Motor Co. will increase investment in electric vehicles to US$11 billion by 2022, and its production focus will gradually shift from traditional fuel vehicles to electric and hybrid. Power cars. In addition, General Motors, Toyota Motor, and Volkswagen also have plans to expand the development of electric vehicle products.
Electric vehicles currently have a problem of lightweighting. Such vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, vehicles need a large battery pack to ensure driving distance. This in turn significantly increases the vehicle weight. This is an electric vehicle. Quantify a problem to be solved.
Lightweight breeds new opportunities
The lightweighting of automobiles is also an opportunity for the chemical industry. PPG Industries and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have teamed up to use structural adhesives instead of spot welding in automotive production.
Pascal Saunier, head of the PPG adhesives and sealants business unit, said that the automotive industry is rapidly changing. More new technologies and materials will be used for automotive design and manufacturing. OEMs are under tremendous pressure to reduce weight, and the structure Binder is the key to solving the problem.
In addition, composite material manufacturers can also find more opportunities in the electric vehicle market. An important application of composite materials in electric vehicles is the battery box. In 2014, CSP established a joint venture with Qingdao Wei'ao Orbits Co., Ltd. The Chinese market produces automotive composite parts.
“Our nearly 80% of our business in China is related to electric car battery boxes. ' Haiss said, 'The use of composite materials to manufacture battery boxes has several advantages over metal materials - lower mold costs, more flexible designs, and higher safety In addition, the outstanding corrosion resistance of composites is also a big advantage.
