Material Selection for Lightweight Electric Vehicle Battery Pack Enclosures
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67308/irjist.069Keywords:
Electric Vehicles, Battery Pack Enclosure, Lightweight Materials, Material Selection, Thermal Management, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), Cell-to-Pack (CTP), SustainabilityAbstract
Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly common, creating a growing demand for battery packs that are efficient, safe, and lightweight. The battery system accounts for a significant portion of a vehicle's total weight; therefore, the material selected for the battery enclosure directly influences driving range, energy efficiency, crashworthiness, and thermal safety. This paper reviews lightweight materials, battery pack architectures, thermal management strategies, and sustainability aspects associated with EV battery enclosures. It discusses conventional metals such as advanced high-strength steels, aluminum, and magnesium, as well as advanced polymer composites, including carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), sheet molding compound (SMC), and hybrid material systems. The paper also examines emerging thermal management approaches, including phase change materials (PCMs) and fire-resistant polymer composites designed to mitigate thermal runaway. Furthermore, recent battery architectures, such as Cell-to-Pack (CTP) and Cell-to-Body (CTB), are reviewed with respect to their manufacturability and serviceability. Finally, the environmental impacts of various structural materials are compared from a life-cycle perspective to support sustainable material selection for future EV battery systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of material selection strategies for next-generation electric vehicle battery pack enclosures, with an emphasis on lightweight design, thermal safety, and sustainability.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shreepad Pathak, Palash Parmar, Nainesh Patankar, Yash Patankar (Author)
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