[STUDY] EV Parts Made From Scrap Aluminum Could be Possible, Thanks to New ShAPE Method

As claimed by a new study, EV parts made from scrap aluminum could be possible soon.

The research, a collaborative effort between the tech firm Magna and the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, developed a new method to make this possible.

This innovation can allow car companies to manufacture high-grade EV components with scrap aluminum.

For the last few years, steel has been the go-to metal for producing parts of conventional and electric cars. But, the auto industry is slowly transitioning to aluminum for various reasons.

EV Parts Made From Scrap Aluminum Could be Possible

According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, aluminum is lighter and stronger than steel.

Aside from this, rust also doesn't affect aluminum compared to steel. Of course, using steel can also benefit the environment since relying on this material to manufacture EV parts is energy effective.

The study even claimed that using scrap aluminum could reduce CO2 emissions by over 90% and save energy by up to 50%.

About ShAPE Method

Eureka Alert reported that the new ShAPE (Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion) method is a patented and award-winning technology. This process collects scrap aluminum, bits left over from automotive productions.

Once it collects enough scrap aluminum, the ShAPE tech will transform these bits into a new EV component.

Involved researchers claimed that this process removes the need for mining and other activities harmful to the environment.

"We showed that aluminum parts formed with the ShAPE process meet automotive industry standards for strength and energy absorption," said Scott Whalen, the study's lead researcher.

If you want to learn more about the new ShAPE EV tech, you can click this link.

In other stories, Ford announced that its next-gen EVs would no longer have AM radio. Meanwhile, a new EV battery plant in Oklahoma is expected to be constructed by Panasonic.

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