Innovation Award
AkzoNobel's Powder Coatings business and Chinese electric car-maker NIO have been awarded the 2025 Altair Enlighten Award. This recognition is for their joint development of a new product aimed at enhancing the longevity of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
Coating Development
The innovative product, part of the Interpon A1000 range, is designed to protect the bottom plates of EV batteries. It significantly extends the life of battery shielding coatings, tripling their durability compared to existing solutions.
Technical Advancements
The new coating not only extends the service life of the underbody coating from five to 15 years but also reduces the coating thickness by 70%. Additionally, it contributes to a reduction in vehicle weight by 2.2 kg, supporting NIO's 15-year battery longevity strategy.
Battery Swap Stations
NIO's automated Power Swap stations allow drivers to exchange depleted EV batteries for newly charged ones. This process, however, exposes the battery bottom plates to potential abrasion, corrosion, and mechanical wear, which the new coating aims to mitigate.
