AZL Launches Project to Scale Composite Battery Casings for Commercial EVs

Updated on July 07, 2026 • 4 min read

German composites engineering organization AZL has launched a new industry collaboration aimed at making composite battery casings economically viable for electric trucks, buses and off-highway vehicles.

The Joint Partner Project, titled “Scaling Composite Battery Casings,” seeks to overcome one of the commercial vehicle sector’s biggest challenges: achieving cost-effective composite battery enclosure production despite relatively low manufacturing volumes per vehicle model.

Bringing Passenger Car Experience to Heavy-Duty EVs

AZL has been developing plastic-based battery enclosure solutions for passenger vehicles since 2018, where composite casings have demonstrated significant advantages over conventional steel and aluminum designs.

However, commercial vehicles present a different manufacturing landscape. Trucks, buses and off-highway equipment typically have:

• Lower production volumes
• Diverse vehicle architectures
• Different duty cycles
• Application-specific battery requirements
• Limited economies of scale

The new project will evaluate common design requirements across multiple vehicle categories to identify modular battery enclosure platforms that can be shared among different manufacturers and vehicle models.

Modular Design to Improve Manufacturing Economics

AZL believes modularization will be the key to reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining design flexibility.

The project will evaluate three modular production strategies:

Capacity Scaling

Using standardized enclosure modules that can be combined to achieve different battery capacities.

In-Mould Variants

Creating multiple product variants through modified material configurations or interchangeable mold inserts while using the same tooling platform.

Cross-Model Combination

Applying standardized battery casing designs across different commercial vehicle platforms and operating conditions to increase overall production volumes.

According to AZL, these approaches could significantly improve manufacturing efficiency for lower-volume commercial vehicle programs.

Composite Battery Casings Offer Functional Integration

Beyond weight reduction, composite battery enclosures enable greater functional integration than conventional metal designs.

AZL says fiber-reinforced composite structures can directly incorporate:

• Mounting interfaces
• Sealing surfaces
• Coolant connections
• Thermal management features
• Structural reinforcement

Integrating these functions into a single molded component reduces:

• Part count
• Assembly operations
• Mechanical fasteners
• Overall system weight
• Manufacturing costs

The project will evaluate designs using fiber-reinforced plastics, thermoplastic semi-finished materials, and hybrid plastic-metal constructions.

AZL also notes that composite battery casings can contribute to improved fire safety while supporting lightweight vehicle design.

Supporting Commercial Vehicle Electrification

As battery-electric commercial vehicles become increasingly important for freight transportation, public transit and industrial equipment, manufacturers are seeking battery enclosure technologies that balance performance, cost and manufacturability.

According to Philipp Fröhlig, Head of Industrial Services at AZL Aachen, the industry’s primary challenge is no longer demonstrating the technical feasibility of composite battery casings but enabling economical large-scale production for markets with comparatively low production volumes.

The new collaborative project aims to develop manufacturing strategies that could accelerate adoption of composite battery enclosures across next-generation commercial electric vehicles.

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