While the automotive industry continues to undergo its most significant powertrain transformation in its history, the electric battery vehicle boom presents the industry with major challenges. As a leading supplier of cable and connection technologies, LAPP recognized this challenge in good time by developing the Mobility Dock, a portable charging system, where Ultramid® (PA), an engineering plastic from BASF, plays a vital role in the housing material of the charging system.
BASF, the world’s leading manufacturer of plastics, provided LAPP with consulting support during the development phase of the Mobility Dock with its extensive materials expertise in the eMobility, electrical and electronics sectors. The chemical company’s technical development department has strong expertise in the electrical industry with its engineering plastics. This enabled the company to quickly identify the ideal material to meet the Mobility Dock’s stringent requirements: Ultramid® is highly mechanically resilient and UV-resistant, both properties that keep the
Mobility Dock durable and colourfast even under sunlight. The plastic is a halogen-free flame retardant and exhibits high chemical resistance. In addition, high-contrast labeling of the housing is possible by laser marking.
“Mobile charging is an important factor for the acceptance of electric vehicles, as it reduces range anxiety and increases flexibility in everyday life. We are pleased to be able to facilitate the decision to purchase an electric car with our Ultramid® material in the LAPP Mobility Dock,” says Klaus Uske from Technical Development at BASF. The Mobility Dock, which features a compact, ergonomic design, conveniently charges electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from a standard household socket. It can be stored in the trunk to save space and enables flexible charging at home and on the road. To date, the charger has received numerous awards: The German Design Award in the “Excellent Product Design/Automotive Parts and Accessories” category, the winner of the eMove360° Award for Electric & Autonomous Mobility in the area of Connectivity & Engineering, the German Innovation Award in “Gold” and the Sustainability Award in the “Mobility Concepts” category.
Dr. Simon Alig, Managing Director of LAPP Mobility GmbH, explains: “The Mobility Dock for charging is the ideal product: small, handy, and without a tangle of cables, the trunk stays tidy. Partners, such as BASF, with their application-oriented material portfolio, lay the foundation for such innovations on the way to emission-free mobility.”
The mobile charging system is another step towards sustainable mobility and an example of the successful future-oriented cooperation between LAPP as manufacturer and BASF as material supplier. In order to develop viable electromobility applications such as this, the performance of the material is crucial. BASF offers a comprehensive materials portfolio for electromobility and a dedicated eMobility team of technicians, designers and materials specialists. The mobile charger will be on display in BASF’s booth B4-4303 at Fakuma, October 17 – 21, 2023, Friedrichshafen, Germany.
SOURCE: BASF
