Novelis develops first aluminum sheet battery enclosure solution using its highly-formable alloys

Novelis, an Aditya Birla Group subsidiary and the world leader in aluminium rolling announced the development of its first aluminium sheet battery enclosure solution. The company aims to address the growing needs of customers in the rapidly growing electric vehicle and battery markets. With this innovative battery enclosure the company intends to provide a sustainable mobility solution for next generation battery electric vehicles, the market for which is projected to grow three times by 2025.

"This is the first project resulting from Novelis' recently launched Customer Solution Center network, which brings research and technical platforms, operations and commercial development together to increase collaboration and innovation with our partners," said Pierre Labat, Vice President, Global Automotive, Novelis Inc. "With our investment in design, joining and crash management capabilities, we were able to create a stronger, more efficient, and more cost-effective enclosure that can be fully customized to meet our customers' needs."

The lightweight battery enclosure is built using Novelis’ patent Alumineering® Solution portfolio, especially designed for the automotive sector, about 50% lighter than steel.  It enables energy density of 160 watt-hours per kilogram.  It can accommodate all battery cell type and accommodate large EV batteries suitable for pickup trucks, SUV’s and crossovers. Novelis' aluminium sheet design is also cost-effective in comparison to aluminium extrusion and casting-intense designs and has low $/kg saved premiums compared to steel designs.

The battery enclosure uses Novelis' highly-formable alloys which has incredible weight and strength ratio that helps extend range, allowing vehicles to go 6-10 per cent further on a single charge.  Novelis conducted extensive safety testing on its product. The design incorporates the inherent qualities of aluminium like corrosion resistance, recyclability and better thermal conductivity.