"Plastic Instead of Steel and Glass"... Covestro Expands 'Electric Vehicle Lightweighting' Solutions

Reducing Electric Vehicle Component Weight with Polycarbonate and Lightweight Polyurethane
Achieving Greater Cost-Effectiveness

Covestro, a global advanced materials company based in Germany, is targeting electric vehicle lightweighting, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability simultaneously with its high-performance plastics that can replace steel and glass.

On May 29, Covestro announced that its flagship polycarbonate material can reduce the weight of electric vehicle parts by up to 50%, while also providing insulation and heat resistance to enhance both performance and safety. This material can be applied to powertrain components and exterior parts. It also contributes to reducing the number of parts and simplifying production processes.

Electric vehicle powertrain parts made with Covestro's high-performance polycarbonate material. Covestro

In addition, a lightweight polyurethane foam co-developed with automotive parts supplier Marelli has reduced the weight of main cockpit panels by up to 40%. This weight reduction can lead to substantial cost savings in the electric vehicle market. Covestro is also pursuing the development of products based on a "single material" concept for eco-friendly design. When used in vehicle interiors or headlight components, this enables plastic recycling without complex separation processes.

Yeon Kwangho, CEO of Covestro Korea, stated, "High-performance plastics with lightweight, functional, and recyclable properties are key to the competitiveness of eco-friendly electric vehicles," adding, "The shift from a subsidy-driven market to a market-driven one is actually a new opportunity."

Covestro supplies high-performance polymer materials not only to the automotive industry, but also to electronics, medical devices, furniture, sports, and a variety of other sectors. Last year, its global sales reached approximately 14.2 billion euros (about 22 trillion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.