Certified renewable polycarbonate for electric vehicle charger housings
Charge Amps is using a renewable plastic from SABIC to manufacture the housings for electric vehicle (EV) chargers for the first time in the industry.
SABIC is supplying Charge Amps with its certified renewable grade LEXAN polycarbonate, supporting the EV charger provider’s commitment to develop the circular bioeconomy and help mitigate climate change issues. The renewable material is part of SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio that is made from second-generation bio-feedstock that is not in competition with the food chain. The new industrial process contributes to reduce CO₂ emissions in manufacturing and installation and fully meets EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) regulations.
The availability of charging facilities is recognized as one of the key factors associated with conversion to EVs.
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Charge Amps Dawn is the latest EV charging station with a charging capacity of 22 kW in one socket, a certified MID (Measuring Instrument Directive) meter and 4G connectivity. Charge Amps Dawn Chassis contains in the range of 50 percent of ISCC PLUS certified bio-based renewable material from SABIC.
Inner panels, indoor cabinets and consoles can be produced from a flame retardant (FR) polycarbonate to achieve dimensional stability, high impact resistance and aesthetic finishing. Furthermore, thin-wall FR capability can help reduce weight beyond that achieved by simply replacing metal and can also free up space for additional components.
The LEXAN material is durable and weather resistant and can provide significant manufacturing cost reductions. It enables charger makers to simplify production processes by using high-speed, high-volume injection molding, and eliminates typical secondary operations that would otherwise be required for metals.
“SABIC offers selected plastic solution from our building & construction segment that can fulfil stringent industry standards for the making of EV support equipment in terms of safety, reliability, and in addition, offers efficiency in manufacturing, as well as better aesthetics compared to incumbent solution. Together with Charge Amps, we are going one step further by cutting carbon footprint from the production phase to support the world’s transition to an electric future,” said Majed Al-Saadan, Director, Building & Construction Segment at SABIC.
“Design, innovation and sustainability are key priorities for Charge Amps,” said Jonas Hellström, Mechanical Design Manager at Charge Amps. “The bio-attributed plastic based on renewable feedstock from SABIC allows us to combine lower carbon emissions with the premium exterior design that Charge Amps is known for. We strive to be in the forefront of technology. This strategic partnership with SABIC is a natural step to being a responsible player in the EV charging ecosystem.”
The ISCC PLUS certification is a mass balance accounting system to trace the material flow across complex supply chains from the feedstock to final products. Following a set of predefined and transparent rules, the accounting then determines if a product can be classified as renewable.
For SABIC this means that for each ton of renewable feedstock fed into the production process and substituting fossil-based feedstock, approximately one ton of the output material can be classified as renewable. The mass balancing approach also allows OEMs to document and quantify the sustainability of their applications made from these certified materials.
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