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Category: Automotive
Photo credit: Chevrolet
Polyurethane Lightens the Load for Electric Vehicles
Auto manufacturers have long sought to make vehicles more lightweight in order to increase fuel efficiency. But light weighting is just as important to hybrid and electric vehicles. The lighter the vehicle, the longer its range. Here are two different ways that car companies are incorporating innovative polyurethane solutions to make their electric vehicles lighter and better.
In some electric vehicles, engineers use thermoset polyurethane adhesives to bond dissimilar materials to the car’s frame. The adhesives are extremely strong, and they reduce the need for heavy, bulky rivets and bolts. They also keep the overall vehicle curb weight down, making these cars light, fast and with an excellent charge range.
The all-electric Chevy Bolt took a different route to light weighting but relied on polyurethane just the same. In this case, polyurethane was used to make the front seats more compact, saving precious inches and pounds. The Bolt manages to have comfortable seating and backseat legroom while still achieving the light weight that gives it its impressive charge range.
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