ArcelorMittal: Europe leading the race to electric vehicles
by David Fleschen
By 2025, ArcelorMittal expects that electric vehicles will account for around a quarter of all new car sales in the European Union (EU). We are already seeing sharp increases in number of new electric vehicles sold in the region. The increase is being driven by the EU’s emissions standards which entered into force on 1 January 2020 and require fleet emissions to average 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre. But sales will also be influenced by the European Commission’s announcement that it is stepping up efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 with a new set of measures known as the European Green Deal. Coupled with investments in new charging infrastructure and OEM efforts to roll out new electric vehicle models, everything indicates that the number of electric vehicles on the road will increase rapidly in the short term.
To design the new electric models that will be on the road soon, car manufacturers can rely on ArcelorMittal’s full range of steel grades for hot, cold, and roll-forming. We also offer strong Global R&D teams which can accompany our automotive customers as they transition their fleets to include more electric mobility solutions.
Another industry leading initiative is ArcelorMittal’s S-in motion® programme. One of the latest S-in motion® solutions is for the battery pack of a battery electric vehicle (BEV).
The examination of the battery pack demonstrated how advanced high strength steels (AHSS) can achieve these goals by simulating some of the most severe load cases. The three main sub-modules (upper cross member, frame and lower shield) of the battery pack were shown to benefit from the use of AHSS such as ArcelorMittal’s MartINsite® 1500 steel grade. The MartINsite® grade was able to resist high load-deformation due to its very high yield strength of more than 1200 MPa.
The MartINsite® solution is also more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient than a similar aluminium-based structure. Compared with the aluminium version, ArcelorMittal’s MartINsite® offers a 36 percent reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions and a cost saving of between €80 and 100 per car.
Source and Graphic: ArcelorMittal