With the increasing global attention to environmental protection and the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the electric vehicle market has shown an explosive growth trend. As one of the core components of electric vehicles, the battery shell, its material selection and performance are directly related to the safety of the battery, the mileage and the performance of the whole vehicle. Composite materials have gradually emerged in the field of battery shells with their excellent performance and have become one of the important directions for the development of battery shells in the future.
1. Latest data on composite battery shells
According to relevant statistics and forecasts, the global electric vehicle composite battery shell market sales reached US$154.24 million in 2023. It is expected to reach US$2,058.84 million by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.25% (2024 - 2030). This data fully shows that the market has huge development potential and broad development space in the next few years.
The Chinese market has changed rapidly in the past few years. The market size in 2023 is US$57.67 million, accounting for about 37.39% of the world. With the vigorous development of China's new energy vehicle industry and the government's strong support for new energy vehicles, the Chinese market is expected to reach US$968.64 million in 2030, accounting for 47.05% of the world's total. The rapid development of the Chinese market has not only brought huge opportunities to domestic companies, but also attracted the attention of many manufacturers around the world, making it an important growth pole in the global composite battery shell market.
In terms of product type and technology, sheet molding compound battery shells are currently the mainstream of composite battery shells for electric vehicles. The market size of this segment in 2023 is US$77.73 million, accounting for about 50.40% of the world. It is expected to reach US$1,019.02 million in 2030, accounting for 49.49% of the world's total. Sheet molding compound has good formability, strength and corrosion resistance, and can meet the various requirements of electric vehicle battery shells, so it occupies a large share in the market.
In terms of product market application, passenger cars are currently the main application market for composite battery shells for electric vehicles. In 2023, the market size of this segment is 127.58 million US dollars, accounting for about 82.72% of the world. It is expected to reach 1,745.81 million US dollars in 2030, and the global share will reach 84.80% by then. With the increasing demand for electric vehicles in the passenger car market and the increasing requirements of consumers for the performance and safety of electric vehicles, the application of composite battery shells in the passenger car field will be further expanded and deepened.
2. Advantages of composite materials in the field of battery shells
It is generally believed that if the weight of pure electric vehicles is reduced by 10%, the cruising range can be increased by about 6%. The "three-electric" system of new energy vehicles accounts for about 1/4 of the curb weight of the whole vehicle. Data shows that new energy vehicles designed on the basis of traditional vehicles will increase the weight by more than 15% compared with traditional fuel vehicles, so lightweighting is a topic that new energy vehicles need more than traditional vehicles.
In the power battery system, the battery shell accounts for about 20-30% of the total weight of the system and is the main structural component, which significantly affects its power consumption, power, braking performance, passive safety, and single-charge range. Therefore, the lightweighting of the battery shell of new energy vehicles is more important.
Compared with metal components, large-area composite shells can not only shorten the cycle time, but also help reduce the weight of the vehicle, thereby increasing the range of electric vehicles (EVs).
