Fully charged

Not long-ago electric vehicles were a rarity on our roads; now they are an everyday sight. The number of electric vehicles globally increased from just 26 million in 2023 to nearly 60 million in 2024 and this figure will rise rapidly as one in five cars sold are now electric.

EV adoption encouraged

Governments worldwide are encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles with lower carbon footprints than petrol and diesel internal combustion engines. The low emission zones, or LEZ, implemented in cities internationally, and drivers’ desires to protect the environment, have undoubtedly influenced the increase in electric vehicle sales.

“However, range anxiety, a driver’s fear that an electric car will run out of power before they reach their destination or a suitable charging point, has been a big issue that suppresses electric car sales,” says Axel Weimann, Global Segment Director for automotive sealing at Trelleborg.

Addressing range anxiety

“People are used to gas stations being everywhere and worry about the availability of charging points for electric vehicles, especially during longer trips,” continues Weimann. “By including charging breaks instead of having nonstop rides over several hours, this should not be a problem. There is though, a resistance to changing driving habits and undoubtedly more charging places will prevent range anxiety.”

This is happening. In all countries there is government pressure to quickly expand charging station networks. In addition, employers and retailers are installing charging points, not only for their employees’ and customers’ benefits but also for their own.

Charging when shopping and working
“In an attempt to lower their carbon footprint by making their employees’ journeys to work more sustainable, many companies now offer charging while parking at workplaces, sometimes mitigating the need for a charging point at home,” says Weimann. “Also, shops and malls have superchargers for customer use. These are attractive to car owners and encourage them to take advantage of charging while shopping, meaning more income for retailers.”

Though increasing the number of available charging points will reduce range anxiety, innovative technology has a part to play too. To this end, car manufacturers are focusing on the development of electric powertrain with higher efficiency and much quicker charging times.

Improving battery performance
In the early days of electric car production, they had a limited range of 30 to 50 miles. By 2010, the average electric vehicle range had only increased to around 79 miles but by 2021, this had reached 217 miles and will extend as battery innovations continue.

Trelleborg is supporting its customers in these advances with a variety of different seals and materials.
“Electric vehicle manufacturers tend to be very knowledgeable about the specifications for sealing products, but we saw the potential to improve sealing materials inside battery cells,” says Weimann. “That’s why, in 2024, we decided to make a significant investment into a comprehensive material testing program to understand the properties that are relevant to specifying and developing optimized sealing materials for battery cells.”

Trelleborg’s unique CellXPro material portfolio
That program resulted in the launch of a revolutionary sealing material range for electric vehicle battery cells.
“CellXPro helps battery manufacturers in their drive to develop more sustainable and durable batteries with faster charging times,” says Weimann.

The materials withstand high operational demands and have excellent chemical compatibility. “That’s vital,” Weimann continues. “To be effective, sealing materials must withstand chemical interaction with electrolyte, a liquid which transports positively charged ions between the positive terminal (cathode) and the negative terminal (anode) of a battery to convert stored energy into usable electricity.”

Neither the sealing material nor the electrolyte should be chemically compromised. Tests on CellXPro materials proved that their use resulted in lower degradation of cell performance over time in batteries, demonstrating the materials’ outstanding chemical compatibility. “Typically 20 percent of a battery’s capacity is lost after 200,000 kilometers. We expect that to be much less with CellXPro materials,” adds Weimann.

Liquid electrolyte batteries are here to stay
Looking to the future, Weimann says: “Liquid electrolytes are currently the dominant technology in lithium-ion batteries and I expect them to remain so over the next years, maybe even the next two decades.
“The alternative superior solid-state electrolyte technology promises breakthroughs in range, charging and safety,” he says. “This is not achievable though until mass production of this type of cell reaches maturity in terms of quality, availability and costs.”

Making compromise less necessary
Weimann points out that even though battery manufacturers endeavor to extend range as far as possible, there are limitations.
“Unfortunately, today’s battery development is like life as a whole; it is all about compromise,” he says. “This is due to battery design needing to balance performance, charging capabilities, safety, energy density, lifespan, sustainability and costs, as well as other factors. In time, the battery will become optimized and compromises in overall performance will not be so necessary.”

Long term EVs may be customized
However, over the decades, cars with combustion engines have become jacks of all trades, equally suited to long or short journeys and all types of terrain. “This may not be the case with electric cars, as drivers may want them to be more suited to certain driving conditions,” continues Weimann. “It is a philosophical discussion; will everyone want an all-purpose car, or if it is more sustainable, will they use multiple transport options instead? For instance, drivers of electric cars in cities may be more flexible when travelling long distances, swapping their usual run around town for the train or a hired vehicle.”
Weimann concludes, “It’s fascinating to think how electric vehicles will develop. Will drivers living in the mountains require an alpine EV? Will those travelling plains or the flat roads of the Netherlands, want another version?”

Writer: Donna Guinivan
Photos: Getty Images and Trelleborg