ELECTRIC CAR SPECIAL .....BASF and Chinese OEM Co-Develop Electric Concept Cars

BASF and Chinese OEM Co-Develop Electric Concept Cars

BASF and the Research and Development Center of Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC R&D Center) introduced three co-developed electric concept cars, featuring futuristic designs that address the needs of Chinese customers. This is the first time the German-based group co-developed a concept car together with a Chinese OEM.

Guangzhou/China — Debuted at the Auto Guangzhou 2018, the three two-seat concept electric cars are designed by the Chinese partner, with prototyping support from Designfabrik, BASF’s touch-point for designers. The new concept cars use the company materials to appeal to, and address the diverse needs of a wide variety of Chinese drivers. They also address the trend towards car sharing, one of the fastest growing urban mobility concepts worldwide.

From holistic air cleaning solutions to seat fabrics, as well as materials used to build the body panels and battery pack of the electric vehicles, innovative solutions are used. Exterior auto body paints co-developed by the two companies underline the individual personality for each concept vehicle. Dr. Zheng Daqing, Senior Vice President, Business and Market Development Greater China, BASF, said that in China there was strong consumer demand for individualized car experiences and extended functionalities of passenger cars.

Details of materials and solutions on the three concept cars exhibited at the 16th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition include:

·         2US: 

A two-seater electric vehicle designed for senior drivers has a unique design feature of a rotational seat base. It helps elderly drivers and passengers get into and out of the vehicle with ease. The plastic gears made from Ultramid Advanced N ensure a smooth operation of the rotation mechanism, which is designed to rotate 90 degrees horizontally in-and-out of the car cabin.

·         2U: 

Designed to appeal to women seeking an automotive look that meets their individual style, this car showcases possibilities including a unique seat design with translucent trim parts made of Ultramid Vision. The fur-like surface of the passenger’s seat design is brought to life with Ultrafuse TPU 3D printing solution.

·         2All: 

This vehicle features several design elements to address the particular needs of car sharing, including easy operation and low maintenance. For example, the front bumper made from Elastollan HPM, have an outstanding anti-scratch elastomer pad design. The seat back and pan cushion made with Infinergy (E-TPU) particle foams perfectly combine comfort with robustness.

11/19/2018 | Editor: Alexander Stark PROCESS WORLWIDE