Electric vehicles are growing in type, popularity, and complexity. We just came home from the Battery Show, and the new vehicles and designs were fully displayed. Many companies are working hard to carve their unique market part, whether it is advanced battery design, charging stations and infrastructure, specialized vehicles, or aftermarket accessories.
Thermoforming is an ideal part production method for many electric vehicle applications due to tight budgets, low volume during startup, and a short time-to-market requirement. Thermoforming can deliver a superior part at competitive costs compared to injection molding and steel stamping.
Types of Thermoformed Electric Vehicle Parts
Thermoplastic forming is ideal for both interior and exterior electric vehicle components like:
- bumpers
- door panels
- accent panels
- fenders
- floor mats
- headliners
- seating
- bins
- ducting
- housings
- shrouds
Advantages of Thermoformed Parts
Thermoformed parts weigh less than fiberglass and metal parts, with unique performance advantages.
Thermoformed parts are lower cost because TPO is now competitive with ABS and has always had lower startup costs than stamped metal parts.
Thermoforming allows companies to design their branding into the part, increasing the styling option available.
Thermoformed parts are paintable with a wide variety of color options. Resins can also include a pigment to allow parts to be molded with the desired color.
Thermoformed parts are rugged and durable using high-impact molded materials.
Thermoformed parts may include additives to deliver flame retardancy to maximize vehicle safety.
Tooling is less expensive and easier to modify than metal stamping and injection molding tools.
Pre-production prototypes are less expensive to make than alternative part manufacturing options.
The thermoforming process delivers a shorter time to market due to the short lead times for tooling and prototype parts.
Short-run production is feasible and economical with thermoformed plastic parts.
Since 1972, Plastic Components, Inc. has been supplying heavy-duty and large thermoformed plastic parts to various industries and companies, including automotive, mass transportation, telecom, and appliance manufacturers. We understand the value of time and money, so we design, engineer, and build prototypes and tooling in-house.
Please reach out to us and talk to one of our experts to see if thermoforming is right for your electric vehicle components.
