New Mobility - expanding the range of applications for Thermoplastic Elastomers 

New possibilities in powertrain, interior, and exterior

Whether powertrain, interior, or exterior: Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) offer a wide range of applications in the automotive sector. Specially developed TPE series meet the requirements of OEMs and suppliers, ensuring not only design but also function. The shift from conventional combustion engines to future-oriented electric vehicles offers versatile applications and opportunities for thermoplastic elastomers.  

The automotive industry is changing with the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles. While traditional drives require numerous components such as engine blocks, transmissions, and exhaust systems, the number of components in electric vehicles is significantly reduced. Manufacturers of battery cells, power electronics, and lightweight materials are gaining in importance, and changing requirements are opening up new fields of application for thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

At the same time, there is a greater focus on materials with a reduced product carbon footprint and recyclability, in some cases to meet regulatory requirements and achieve sustainability goals. This change gives the industry the opportunity to rethink and come up with “out-of-the-box” concepts.

What does this mean for thermoplastic elastomers in powertrains, interiors, and exteriors? In this blog post, I would like to take a closer look at this. 

Powertrain: Efficient solutions for new drive systems  

The transition from classic combustion engines to alternative drive technologies is bringing about the biggest change in terms of material selection in the powertrain sector. In battery electric vehicles (BEVs), for example, the temperature requirements for a large number of components are reduced. The changed requirement profiles now enable OEMs to rethink concepts with high-temperature-resistant, sometimes expensive and difficult-to-process fully cross-linked materials and to implement the advantages of thermoplastic processing of TPE in new material concepts.

Such new concepts can be found, for example, in batteries, where the sealing and damping functions of thermoplastic elastomers play a central role.

The frunk (front trunk) also opens up a new storage space in the vehicle that requires durable and flexible materials—another ideal application for TPE. 

Interior: aesthetics and functionality combined 

Less is more. This is reflected in the futuristic interior designs. Large surfaces, indirect lighting – the dashboard becomes a single unit. And although many components, such as control wheels and buttons, are no longer needed, TPE still makes a significant contribution to comfort and design. They are mainly used for high-quality surface components such as storage mats, inductive charging surfaces, and various types of haptic elements. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continue to focus on customized, high-quality color settings in accordance with OEM interior specifications.

Another advantage of thermoplastic elastomers is noise absorption: Since electric motors are significantly quieter than combustion engines, seals and damping elements made of soft materials in the Shore A range can reduce unwanted vibrations and noise.  

Exterior: Weather-resistant solutions for modern design  

TPE is in demand for the exterior of electric vehicles when it comes to weather resistance and sealing. They are used in window surrounds, water deflectors, door and window seals, and as sealing lips for high-gloss trim, among other things. New innovative approaches are also often being taken in the exterior of BEVs. Due to the sometimes high component weights of the sealing systems, weight reduction plays a major role here. New concepts that combine technologies such as lightweight TPE and recycled content demonstrate the versatility of the TPS material class.  

A major goal in the entire field of vehicle sealing is to switch from cross-linked materials such as EPDM to solutions with a reduced product carbon footprint (PCF) and based on recycled materials.

Compared to fully cross-linked materials, thermoplastic elastomers offer not only the advantage of lower PCFs, but also in-process recyclability to reduce waste. Added value solutions such as lightweight, thermal conductivity, damping, and compression set optimized TPE offer OEMs opportunities to implement optimized component concepts with thermoplastically processable materials. A change of material can therefore not only bring application-specific advantages, but also have an impact on corporate goals in the area of sustainability and compliance with new EU regulations, such as the end-of-life vehicle regulation currently being drafted. 

Conclusion: Sustainable materials for electromobility  

Thanks to temperature changes and the search for future-oriented solutions, e-mobility opens up many more possible applications for thermoplastic elastomers.

KRAIBURG TPE offers a comprehensive portfolio with recycling content of up to 80%, which is already being used successfully in powertrain, interior, and exterior applications. The technical possibilities of these high-quality TPE variants are demonstrated by solutions in combination with established lightweight technology and the coloring of recycled TPE with OEM color guarantee. Our experience and initial successful applications show that various goals—such as weight reduction, reduction of PCFs in components, and minimization of scrap during processing—can be achieved with new, future-oriented TPE solutions.